Set atop Avon Hill southwest of Porter Square, this subdivision, laid out about 1870, contains a concentration of the finest Victorian and Second Empire residential buildings in the city.

The five acres at the top of the hill were sold for development in 1869 to Henry Melendez and Gilbert Dexter, two prominent local businessmen.

Each built a fine Second Empire house on Washington Street; that of Melendez survives, while Dexter's burned down in 1939.

The area was built out by 1890 with architecturally distinguished houses on large landscaped lots, mainly for the owners of local businesses.

All were originally built as single-family dwellings, but some have since been divided internally into multiple living units.