NEW LONDON’S HODGES SQUARE LISTED ON NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES

New London — The State Historic Preservation Office and New London Landmarks on Tuesday announced that the Hodges Square Historic District was officially listed on the National Register of Historic Places by the National Park Service.

The designation was made on Oct. 10. The district was previously listed on the State Register of Historic Places last year when the State Historic Preservation Review Board unanimously approved of the nomination.

“This designation will help to spark additional investment and engagement in the community. We are pleased to have had the opportunity to partner with the city and New London Landmarks in celebrating the history of Hodges Square,” said Kristina Newman-Scott, state historic preservation officer and director of culture at the state Department of Economic and Community Development.

“The Hodges Square Historic District is significant because these streets tell the story of New London’s working class in the late eighteenth through early twentieth century,” said Laura Natusch, executive director of Landmarks, in a statement.

“The original residents were primarily renters, many of whom worked in silk mills or for the Central Vermont Railroad Company,” Natusch said. “Unfortunately, the construction of I-95 left Hodges Square disconnected from downtown New London, leading to its decline. This designation asserts that Hodges Square matters, and, by providing access to tax credits, gives us tools with which to reverse its decline.”

Natusch praised the State Historic Preservation Office for making the designation possible.

Hodges Square is a historic neighborhood that showcases New London’s expansion as the economy shifted from whaling to manufacturing. At its heart lies Riverside Park, established in 1893. Much of its residential architecture dates back to the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Hodges Square is New London’s 13th historic district to be listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

The federal listing provides access to tax incentives which can defray up to 50 percent of the eligible costs of rehabilitating historic structures through federal and state tax credits.