Preserving Greenwich:
Understanding Historic Designations & The Organizations That Support Them
There is a variety of designations for historic resources within the field of historic preservation. Most designations provide protection for the historic resource but in varying degrees.
Publicity and active responses from residents regarding demolitions of historic structures have signaled the need to educate the community on what our town’s historic resources really are, and how and why we should preserve, protect and promote these unique structures.
Learn about the Historic districts and properties in Greenwich that are locally designated and enjoy a high degree of protection. Districts include Strictland Road, Putnam Hill, Glenville, River Road-Mead Ave, Fourth Ward and Greenwich Municipal Center.
Greenwich’s architectural landscape has changed considerably since the late 1960s, and many of our older, historic structures have disappeared. Greenwich Landmarks is the Greenwich Historical Society’s response to this dilemma. The Landmark designation is unique to Greenwich, and structures earning the title secure their rightful place in the town’s history.
Listing on the National Register draws attention to the historical significance of the building, object, district or road. There are 21 buildings, structures or roads and seven districts, each containing many contributing structures, on the National Register in Greenwich.
The State Register is an official listing of properties and sites important to the historical development of Connecticut. The criteria for inclusion are the same as for the National Register of Historic Places. In Greenwich there are nine extant properties on the State Register that are not listed on the National Register.
Every other year, Greenwich Historical Society honors individuals, organizations and projects for their contributions to the preservation of Greenwich’s historical resources. Winners represent historical and/or architectural significance and demonstrate the outstanding aesthetic, cultural or economic benefits of preservation.
Learn more about the political, economic and demographic changes that have shaped the community since its founding in 1640. The descriptions of each neighborhood will help you discover the history of specific communities, some with names that reach back across the centuries to the earliest settlers.