NRHP /
North Bedford
National Register Historic
District
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 The North Bedford National Register
Historic District contains approximately 400 structures on almost 60 acres. It
is characterized by residential uses and reflects the popular architectural
styles of the 19th century. The Federal , Greek Revival, and Italianate styles
predominate in the southern section, while later styles, such as Second Empire,
Queen Anne and Colonial Revival are found in the northern section. Interspersed
with these grand structures is a concentration of modest workers' housing. The
district is located directly north of the Central New Bedford National Register
Historic District.
The majority of houses in the district are 2-2/1 stories in height, and are
wood frame construction with clapboard or shingle siding. The Federal houses
retain windows set just below the roofline with 6/6 sashes and tall narrow
chimneys at the building ends. The houses are side-gabled and parallel to the
street. The Greek Revival houses, most common to the district, have either 6/6
or 2/2 sash windows. These houses have retained wide friezes and corner boards,
many having elaborate bracketing at the gable and roofline and are normally
gable-end to the street. The Italianate houses in the district represent a
later period of development in the neighborhood when money was abundant and the
houses were slightly larger. These homes were nearly square in dimension and
also had bracketing at the roofline; perhaps with a cupola or belvedere at the
roof peak.
The North Bedford Historic District is significant as the major unaltered
representation of a middle class 19th century residential development in New
Bedford. The juxtaposition of styles and periods was caused by infill
construction as the area grew during the 19th century in response to the
enormous economic growth of the city resulting from the rise of the whaling and
textile industries. Throughout this period, North Bedford remained the home of
such persons affiliated with support in industries such as caulking,
topemaking, blacksmithing, and housebuilding. |
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33 William St - New Bedford, MA 02740 - Tel: 508-996-4095 - Fax: 508-984-1250
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