The Dayville Historic District encompasses a collection of mid-19th century architecture in the Dayville village of
Killingly, Connecticut
Killingly is a New England town, town in Windham County, Connecticut, Windham County, Connecticut, United States. Killingly is the largest town by population in the Northeastern Connecticut Planning Region, Connecticut, Northeastern Connecticut ...
. It is clustered around the junction of Main and Pleasant streets, extending along Main to High Street. The area flourished in the mid-19th century, as a consequence of the railroad being routed nearby, serving area
textile mill
Textile manufacturing or textile engineering is a major industry. It is largely based on the conversion of fibre into yarn, then yarn into fabric. These are then dyed or printed, fabricated into cloth which is then converted into useful good ...
s. The district, residential except for a church, was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...
in 1988.
[
]
Description and history
The village of Dayville was named after Capt. John Day, who owned the water privileges on the Five Mile River
The Five Mile River is a river located in Connecticut's northeast corner which flows through the towns of Thompson, Putnam, and Killingly. The original Nipmuc name was ''Assawaga'', meaning "place between" or "halfway place". The Assawaga re ...
. With the opening of the Norwich and Worcester Railroad in 1830, Dayville also became a hub for freight transport for other manufacturing villages along the river. By 1849, the village had grown sufficiently in population to have its own church, the Dayville Congregational Church, a Greek revival building built by Alexander Blanchard. Blanchard's own house is a fine example of Greek Revival architecture built about 1845, featuring a temple front. John Day's house was also built around that time, and also features a temple front.[
The district also has fine examples of Italianate and Queen Anne architecture, often built for owners of area mills or other commercial enterprises. The Thomas Sayles House, built in 1866, also includes a period carriage barn. The Henry Hammond House, built about 1888, is a blend of these two styles, with Italianate brackets and turned porch balusters. A late example of the Queen Anne is the William Labelle House, built in 1912.]
See also
*
References
{{Windham County, Connecticut
Killingly, Connecticut
Historic districts in Windham County, Connecticut
National Register of Historic Places in Windham County, Connecticut
Historic districts on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut