State Senator Joseph J. Crisco, Jr.
February 21, 2008
Crisco and Governor Rell Announce Funds for Improvements on Upper Main Street in Ansonia
Governor M. Jodi Rell and Senator Joseph Crisco (D-Woodbridge) today announced that $50,000 in state funding for roadway and pedestrian lighting improvements in Ansonia's Upper Main Street historic district is expected to gain approval when the state Bond Commission meets February 29.
"This area of Ansonia is a treasure-trove of historic buildings," Governor Rell said. "You need not be a dedicated preservationist or architecture expert to appreciate the beauty of these structures--or to recognize the need to ensure their longevity. Moreover, we want downtown Ansonia and the centers of all our cities and towns to be thriving economic engines. I am pleased we can help move this project along."
"I'm delighted this funding will be approved for much needed upgrades to the Upper Main Street Historic District in Ansonia," said Senator Joseph Crisco. "This will lead to modern improvements that will help residents enjoy the many historic landmarks in this community."
The city, first settled in 1652 and named in honor of the merchant and philanthropist Anson Greene Phelps (1781-1853), was originally a part of the township of Derby. The state chartered Ansonia as a borough of Derby in 1864, and later as a separate town in 1889. Ansonia's landmarks include its public library, YMCA, National Guard Armory and many Victorian and Queen Anne houses. The prominent Ansonia Opera House is the oldest opera house in Connecticut and was built in 1870.
Ansonia is noted for its many churches, including those forming five Catholic parishes, each historically associated with a particular ethnic group: Saint Joseph (Polish), Saint Anthony (Lithuanian), Our Lady of the Assumption (Irish), Holy Rosary (Italian), and Saint Peter and Paul (Ukrainian). There are also Congregationalist, Methodist, Episcopalian, African Methodist Episcopal, Baptist, Russian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, Pentacostal, and other Christian denominations.
On the National Register of Historic Places in Ansonia:
- Ansonia Library - 53 South Cliff St.
- Gen. David Humphreys House - 37 Elm St.
- Richard Mansfield House - 35 Jewett St.
- US Post Office-Ansonia Main - 237 Main St. (added 1985)
- Upper Main Street Historic District - 36-100, 85-117 Main St. (added 1982) which includes the Ansonia Opera House, at 100 Main St.
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