Flanders Historic District
Description and history
The town of Kent was established in 1738, with the Connecticut Colony auctioning off land in this area late in that year. Settlers soon arrived, and the Flanders area became the town's main settlement. The oldest deeded house is The Nathaniel Slosson Homestead c. 1739, built during the settlement of Kent. The area remained of civic importance until the 1840s, when a railroad stop was established further south. This resulted in the migration of economic and civic functions to that area, which is where the present town center is located. Since then, the Flanders area has been a quiet rural residential village.
The historic district is centered at the junction of US 7 with Cobble Road and Studio Hill Road, and covers approximately 65 acres (26 ha). It includes twelve major buildings, of which five are large Federal style houses, three are older colonial-era buildings, and two later Greek Revival structures. All of these building exhibit vernacular interpretations of those styles, with simplified decorative elements. Interior decorative elements also tend to be modest, with elaborate detailing often found only in the "best" parlor. The Federal period houses, for example, are built using traditional colonial forms, lacking period innovations such as hip roofs, but have Federal style pilasters at the corners, and may include some carved woodwork in the cornice.
See also
References
- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "NRHP nomination for Flanders Historic District". National Park Service. Retrieved December 22, 2014.