This area was platted and development begun in the 1850s, a time when Bangor was booming as one of the major lumber processing and shipment points in the United States.

[2] The oldest building in the district is the Charles Jennings House at 15 Hayward Street.

There are a number of stylish Italianate houses, the most elaborate of which is probably that of William Arnold at 47 West Broadway; it is a rambling two-story structure with two towers.

The West Broadway house lots were among the first to be laid out, and are larger (about 1 acre (0.40 ha)) than those found on other streets in the district.

Later styles, including Queen Anne, Shingle, and the Colonial Revival, are well represented in the remainder of the district.