Subsection Navigation:
History at Your Footsteps
Nestled along Bank and State streets, the thoroughfares of downtown New London, are many significant historical buildings, with fascinating but little known pasts. Thanks to volunteers, Heather Grigsby and Sylvia Malizia, this history will soon be available to New London residents and tourists alike, on bronze plaques set in the sidewalks adjacent to the buildings to create a heritage trail through the district.
The history of the plaques project is itself fascinating. First, it is a collaboration among a number of downtown organizations. Center City District (CCD) originally conceived of the idea of providing information to the public about historic downtown buildings in the mid-1990s. A committee, working with the city's Office of Development and Planning, explored many options before deciding that the best manner to display the information was by the placement of bronze plaques in the sidewalks.
When the project lagged, CCD asked New London Main Street to help. Main Street recruited volunteers and wrote two grants for funding from the Frank Loomis Palmer Fund to cover the fabrication and a portion of the installation costs. The balance will be incorporated into a request for funding to City Council for use of federal funds earmarked for the Thames River Maritime Heritage Park.
Heather, a member of the Design Committee, and Sylvia, the archivist for New London Landmarks, set to work last spring. Over the course of the year, they secured bids from several bronze plaque manufacturers and have meticulously researched the design, construction and past uses of 30 buildings. Thanks, in part, to historians such as Sally Ryan and Dale Plummer, they have come up with some fascinating information. The Mohican building, for example, located at 281 State Street, was designed by New York architect, William Tuthill, who also designed Carnegie Hall in New York City. When built in 1897, the Mohican was intended to house the publishing operations of Frank Munsey, who published the New York Herald, but two years later, it was turned into a hotel, with three floors and a roof garden added to the building. The Custom House, located on Bank Street, was designed by Robert Mills, who also designed the Washington Monument.
Board President Barun Basu, with help from former Main Street administrative assistant Kristin Havrilla Clarke, prepared the bid package for the job of installing the plaques in the sidewalks. Depending on the chosen contractor's schedule and the season's special events, the plaques will be installed either this spring or fall. The next stage in the project is to create a brochure with more details about each of the buildings.
The historic plaques project is a good example of what can happen when New London organizations work together, but it is also a case of volunteers making a significant commitment of time. The result will be a long-term benefit to the City of New London and an increased awareness of the stories behind the intriguing architecture found in the district.
Subsection Navigation:
