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Bridgeport, Connecticut
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Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in and the former county seat of Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 137,912 in 2006 and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area. It is considered part of the labor market area for New York City.
Bridgeport is also the center of the 41st largest urban area in the United States, just behind Austin, Texas (40th), the Bridgeport-Stamford urban area surpasses several well known urban areas such as Jacksonville, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Tucson, and Honolulu.
The city is quite marked by its attachment to its famous resident, the circus-promoter and once mayor P.T.
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Encyclopedia
Bridgeport is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. Located in and the former county seat of Fairfield County, the city had an estimated population of 137,912 in 2006 and is the core of the Greater Bridgeport area. It is considered part of the labor market area for New York City.
Bridgeport is also the center of the 41st largest urban area in the United States, just behind Austin, Texas (40th), the Bridgeport-Stamford urban area surpasses several well known urban areas such as Jacksonville, Oklahoma City, Nashville, Tucson, and Honolulu.
The city is quite marked by its attachment to its famous resident, the circus-promoter and once mayor P.T. Barnum. Barnum built three houses in the city, and housed his circus in town during winters.
Other than Black Rock and parts of Brooklawn which were originally part of the Town of Fairfield, Bridgeport was originally a part of the Town of Stratford. The first settlement was made in 1659. It was called Pequonnock until 1695, when its name was changed to Stratfield, because of its location between the already existing towns of Stratford and Fairfield. During the American Revolution it was a center of privateering. In 1800, the borough of Bridgeport was chartered, and in 1821 the township was incorporated. The city was not chartered until 1836.
The city was home to the Frisbie Pie Company, and therefore it has been argued that Bridgeport is the birthplace of the frisbee.
The city is also home to the first Subway Restaurant. The first Restaurant opened in the North End section of the city in 1965.
The community has two hospitals, Bridgeport Hospital and St. Vincent's Medical Center.
History
Early years
Bridgeport's early years were marked by residents' reliance on fishing and farming, although the farm land was rocky, much like other towns in New England. The city's location on the deep Newfield Harbor fostered a boom in shipbuilding and whaling in the mid-19th century, especially after the opening of a railroad to the city in 1840.
The city rapidly industrialized in the late-19th century, when it became a manufacturing center. It produced such goods as the famous Bridgeport milling machine, brass fittings, carriages, sewing machines, brassieres, saddles, and ammunition.
Abraham Lincoln's visit
On Saturday, March 10, 1860, Abraham Lincoln spoke in the city's Washington Hall, an auditorium at what was then the Fairfield County Courthouse (now McLevy Hall), at the corner of State and Broad streets. Not only was the largest room in the city packed, but a crowd formed outside as well. Lincoln received a standing ovation before taking the 9:07 p.m. train that night back to Manhattan. A plaque marks the site where Lincoln spoke. (In 2006, just across the street, in the Polka Dot Playhouse , President George W. Bush spoke before a small, select group of Connecticut business people and officials about health care reform.)
Later history
By 1930, Bridgeport was a thriving industrial center with more than 500 factories. Since the late 19th century, its industrial jobs had attracted the most recent immigrants: Irish, Italians and eastern Europeans. The build-up to World War II helped its industries.
Restructuring of heavy industry starting after the mid-20th century caused the loss of thousands of jobs and residents. Like other urban centers in Connecticut, Bridgeport suffered during the deindustrialization of the United States in the 1970s and 1980s. Many middle class people sought work elsewhere, and poverty became concentrated among those who remained. Unemployment rose, crime soared, and the city became known for a major drug problem. Immigrants continued to arrive in the city because of low housing costs; some were able to find work in the area.
Former industrial sites within the city were discovered to be heavily polluted, leaving Bridgeport with extensive environmental costs and damage. Sites were abandoned, and sometimes burned by arson. Areas of the city resembled ghost towns.
In September 1978, Bridgeport teachers went on a 19-day strike due to deadlocked contract negotiations. A court order, as well as state law that made strikes illegal in Connecticut, resulted in 274 teachers being arrested and jailed.
After a quarter century of troubles, in the early 21st century, Bridgeport seems to be rebounding. It is becoming a center of service industries. With long commutes and competition with expensive housing in the region, some people are moving back into the city for its more affordable housing.
Like other northeastern cities suffering from the effects of Post World War II industrial decline, Bridgeport made numerous efforts at revitalization. In one proposal Las Vegas developer Steve Wynn was to build a large casino, but that project failed to materialize.
