Extending along Howard Avenue between Minor Street and Interstate 95, it contains an unusually high concentration of well-preserved late 19th-century middle class vernacular architecture, reflecting the area's growth at that time.

His attempt failed, and it was not until the 1860s, when a horsecar railway was run along the northern section, that serious development began.

This development was further spurred by the creation of a large railyard just to its east by the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, which drew workers to the area.

[2] When listed in 1985, the district included 151 buildings deemed to contribute to the historic character of the area.

The houses are architecturally a cross-section of styles dating from the 1860s to the 1910s, typically in vernacular forms with modest adornment.