Preservation in the Town of Essex

There are three main types of historic districts: National Register districts, State Register districts and local historic districts. National Register districts, which are managed by the National Park Service, primarily provide honorary recognition and tax incentives without restricting private property rights. State districts operate in a similar manner and are administered by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Local districts are regulated by municipal ordinances and impose design controls for exterior changes

Only the Village of Ivoryton (designated 2014) is currently included in the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP), but the Town of Essex has a goal of achieving historic recognition through the NRHP for the villages of Essex and possibly Centerbrook as well.

Essex Village began an application process for designation in 2021, with the help of an outside consultant hired by the Town Planning Department. The application, which proposes a National Register district containing dozens of historic structures in town, is currently in phase two of the acceptance process, and is being reviewed by the State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO). Once approved, it will be sent to the U.S. Department of the Interior for final review and designation on the National Register.

The current proposal, as drafted by the town consultant, includes boundaries from the corner of West Avenue and Grove Street, up Prospect and North Main Streets, including New City Streets. The proposal includes River View Cemetery and any lanes off North Main Street south of RVC, as well as the peninsula of ‘downtown Essex’ and Champlin Square.

Designations on either the State or National Register are largely honorific but can add ‘perceived’ value to a home. On the state level, homeowners may apply for tax credit reimbursement for restoration costs, but renovation plans are subject to review by SHPO and may be subject to other levels of involvement. Buildings designated on the National Register are not automatically protected from architectural change or demolition, but they do qualify for “additional scrutiny.” For example, if a high-profile property were slated for demolition or renovation, local residents could petition the state’s attorney general to intervene.

As inclusion is largely honorific, it should not affect homeowners at all. Locally, Essex Historical Society is always happy to provide homeowners with resources such as property research, sites that list vendors who specialize in restoration, etc.