More recently, the City of Bridgeport has taken steps to acquire the last parcels in private hands to be able to develop better packages for redevelopment. The city's many historic buildings are being renovated into residential and retail units, and offer architectural texture. Its waterfront location will be a draw.
Law Enforcement
There are 5 law enforcement agencies that serve Bridgeport. Two at the city level, one at the county level, and two at the state level.
City Level:
- Bridgeport Police Department - The cities primary law enforcement agency, it deals with every-day things in the city from gang violence to petty theft.
- Bridgeport Park Police Department - A separate department from the Bridgeport Police, this agency was formed to enforce law in Bridgeport's vast area of city parks.
County Level:
State Level:
- Connecticut State Police - Responsible for highway patrol and assisting the Bridgeport Police Department when needed for situations such as stand offs.
- New York Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police - Responsible for security for the New York Metropolitan Transportation Services. This agency pretty much only is in down town around the MTA train station.
Fire Department
The City of Bridgeport is protected 24/7 by the full-time paid firefighters of the City of Bridgeport Fire Department. This is the only fire and rescue agency in the city and operates out of two battalions of four firehouses each, equaling eight firehouses throughout the city, since numerous firehouses were shut down, such as Engine 2, Engine 5, Truck 3, and Engine 14 due to political problems, resulting in the Bridgeport Fire Department to be one of the busiest in Fairfield County, since each firehouse covers a larger-than-normal response area. The BFD operates a apparatus roster of sixteen engine companies(including seven reserve engines and one quint), six truck companies(including two reserve trucks), one rescue company, one command unit, and three marine units. The BFD's slogan is "Where the Circus Never Left Town", a pun relating to the great P.T. Barnum and the flood of fires in Bridgeport that has kept the BFD busy for many, many years.
Fire Headquarters-Fire Station # 1
30 Congress Street
Truck 5
Engine 1
Rescue 5
Battalion 1
Command Unit 1
Marine 1
Fire Station # 2
233 Wood Avenue
Engine 3
Engine 4
Fire Station # 3
1035 Central Avenue
Truck 6
Engine 6
Battalion 2
Fire Station # 4
245 Ocean Terrace
Truck 11
Engine 7
Fire Station # 5
950 Boston Avenue
Truck 10
Engine 10
Fire Station # 6
265 Beechmont Avenue
Engine 12
Fire Station # 7
104 Evers Street
Engine 15
Fire Station # 8
3115 Madison Avenue
Engine 16
Geography and climate
Bridgeport is located along Long Island Sound, at the mouth of the Pequonnock River.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 19.4 square miles (50.2 km˛), of which, 16.0 square miles (41.4 km˛) of it is land and 3.4 square miles (8.8 km˛) of it (17.53%) is water. Bridgeport lies within the Humid subtropical climate belt, with warm to occasionally hot and humid summers and cold, snowy winters. Its winters are cold so it can be thought of as borderline Humid subtropical and Humid continental. The seasonal extremes are moderated by Long Island Sound. The adjacent waters result in Bridgeport being several degrees cooler in summer and slightly milder with less snowfall in winter than locations further away from the coast. The city receives of precipitation and around of snowfall in an average year. The snowiest winter on record is 1996 where Bridgeport received .
| Monthly normal and record temperatures and precipitation | | Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| Record high ( °F) | 68 | 67 | 84 | 91 | 97 | 96 | 103 | 100 | 99 | 86 | 78 | 76 |
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| Normal high ( °F) | 36.9 | 38.8 | 46.9 | 57 | 67.4 | 76.4 | 81.9 | 80.7 | 73.6 | 63.1 | 52.6 | 42.1 |
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| Normal low ( °F) | 22.9 | 24.9 | 32 | 40.7 | 50.6 | 59.6 | 66 | 65.4 | 57.7 | 46.3 | 37.5 | 28 |
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| Record low ( °F) | -7 | -5 | 4 | 18 | 31 | 41 | 49 | 44 | 36 | 26 | 16 | -4 |
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| Precipitation (in) | 3.73 | 2.92 | 4.15 | 3.99 | 4.03 | 3.57 | 3.77 | 3.75 | 3.58 | 3.54 | 3.65 | 3.47 |
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| Snowfall (in) | 1.25 | 7.8 | 4.9 | 0.7 | T | 0 | T | T | 0 | 0 | 0.6 | 4.7 |
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| Source: USTravelWeather.com |
Cityscape
The harbor is formed by the estuary of the Pequonnock River and Yellow Mill Pond, an inlet. Between the estuary and the pond is a peninsula, East Bridgeport, which was once the site of some of the largest manufacturing establishments (most no longer exist). West of the harbor and the river is the main portion of the city, with the wholesale section extending along the bank, the retail section farther back, and numerous factories along the line of the railway far to the West.
