Location New Haven – Hamden | Commissioned 1798 | |
Whitney Avenue is a principal arterial connecting Downtown New Haven with the town center of Hamden in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Most of the road within the city of New Haven is included in the Whitney Avenue Historic District, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The designation begins at Grove Street in the northern part of Downtown New Haven and extends through the town of Hamden up to the Cheshire town line. North of Dixwell Avenue in Hamden Center, the road is a state highway and designated as part of Route 10. From the New Haven town line to Dixwell Avenue, the road is state-maintained with an unsigned designation of State Road 707. Within New Haven, Whitney Avenue is a town road. The J route of Connecticut Transit New Haven, which connects New Haven to Waterbury, runs along Whitney Avenue.
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Whitney Avenue is named after Eli Whitney, Jr., whose factory was located by the Mill River near the road.
History
The New Haven portion of Whitney Avenue "originated as an early road leading from central New Haven northward to Hartford. The Hartford and New Haven Turnpike Company improved it as a turnpike in 1798."
The Hamden portion of Whitney Avenue plus the extension in Cheshire and Southington was also a turnpike known as the Cheshire Turnpike, which was chartered in May 1800. It utilized the already developed Hartford and New Haven Turnpike alignment to reach Downtown New Haven.
The Whitney Armory was located off of Whitney Avenue in Hamden. One or more associated buildings, such as a dormitory, were located directly on the avenue.
Street railway tracks were present on Whitney Avenue from the late 19th century into the early 20th.
Connecticut Route 10
From the Cheshire, Connecticut Town Line to Dixwell Avenue in Hamden, Whitney Avenue is also Marked as Connecticut Route 10. Route 10 junctions up with Connecticut Route 40 and Connecticut Route 22 in Hamden. Route 10 portion of Whitney Avenue is home to many homes along with many businesses.