Kingsford Historic District

The Kingsford Historic District is a residential neighborhood in Oswego with 76 protected buildings spread across 21 acres along West Bridge, West Mohawk, West Oneida, West 4th, and West 5th Streets. The houses span different eras and display various styles from the city's founding period through early industrialization.

The area developed between 1830 and 1910 as a residential neighborhood when Oswego grew as a port city and people from different backgrounds built homes here. The architectural style shifts from Italianate to Romanesque Revival, Colonial Revival, and Tudor Revival, reflecting changes in prosperity and tastes.

The former St. Matthäus Lutheran Church from 1888 and West Baptist Church from 1867 show the role religious institutions played in neighborhood life. Both buildings still define the streetscape today and remind visitors of the communities that built them.

The district is walkable since the buildings are arranged along a series of streets forming a cohesive neighborhood. Visitors should allow time for a slow pace to observe details across the various houses and their architectural features.

Claude Fayette Bragdon, an influential architect of the era, designed a building at 40 West Oneida Street in 1898 that stands out from its neighbors through its distinctive design. His work demonstrates forward-thinking design ideas that went beyond the neighborhood standard.