There are two large parks. Beardsley is in the extreme northern part of the city. Seaside is west of the harbor entrance and along the Sound. It has statues in honor of Elias Howe, who built a large sewing-machine factory in 1863; and of P.T. Barnum, the showman, who lived in Bridgeport after 1846. He contributed much to the city, especially East Bridgeport. Seaside Park also has a soldiers' and sailors' monument. In the vicinity are many upscale residences.
Cedar Creek is a lake-like tidal creek that lies between Black Rock and Seaside Park. Black Rock Harbor lies at the mouth of the creek.
The principal buildings are the two hospitals (St Vincent's and Bridgeport), the Protestant orphan asylum, the Barnum Institute (occupied by the Bridgeport Scientific and Historical Society), the Bridgeport Medical Society and the United States Customs House, which also contains a post office.
Landfill
Bridgeport has a landfill known as Mount Trashmore located on the north shore of the Seaside Park peninsula in the south end of the city. The landfill is visible, as is the Wheelbrator Resco Regional Trash to Energy incinerator plant, on the opposite side of the cove from the Black Rock neighborhood.
Mount Trashmore was a large pile of construction debris on several vacant lots located in the East end of the city for many years in the early 1990s until it was finally cleaned up.
Neighborhoods
There are several neighborhoods not listed here. Feel free to add neighborhoods to this list!
- Downtown
- North Bridgeport
- Success Lake Area(project and surrounding area)
- North End
- West Side
- Black Rock
- P.T. Barnum(project)
- Grover Hill
- Mountain Grove Area
- Brooklawn (partly in Bridgeport, Partly in Fairfield)
- The Hollow
- South End
- East Side/End
- Steel Point
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 139,529 people, 50,307 households, and 32,749 families residing in the city. The population density was 8,720.9 people per square mile (3,367.0/km˛). There were 54,367 housing units at an average density of 3,398.1/sq mi (1,312.0/km˛). The racial makeup of the city was 45.02% White, 30.76% African American, 0.48% Native American, 3.25% Asian, 0.11% Pacific Islander, 14.81% from other races, and 5.57% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 31.88% of the population. Other ancestry groups include: Italian (8.6%), Irish (5.1%), Portuguese (2.9%), Polish (2.8%), and German (2.4%).
There were 50,307 households out of which 34.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 35.0% were married couples living together, 24.0% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.9% were non-families. 29.0% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.3% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.70 and the average family size was 3.34.
In the city the population was spread out with 28.4% under the age of 18, 11.2% from 18 to 24, 30.5% from 25 to 44, 18.4% from 45 to 64, and 11.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 31 years. For every 100 females there were 91.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $34,658, and the median income for a family was $39,571. Males had a median income of $32,430 versus $26,966 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,306. About 16.2% of families and 18.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 24.8% of those under age 18 and 13.2% of those age 65 or over.
| Voter Registration and Party Enrollment as of October 25, 2005 |
|---|
| Party | Active Voters | Inactive Voters | Total Voters | Percentage | Democratic | 33,374 | 2,855 | 36,229 | 58.23% | Republican | 5,069 | 468 | 5,537 | 8.90% | Unaffiliated | 18,538 | 1,887 | 20,425 | 32.83% | Minor Parties | 27 | 3 | 30 | 0.05% |
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| Total | 57,008 | 5,213 | 62,221 | 100% |
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Education
Bridgeport is home to the University of Bridgeport and Housatonic Community College.
The city's public school system has 30 elementary schools, three comprehensive high schools, two alternative programs and an interdistrict vocational aquaculture school. The system has about 23,000 students, making the Bridgeport Public Schools the second largest school system in Connecticut. The school system employs a professional staff of more than 1,700.
The city has started a large school renovation and construction program, with plans for new schools and modernization of existing buildings.
High Schools
- Bassick High School, home to the Business Magnet
- Central High School established in 1876, home to Central Magnet, largest of the high schools
- Warren Harding High School home to the International Baccalaureate Program (IBO) and the Health Magnet Program in association with Bridgeport Hospital, St. Vincent’s Medical Center, and Bridgeport Manor.
