Starr Street

Starr Street. Hempstead Historic Neighborhood. , Starr Street is a brilliant preservation success story, a triumph of urban renewal without destruction. In the 1970s, with some houses already abandoned, the block was slated for demolition. In a risky, far-sighted move, the Savings Bank of New London bought and restored most of the houses. The Starr Street Historic District was established in 1981. , Historic preservation often focuses on the homes of the wealthy. Here we see an intact streetscape of middle-class houses, the homes of tradesmen and artisans. The houses were built between 1835 and 1895, mostly in the common Greek Revival and Italianate styles. Five houses on the street (Numbers 15, 17, 19, 23, and 25) were the work of John Bishop, a builder who left an enduring mark on New London. , Starr Street Ropewalk , Before the street was laid out in 1835, much of its length was occupied by a 500-foot ropewalk - a long, low shed-like building in which strands of hemp were wound into rope, mainly for ships. The ropewalk burned around 1832, but New London's dependence on the sea continued, and many of Starr Street's residents made a living from whaling and other maritime pursuits. , ( photo captions ) , , The Plymouth Cordage Company Ropewalk, built in 1824 in Plymouth Massachusetts. The remains of this structure have been rebuilt at Mystic Seaport Museum. , , Until the campaign for restoration succeeded, Starr Street looked like another once-pleasant block doomed to death by urban renewal.