By Becky Kraussmann and Jamie Furness, Stafford Historical Society
Maybe you have noticed the small brown signs that say Historic District on the roadside as you head into the Mill Pond area. Or the small oval plaque depicting a tree on Memorial Hall? Those signs let people know they are entering the Stafford Hollow Historic District, part of the National Register of Historic Places (NHRP). This is a list of the country’s buildings, sites, structures, artifacts, and districts that are worthy of preservation because the building or area is historically significant – either because of the architecture or because it’s associated with an important person or movement.
In 1987, the Stafford Historical Society felt the Stafford Hollow area of town fit the criteria to be included on the NHRP. They spearheaded an effort to document the sites significant in the village's history, architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture, which led to the successful nomination and designation of the Stafford Hollow Historic District to the NRHP.
In 1992, the town of Stafford received a Community Development Block Grant from the Connecticut Department of Housing to do a high-level survey of historic structures in the town. This was part of an ongoing federal effort to identify historic places nationwide. The hired consultant worked with the Stafford Historical Society on this project. This resulted in a multi-volume document that presented an overall history of the town and an evaluation of the historic structures that were still standing. Almost 600 structures in Stafford were identified as historically significant – each site was inventoried, given an approximate date of creation based on stylistic features and/or documentation, and photographed. Unfortunately, 45 of those 600 structures are no longer standing.
This survey also recommended that historic districts be established in the following areas: Stafford Street, Staffordville, Hydeville, West Stafford, Orcuttville, and the borough of Stafford Springs. Since the borough comprises distinctly different areas, the survey recommended the following sub-districts: Main Street, Furnace Avenue, East Main Street, Foxville, Highland Terrace and Hyde Park, Olympic Circle, and Prospect Hill.
Because of this recommendation, in 2021, the Town of Stafford, in collaboration with the Stafford Historic Advisory Commission and the Stafford Historical Society, applied for and received a $20,000 Survey & Planning Grant administered by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) of the Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD). This grant allowed the procurement of a CFR-qualified (Code of Federal Regulations) historic architectural consultant, Roblee Historic Preservation, LLC, to complete a Historic Designation Report and the necessary documentation to nominate Stafford’s Downtown to the National Register of Historic Places.
This project area includes portions of Main Street, Highland Terrace, Furnace Avenue, River Road, and Hyde Park. With the project underway, some questions/concerns have been raised regarding the nomination and the NRHP impacts. The proposed NRHP listing does not impose restrictions on private property owners. For example, buildings/structures within the Stafford Hollow District have been altered or torn down without restraints.
Instead, the benefits of being on the NRHP include:
Registration is primarily an honor.
Expands the Town’s eligibility for public funding and grant support.
Boosts the local economy through advertising, place-based marketing, and heritage tourism.
Helps qualified historic properties/projects receive possible tax benefits and incentives.
Encourages local historic preservation.
Strengthens community pride, identity, and value of local history.
Builds important documentation of historically significant buildings in the district and augments reporting completed by volunteers to date.
The proposed project directly fulfills directives outlined in the Stafford Plan of Conservation and Development (POCD).
Will I have to get permission to repair or make alterations to my home? If I’m on the National Register, will I have officials look over my shoulder? No. These restrictions are related to a Local Historic District (LHD). This kind of district is created and governed locally through committees and ordinances where a homeowner must seek approval for changes done to their home.
Stafford DOES NOT have such a committee or commission (The Stafford Historic Advisory Commission is, as the name says, only advisory to the Board of Selectmen – it has no power nor budget). A historic Downtown and Hyde Park district would have no control over properties and is only an honorary designation.
So, where is Stafford in the process? The nomination process is underway. The project initially experienced pandemic-related delays and received State extension approvals to complete the project thoughtfully. Roblee Historic Preservation (CFR-Consultant) was hired in late 2022, a Community Information Meeting was held in February 2023, and Roblee has since researched and photographed the proposed area. They have also completed a draft of the official nomination form. Next up, the nomination will go through reviews by the Town and the State Historic Preservation Office, followed by an informational hearing for the public next January or February.
The final boundaries will not be decided until after being reviewed. Still, right now, it encompasses Main Street from the Town Hall to Church Street, Tolland Avenue and Hyde Park Road to the west, Highland Terrace to the south, and a small piece of River Road where it joins Haymarket Square. Once the area is finalized, letters will be sent to property owners within the boundaries, giving them information on the NRHP program, instructions, and the opportunity to accept or reject the NHRP designation. If a majority of owners return a letter of dissent to the State Historic Preservation Office, then the nomination is not submitted and is only kept on file for informational use and research. If the majority of property owners do not vote against it, then the nomination proceeds to the federal level. If it is accepted, then Stafford will have its second historic district.
Project Resources & Links:
If you would like to know more about the criteria for the district, please view the National Register of Historic Places Fact Sheet/FAQs.
To monitor developments and view project materials, visit the Historic Preservation page on the Town website.
Curious to know the results of the first NHRP? Visit the Stafford Historical Society or the Town Clerk’s Office in Town Hall to view the 1985 Stafford Hollow Historic District documentation and the 1993 Historic & Architectural Resources Survey. Both are often used to answer questions or to research properties. The Stafford Historical Society is working to get these documents digitized and available online.
National Parks Service: National Register of Historic Places.
Connecticut Department of Economic and Community Development: National Register of Historic Places page.
To learn more about Stafford’s history, follow the Stafford Historical Society on Facebook.