Downtown North Historic District, Hartford

The Downtown North Historic District in Hartford is a 19-acre area rich in architectural variety and urban history. Located just north of I-84 and south of the Amtrak railroad tracks, the district stretches around Main Street and High Street, forming a butterfly-like shape centered on the intersection of Albany Avenue, Ely Street, and Ann Uccello Street.

This predominantly residential neighborhood developed in the late 19th and early 20th centuries during Hartford’s urban expansion. It includes a mix of apartment buildings, historic homes, churches, and former schools. A central landmark is the 130-foot Keney Tower, a striking Gothic Revival structure designed by Charles C. Haight in 1898. It stands within a small park north of the former Barnard School-now the Capital Preparatory Magnet School-on the eastern side of the district.

Adjacent to the tower is the Sacred Heart Church, a brick Gothic Revival church built in 1892. Across Main Street from the school sits a row of Italianate duplexes from the 1890s, reflecting the area’s residential character. At the junction of Ann Uccello and High Streets stands a narrow, triangular “Flatiron” building from 1896, designed by Frederick Comstock. Just south on Ann Uccello Street are several homes, including the ornate Arthur G. Pomeroy House, a Queen Anne Victorian from 1882.

The western portion of the district features notable landmarks such as the Isham-Terry House, a well-preserved 1854 Italianate villa now operating as a historic house museum, and the Second North District School, a Classical Revival structure from 1891 that currently houses Hartford's Board of Education. Though some residential buildings in the area have been replaced-most notably by the city's police headquarters-the district retains a strong sense of its historical and architectural identity.

Recognized for its significance, the Downtown North Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.