- Bridgeport Regional Vocational Aquaculture School (BRVAS), a school specializing in marine and aquaculture curriculum. located near historic Captain's Cove and open to students from surrounding towns.
- Bullard Havens Technical High School, a vocational high school. (State School)
- Kolbe Cathedral High School, Bridgeport's sole Catholic high school
- The Bridge Academy: Bridgeport's sole Charter High School
Bridgeport is also home to several Catholic schools, including St. Ambrose (the largest), St. Raphael's, St. Augustine, St. Andrew's, St. Peter's, and St. Ann.
Government and politics
Bridgeport is notable for having had a Socialist mayor for 24 years; Jasper McLevy served as mayor from 1933 to 1957. Its more recent mayors, including Joseph Ganim, have been plagued with corruption scandals, reflecting a similar pattern found in other urban centers in Connecticut. In June 2006, Mayor John M. Fabrizi admitted that he had used cocaine since taking office, but had not used cocaine for over a year.
Its status as a struggling post-industrial city marked by poverty is well-known within Connecticut, and stands out markedly from its Gold Coast neighbors.
Culture
Popular culture
- ‘At the end of an hour we saw a far-away town sleeping in a valley by a winding river; and beyond it on a hill, a vast gray fortress, with towers and turrets, the first I had ever seen out of a picture.
- ‘“Bridgeport?” said I, pointing.
- ‘“Camelot,” said he.’
- Bridgeport is mentioned occasionally on shows focusing on guns and ammunitions from the late-19h to the mid-20th centuries.
Several movies/TV shows were filmed in the city
Performing Arts
Bridgeport has been the three-time home to Gathering of the Vibes, a weekend long arts, music and camping festival featuring some of the best names in festival talent. In 1999, 2000 and again in 2007, thousands of people came from all over the world to camp in Seaside Park and enjoy such talent as Buddy Guy, Bob Weir and Ratdog, Bridgeport's own The Alternate Routes, Deep Banana Blackout, Les Claypool, Assembly of Dust, Dirty Dozen Brass Band, and Los Lobos.
Bridgeport is also the home of the Black Rock Art Center, a multi-cultural center that presents performing artists from Africa, Asia, the Caribbean and the Americas both at the Art Center and also in a Summer Sounds of the World concert series. The series has featured such legendary artists as blues musician James Cotton, Grammy-award winner Eddie Palmieri, the Cambodian Angora Dance Company, salsa master Larry Harlow, and folk artists Richie Havens and Odetta. The Art Center features a world music series, a cabaret series, the Black Rock Blues Festival, in addition to cinema, gallery, and educational programs.
Theater
- theater with plays and varied musical events
Notables
- Bridgeport is the home of gospel singers Junior Fountain & God's Generation.
- Bridgeport is also the home of James "JJ" Hairston & Youthful Praise.
In the movie Die Hard With a Vengeance, the character John McClain (played by Bruce Willis) called the Coast Guard in Bridgeport.
Museums, Zoos & Parks
The Beardsley Zoo is the only such center in Connecticut.
The "Park City" also has these parks:
- 90 Acres Park, runs between Park and Madison Avenues in the North End (undeveloped/reclaimed)
- Alice Street Lot, located on Alice Street
- Baldwin Plaza, on Broad Street
- Beardsley Park, located on Noble Avenue where Harding High School plays Baseball and Softball games; picnic areas are also visible, located ajacent to Beardsley Zoo
- Beechwood Park, Madison Avenue, incorporating Kennedy Stadium
- Ellsworth Park, on Ellsworth Street
- Fairchild Memorial Park, located on Trumbull Road
- Glenwood Park , where tennis courts are abundant
- James Brown Park (Waterview Park), located on Waterview Avenue
- Johnson Oak Park on Logan Street (now part of the Tisdale Elementary School)
- Lafayette Park, located on Oak Street
- Longfellow Park, on St. Stephens Road
- Newfield/Jessup Park located on Newfield Avenue has a playground,
- Pleasure Beach is closed
- Puglio Park on Madison Avenue consecutive to the North End Library
- Rogers Elton Park on Frenchtown Road
- Seaside Park, the largest park in Bridgeport with baseball/softball/soccer fields, fishing areas, picnic areas, playgrounds, Groomed beach and swimming, and boat launch stretching from Bridgeport Harbor to Black Rock Harbor
- Saint Mary's-By-the-Sea located on Grovers Avenue
- Success Park on Granfield Street
- Svihra Park on Ezra Street
- Upchurch Park on Hallett Street
- Wood Park on Wood Avenue
- Veterans Memorial Park on Park Avenue
- Washington Park located on East Washington Avenue
- Waterfront Park located on Water Street primarily for baseball usage
- Went Field Park on Wordin Avenue (play area, Baseball/softball was Barnum's Circus winter grounds
- West Side 2 Park located on Bostwick Avenue
Sports
The recently-built Arena at Harbor Yard serves as the city's sports and hospitality center. Seating 10,000, the Arena serves as the home rink of the Bridgeport Sound Tigers AHL hockey team, as well as the home court of the Fairfield University's basketball team.
