Abbott-Downing Neighborhood Association

Historical Overview of the Rumford School Neighborhood

The neighborhood in the early 19th century

The study area is one of the oldest residential neighborhoods in the city. With its close proximity to downtown, this neighborhood served as residence for workers of the industrial trade that was prominent in the 19th century. One of the most successful industries located on the west side of South Main Street, just south of Perley Street was the Abbott-Downing Company maker of the famous Concord Stagecoaches. The business opened in 1813 but began to thrive after 1826. The Concord Coach was built by hand and suited to customer specifications, their superior construction made the Concord Coach world renowned and coaches were shipped as far away as South Africa and South America.

Why Abbott Downing?

The Abbott-Downing Company went out of business with the emergence of the automobile. Although efforts were made to compete in the changing industry with the Concord Motor Truck in 1916, the company was unable to contend with the Ford Motor Company with it famous assembly line.



In 1827 there were six large farms between Main and South Street and Pleasant and West Street. Additional residences were interspersed throughout the area along with a few small shops and lawyer offices. By mid-century concentrated residential development extended as far south as Concord Street (known as Cross Street). Below Concord Street, Downing and West Street each had about a dozen homes. What we know of today as the Rumford School Neighborhood area was primarily residential based on the needs for housing workers in the nearby Abbott-Downing Company.

The neighborhood today!

Homes that still reside in the neighborhood were mostly built in the mid to late 1800’s. Architectural style’s most common in the neighborhood include Queen Anne, Italianate, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Colonial Revival, and Second Empire. The Grid street pattern was firmly developed by the mid-1800’s based on the earliest map found of the city dated 1858.



The City will work with NH Department of Historical Resources (NHDHR) to identify potential historically significant buildings and ensure that rehabilitation is done in a historically sensitive manner.