New London · US

Prospect Street Historic District

Prospect Street Historic District is a remarkably intact pocket of mid-19th-century architecture tucked just northwest of New London's downtown on a hillside overlooking the harbor. In a mere 5.5 acres, 24 buildings—most built between 1838 and 1859—form one of the finest concentrations of Greek Revival and Italianate residences in Connecticut. The district captures the optimism of a booming whaling port that needed middle-class housing fast, and the result is a dense, harmonious neighborhood that feels virtually frozen in time. Added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986, the district is small enough to walk in a few minutes but rich enough to reward lingering attention to its classical detailing, fan-tracery transoms, and varied porch styles.