Fewer than three years ago, several people talked about creating an historic district in the neighborhood around the former Middletown Regional Hospital site.
On Wednesday night, Aug. 19, the Middletown Council on Landmarks and Historic Districts held a public hearing to determine if the neighborhood met the criteria to be designated as an historic district.
After hearing from three residents supporting the request and with no opposition, the council approved the recommendation for the designation and forwarded it to Middletown City Council.
Jeff Michel, a Florence Street resident and president of the neighborhood nonprofit group, said he was happy after the request was approved.
“It’s excellent,” Michel said. “We hope other neighborhoods consider this. Our group wanted to be more than a historic district.”
Michel said the neighborhood has been working to develop community pride and encouraging neighbors to get to know — and look out for — each other.
If Council approves the recommendation, the neighborhood will become Middletown’s second historic district.
The proposed district is bounded by Central Avenue, Alameda Circle, McKnight Street, The Alameda, Florence Avenue, Sherman Avenue and Stanley Street. It also includes portions of Superior, Highland and McGee avenues.
According to Planning Director Marty Kohler, the neighborhood has been in existence since 1892. He said the 66 single-family homes have varied architectural styles and designs that reflect the times when they were constructed. The average age of the homes in the neighborhood is 73 years.
In addition to the homes, the Episcopal Church of the Ascension is one of the anchors of the neighborhood.
Resident Fred Ross, who helped to organize the project, said the effort made him appreciate the neighborhood and represented a coming together of the neighborhood.
“We realized we had something treasurable and wanted to preserve it,” Ross said.