| Boston Post Road Historic District | |
| Nrhp Type: | hd |
| Nocat: | yes |
| Location: | 567-728 Boston Post Rd., 1-25 Brookside Rd., and 45-70 Old Kingshighway N., Darien, Connecticut |
| Coordinates: | 41.0808°N -73.4661°W |
| Architect: | Multiple |
| Architecture: | Mixed (more Than 2 Styles From Different Periods) |
| Added: | December 16, 1982 |
| Refnum: | 82000997 |
The Boston Post Road Historic District encompasses a cross-section of residential architectural styles representative of much of the history of Darien, Connecticut. Centered on the junction of Boston Post Road (United States Route 1) and Brookdale Road, the district also includes two civic landmarks: the town hall and the Greek Revival First Congregational Church. The district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1982.
Darien was settled by colonists as part of Stamford, and was first known as Middlesex Parish. A church parish separate from that of Stamford was established in 1737, and the town was incorporated in 1820. In 1740 a meeting house was built on the site where the present First Congregational Church now stands at Brookside Road and the Post Road. The current church, built to replace the meeting house, was built in 1837, and is a representative example of Greek Revival church architecture. Extending along the Post Road south to Darien Town Hall (Classical Revival, built 1910 as a school, converted to town hall in 1949) are a series of houses whose construction dates and architectural styles represent more than a century of the town's history, from 1800 to the 1920s. Set just east of the church on Brookdale Road and the Old King's Highway are some of the town's oldest houses, including the Bates-Scofield House built in 1736 and used as an office by the Darien Historical Society. That house is where the meeting organizing the church parish was held in 1739.[1]
The district is about 17acres in size, with 23 historically significant properties. None of the residential properties are particularly distinguished for their architecture, but are significant for their representation of the patterns of growth and development of the community.[1]