24, 26, 28 Pleasant Sreeet in the District. The Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Photographer not cited, from the Historic District nomination document, prepared by Kathryn J. Cavanaugh in 2005.
24, 26, 28 Pleasant Sreeet in the District. The Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2006. Photographer not cited, from the Historic District nomination document, prepared by Kathryn J. Cavanaugh in 2005.
The North End Historic District [†] comprises approximately 150 acres just north of downtown and the railroad tracks. Its boundaries include Canal, Dayton, Friendship, High, Pearl, Pierce, Pleasant, Pond, and West streets, as well as Industrial and Lilac Drives, Geranium Lane, and Marriott and Turano Avenues. The area lies east of the Pawcatuck River, separated from Connecticut and defined by its flat terrain near the river and a series of low hills to the north and east.
Established primarily by 1870, the district features an irregular grid with principal roadways Pierce and Pleasant Streets running east-west and intersecting near Canal Street. The street network, including secondary roadways that run mostly north-south, creates city blocks and parcels that are irregularly sized and shaped. Originally, lot sizes ranged from 2,200 square feet to over three acres, often deep and narrow, reflecting organic, unplanned development.
Land Use and Buildings
During its historic period, roughly 1832–1955, the district was about 79% residential, with the rest mixed or non-residential, but by the early 21st century, it was approximately 90% residential. Within 243 primary buildings, the majority (194) were residential with a predominance of two-family houses, though single-family and multi-family dwellings exist. At its mid-20th-century peak, many homes sheltered up to a dozen residents, though two-family uses now predominate. Non-residential architecture includes a church, a school, a mill, two social clubs, garages, and numerous commercial or mixed-use buildings.
Most historic commercial and mixed-use buildings date from early to mid-20th century when Italian immigration surged. Many commercial structures initially served as stores with dwellings above, while some residential buildings gained storefronts or commercial additions. Although only a handful of buildings remain in commercial or mixed use, architectural clues such as storefront windows and extra doorways preserve their commercial past, especially on Pierce Street.
Architectural Character
About 93% of buildings (227) date to the period of significance and present similar massing, scale, and proportions. Heights typically range from one to two-and-a-half stories, with all commercial buildings being single-story. Setbacks from the street are highly varied. Most residences are wood-framed on stone foundations, with red brick used in only about a dozen cases.
The typical house is a side-hall plan with two or three bays across the facade. Nineteenth-century versions often have gable or cross-gable roofs, while hip roofs and dormers became common in the twentieth. One- and two-story front porches are widespread; some houses have distinctive features, like Greek Revival, Second Empire, Italianate, Colonial Revival, bungalow, or Mission details, though most are vernacular in nature. A striking landscape feature is the series of cobblestone or granite block stone walls found at the front property lines of over thirty homes, some dating to the late nineteenth century and others attributed to Italian immigrants.
Conditions and Alterations
Most houses have experienced changes—especially since 1980—such as aluminum or vinyl siding, replacement windows, and altered porches. Exterior stairways serving upper apartments are common, particularly on Pierce and Pond Streets. Despite these adaptations, the district is relatively unchanged by demolition or recent construction, with only 17 post-1955 structures and 11 vacant lots, offering remarkable visual continuity and a high degree of preservation integrity.
Historical Development
Westerly was sparsely settled until the Industrial Revolution and the rise of the textile and granite industries. By the early nineteenth century, grist and woolen mills along the Pawcatuck River spurred population growth and built environment expansion. The Stonington & Providence Railroad (1832–37) granted the area greater market access, and granite from local quarries gained national acclaim.
The neighborhood was originally known as Stillmanville, after the Stillmanville Mill. Maps from 1850 show about 15 buildings on Canal Street and a handful elsewhere. After 1870, the current street pattern was essentially in place, and by 1900 the area featured both densely packed workers' houses near the mill and more substantial dwellings for artisans and professionals closer to High Street and the quarries.
Immigration and Community Life
The late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries saw large numbers of immigrants—initially Irish, English, and Scots, followed by a wave of Italians (especially from Calabria) after 1900. Italians formed a highly concentrated enclave, purchasing or building homes throughout the neighborhood and engaging in masonry, textile, and entrepreneurial activities. By the 1920s, directories record hundreds of Italian-born or -descended residents in the North End, with extended families clustering by street or block.
Italians brought rural traditions, maintaining vegetable gardens, grape arbors, and livestock. Food businesses, macaroni and cheese factories, bakeries, butchers, and grocers dotted the district, most on the ground floors of residential buildings. Community life was also marked by numerous mutual-aid societies and social clubs, like the Calabrese Club and the North End Social Club, which continue to anchor local identity.
Cultural, Educational, and Religious Institutions
The district contains one church (Pleasant Street Baptist, 1874) but never had a Catholic church, though Immaculate Conception Church (1886) at High Street stood just beyond its boundaries and served both Irish and Italian Catholics.
Pleasant Street School (1868–1931, demolished) and High Street School (1925, now condos) were educational hubs, with the former long serving the neighborhood and being repurposed by the Calabrese Club after closure.
Economic and Social Evolution
Italians in the North End advanced from laborers to business owners, professionals, and elected officials by the mid-twentieth century. The area peaked in density during the 1920–40 period, after which suburbanization, industry decline, and absentee ownership led to decades of decline. However, revitalization efforts in the 2000s—including historic preservation incentives and neighborhood renewal plans—have aimed to restore housing, amenities, and civic pride.
Contributing and Non-Contributing Status
In assessing historic value, buildings with non-structural alterations considered reversible are treated as contributing, while heavily altered or newer buildings are categorized as non-contributing. Many properties feature outbuildings—typically garages and sheds—with about half considered contributing.
Enduring Significance
The North End Historic District stands as a testament to New England’s industrial village pattern, ethnic layering, and the adaptation and achievements of immigrant communities*mdash;especially Italians—over several generations. It endures as a vibrant symbol of community, tradition, and architectural integrity.
† Adapted from:> Kathryn J. Cavanaugh, Preservation Consultant, North End Historic District, nomination document. 2005, National Register of Historic Places, Washington, D.C., accessed September, 2025.
Nearby Neighborhoods
Street Names
Canal Street • Dayton Street • Friendship Street • Geranium Lane • High Street • Industrial Drive • Lilac Drive • Marriott Avenue • Pearl Street • Pierce Street • Pleasant Street • Pond Street • Turano Avenue • West Street