 The area developed in the early 19th century as a brickmaking center, a business which expanded after the railroad (whose line forms the district's eastern boundary) arrived by 1840.It became the principal commercial area of North Haven by the 1850s, but declined in importance in the mid-20th century due to increased automobile use and the construction of Interstate 91, which separated the area from the town center.The historic district is in size, and consists of two sections, joined by the Broadway bridge.