Local Historic District

City Point

The City Point Local Historic District is an exceptionally cohesive, well-preserved urban residential neighborhood in New Haven. The District is historically significant for its maritime associations, specifically the oystering industry which flourished there between 1840 and 1925. City Point was designated a local historic district in 2001. City Point should not be confused with Oyster Point, a National Register Historic District which was designated in 1989 and covers a similar geographic area. The Local district is slightly larger than its National Register counterpart and the boundaries of the two are not coterminous.

City Point Historic District, which is bounded on the north by the Interstate 95 and on the south by New Haven Harbor, encompasses about 30 acres. Historically known as Oyster Point, the area is the southern tip of the peninsula called City Point, a residential neighborhood that once extended north all the way to Columbus Avenue. Despite its relative isolation, the area flourished. City Point contains representative examples of vernacular domestic architecture of exceptional quality and variety constructed during its period of significance by carpenter builders. Of particular importance are the oystermen's houses, a distinctive building type built in the mid-nineteenth century and first influenced by the Greek Revival style, and the many fine Queen Anne-style houses of the later nineteenth century.

Today the district is a vital well-preserved neighborhood, one which displays exceptional architectural integrity. Howards Avenue, the spine of the district, still connects it to the rest of the city. Other streets in the district are Greenwich Avenue, Sixth Street, Hallock Avenue and most of the Sea and South Water Streets. Almost 100 residential historic properties are found are found along these streets as well as several historic and modern commercial properties at the waterfront. Bayview Park on the northeast and the site of the old Boulevard Sewage Treatment Plant on the eastern edge of the neighborhood are also included.