New Bedford, Massachusetts- The City of New Bedford Planning Department has completed a survey and planning project to amend its nomination for the County Street National Register Historic District.  A public meeting to present the research and findings associated with the new nomination will be held on Monday, December 17, 2007, 6:30 PM at the Rotch-Jones-Duff House & Garden Museum at 396 County Street. 

The County Street district was first named to the National Register in 1976 and is comprised of approximately 1,000 properties and 100 acres of land.  The original nomination placed a nearly exclusive emphasis on the architecture within the district.  But, the amended nomination includes documentation of the social and ethnic diversity, as well as the history and development patterns of the district.  No boundary changes occurred.

Thorough documentation of the district will serve as an important resource for future growth and development strategies for both the City of New Bedford, and community leaders involved in the County Street district neighborhoods.  The new information gathered during this process will result in future interpretive and research opportunities such as exhibits, publications and special events.  This project will also aid the National Park Service efforts to conduct an ethno-history/ethnographic study of the many ethnic groups involved in New Bedford’s whaling history.  Many of these groups lived in the neighborhoods surrounding the New Bedford Whaling National Historic Park, including all areas of the County Street district.  These neighborhoods represent a wide range of economic classes and ethnic backgrounds anchored by the Cape Verdean community.

The lead consultant for this project, Kathryn Grover, who was selected for her extensive expertise and knowledge of New Bedford history, will present her research.  Ms. Grover, a New Bedford resident, has completed successful National Historic Landmark applications for the National Park Service and the New Bedford Historical Society.  Ms. Grover is also the author of The Fugitive’s Gibraltar, a study of the history of fugitive slave traffic in and around New Bedford.

The City of New Bedford is home to eleven historic districts listed on the National Register of Historic Places.  The National Register of Historic Places is a federal program administered by the National Park Service in partnership with state governments
and is the nation's official list of cultural resources worthy of preservation.  While conveying national recognition to a property, a National Register listing is primarily honorary and carries no restrictions upon that property.

Questions relating to this project and the community meeting can be directed to Anne Louro, the Historic Preservation Planner at 508-979-1488.

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