Downtown Historic District
The Downtown Concord Historic District [†] is comprised of that section of Main Street and nearby cross streets along which the city's commercial district developed in the 19th century. Main Street is a v,ide and level thoroughfare that extends in a north-souLi. direction, roughly parallel to the Merrimack River which lies about a quarter of a mile to the east. Various streets enter the section of Main Street included in the proposed district. Pleasant Street near the southern end of the district is the dividing line between North and South Main Streets and North and South State Streets. Other streets extending east of Main Street include Loudon Road, Depot Street, Freight Street, Hills Avenue as well as alleys such as Phenix Avenue, Low Avenue and Dixon Avenue. Intersecting with Main Street from the west are Centre Street, Park Street, Capitol Street, School west of Main Street while Storrs Street is located a block to the east. Odd Fellows Avenue is now a pedestrian v,'ay extending from Warren Street to Pleasant Street, west of North Main Street.
Although the vast majority of the buildings in the district are commercial in nature, the district includes many other uses as well. East of Main Street there are the remains of warehouses and stables which were ideally located between the railroad yards which once stood to the east and the commercial district. There are also three churches within the proposed district as well as clubhouses, theaters, public buildings, houses, apartment buildings, public spaces and objects, both historic and of recent design.
The Downtown Concord Historic District is significant as a well-preserved example of the historical evolution of a downtown over two hundred years. Various resources illustrate the growth of the community fueled by its prominent role as the state capital, the impact of the railroad and a strong manufacturing base. The downtown has been the commercial center of Concord since its beginning, a role it continues to sen/e today. The period of significance for the district is circa 1800-1949, reflecting the dates of the earliest settlement in the area and the fifty-year cutoff of the National Register. Despite incremental changes to individual resources, the nominated district continues to reflect the mid to late 19th century when much of Concord's growth took place, and, taken as a whole, possesses considerable integrity of location, design, setting, materials, workmanship, feeling and association.
Lisa Mausolf, Preservation Consultant for the Concord Heritage Commission, Downtown Concord Historic District, nomnation document, 1999, National Register of Historic Places. Washington, D.C.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Capitol Street • Centre Street • Depot Street • Dixon Avenue • Freight Street • Hills Avenue • Loudon Road • Low Avenue • Main Street • Odd Fellows Avenue • Park Street • Phenix Avenue • Pleasant Street • School Street • Stoors Street • Warren Street
