[1] The district includes one building, 149-165 State Street, designed by architect Cass Gilbert.

It is separated from the Bridgeport Downtown North Historic District by a section of modern development along Fairfield Avenue.

With a location adjacent to a good harbor, the village became a significant center of maritime commerce, and it was separately incorporated as a town in 1821, and as a city in 1836.

Rail connections to New York City and the northwestern interior of Connecticut cemented its role as a major commercial hub by the early 1850s.

Industrial development followed in the second half of the 19th century, with the core financial and commercial services focused on the downtown area that had arisen near the waterfront.