New Haven City Hall & Courthouse, Historic American Buildings Survey

New Haven City Hall & Courthouse, Historic American Buildings Survey
– Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division

John Warner Barber’s Connecticut Historical Collections (1836) marks the first effort to document Connecticut’s historic places, but it would not be until the late 19th century that residents became interested in the state’s historic places. Early preservation focused on houses, often restored by women’s organizations and made into museums. The Works Progress Administration drove preservation efforts in the early 20th century and widened the scope of sites considered important. In 1955 the General Assembly established the Connecticut Historical Commission and in 1966 Congress enacted the National Historic Preservation Act, which mandated preservation activities. Committed to preserving the built environment, Connecticut has more than 1,500 resources, from Colonial homes to skyscrapers, on the National Register of Historic Places.

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Emily Holcombe presenting deeds of Gold Street to Mayor Miles B. Preston

Emily Holcombe Pioneered to Preserve Connecticut’s Colonial Past

Emily Seymour Goodwin Holcombe was an activist and preservationist who took pride in the state's history, particularly its colonial past. …[more]

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“Connecticut Landmarks.” http://www.ctlandmarks.org/ (August 16, 2012).
“Connecticut Historic Preservation Collection.” 2012. University of Connecticut, Archives & Special Collections at the Thomas J. Dodd Research Center. https://archivessearch.lib.uconn.edu/repositories/2/resources/807 (July 27, 2012).
“National Register of Historic Places (Database).” 2017. National Park Service. https://www.nps.gov/subjects/nationalregister/database-research.htm (March 23, 2012).
“State Register of Historic Places.” 2017. Connecticut Department of Economic & Community Development. https://portal.ct.gov/DECD/Content/Historic-Preservation/01_Programs_Services/Historic-Designations/State-Registry-of-Historic-Places (September 12, 2013).
International Festival of Arts & Ideas. 2019. The Cities Project: New Life for New England’s Industrial Past. https://www.artidea.org/video-podcast/3984.
“New Haven Preservation Trust.” 2017. http://nhpt.org/ (March 12, 2012).
“Hartford Preservation Alliance.” 2017. http://www.hartfordpreservation.org/ (March 12, 2012).
“Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation.” 2017. http://www.cttrust.org/ (March 12, 2012).
“Historic Barns of Connecticut.” 2017. Connecticut Barns. http://www.connecticutbarns.org/ (May 13, 2012).
Coppa & Avery Consultants. 1981. Architecture and Preservation in Connecticut: A Guide to Historic Homes, Churches and Architectural Styles. Monticello, IL: Vance Bibliographies.
Isham, Norman Morrison, and Albert F. Brown. 1965. Early Connecticut Houses; an Historical and Architectural Study. New York: Dover Publications.
Rolleston, Sara Emerson. 1979. Heritage Houses: The American Tradition in Connecticut 1660-1900. New York: Viking Press.
“Historic American Buildings Survey/Historic American Engineering Record/Historic American Landscapes Survey.” 2012. Library of Congress -  Prints & Photographs Online Catalog. http://www.loc.gov/pictures/collection/hh/ (May 15, 2012).