The state has approved the town of Farmington’s application to create two cultural districts in town.
The approval was announced Friday by Lt. Gov. Susan Bysiewicz and the state Department of Economic and Community Development (DECD).
Cultural districts are walkable areas of a city or town that feature a variety of cultural facilities, activities and/or assets. The areas draw visitors from other towns and states and serve as a hub for residents to congregate and interact, the state said.
To receive the designation, a city or town must establish a cultural district commission to manage the districts.
“As home to so many historical landmarks and a diverse selection of cultural institutions, Farmington needs not just one but two districts to house all it has to offer,” Bysiewicz said.
The two designated areas are the Farmington Cultural District and Unionville Cultural District.
Liz Shapiro, DECD’s director of arts, preservation and museums, said visitors to the Farmington district will find “grand buildings — homes, churches and schools — that represent the town from its early colonial days through the present.”
Visitors to the Unionville district will learn about “the development of industry, from the location of waterwheels, to train stations to late-19th and early 20th century factories,” Shapiro said.
Farmington is the second community in the state to be approved for two cultural districts, joining the town of Stonington, which has had Mystic Bridge and Stonington Village officially designated by the state.
Other Cultural Districts in the state are located in Bristol, New London, Manchester, Norwalk, Ridgefield, Torrington and Wethersfield.