The Ballpark at Harbor Yard serves as a minor-league baseball stadium, and was built in 1998 to serve as the homefield of the Bridgeport Bluefish. It is located downtown on a former brownfield site. It is visually prominent to commuters on I-95 or on passing trains.
Kennedy Stadium serves as a community sports facility. In the late 1960s and early 1970s, it was the home of an Atlantic Coast Football League minor league football team, the Bridgeport Jets, a New York Jets farm team also known locally as the Hi-Ho Jets due to their sponsorship by the (Hi-Ho) D'Addario construction company.
Fairfield University is located in the neighboring town of Fairfield, and many of the athletic teams play on campus. Only the men's and women's basketball teams play in Bridgeport.
Broadcast stations in the city
Radio
- WCUM-AM 1450; 1,000 watts (formerly WDGS-AM, and before that, WNAB-AM) Spanish Format station better known as Radio Cumbre.
- WDJZ-AM 1530; 5,000 watts (daytime only) Gospel Radio that serves the African American and Caribbean communities in the Bridgeport Metro area.
- WICC-AM 600; 1,000 watts (daytime), 500 watts (nighttime) -- WICC began broadcasting on November 21 1926, when a previous radio station, WCWS, was given a new name, WICC. The last three letters standing for Industrial Capitol of Connecticut. The Bridgeport Broadcasting Company Inc. was the new station's owner. Back then, the station was powered at 500 watts. From 1951 to 1956 one of the station's radio hosts was Bob Crane, who later went on to play Col. Robert Hogan on the Hogan's Heroes television comedy series. WICC's transmitter is located on Pleasure Beach, an island located between downtown Bridgeport and Long Island Sound.
- WEBE-FM 107.9; 50,000 watts. WEBE 108 is "Connecticut's Best Music Variety" owned and operated by Cumulus Media. Licensed to Westport, CT, with studios and transmitter in Bridgeport.
- WEZN-FM 99.9; 27,500 watts. Connecticut's Star 99.9, Soft and Contemporary. The station is owned by Cox Radio, Inc.
- WPKN-FM 89.5; 10,000 watts; From the station's web site: "WPKN is somewhat inscrutable. We break all of the rules, and we observe few, if any, of the conventions. We have no format whatsoever, we permit our programmers to do whatever they will, and we don't accept funding from the sources which might restrict our freedoms. We are totally accountable to our listeners in that we publish our budget to everyone on our mailing list, and we also invite you to our monthly staff meetings and, in particular, the June meeting at which we discuss the budget. (...) WPKN's programming can be heard on two frequencies: 89.5 FM from our transmitter at Trumbull, CT and 88.7 FM (formally known as WPKM) at Montauk on Long Island. If you're driving eastward and you start to lose the 89.5 signal, you can tune over to 88.7 and continue to hear us until about Exit 6 on I-95 in Rhode Island."
Due to Bridgeport's close proximity to Long Island Sound, many AM stations from New York are received clearly day and night in the market. These include WMCA, WFAN, WOR, WABC, WNYC, WCBS, WEPN, and WQEW.
Media
- , a community Spanish Language Weekly Newspaper covering news and events.
105.5- sometimes know as "106. fiyah " is a local station that plays reggae music.
Television
Transportation
Airports
Nearby Sikorsky Memorial Airport once provided regional flights to major hub cities such as Logan International Airport in Boston and Baltimore-Washington International Airport; however, service to the airport declined in the 1990s, and US Airways Express became the last airline to suspend operations at the airport in November 1999. In June 2006, US Helicopter began scheduled service to New York City from the Sikorsky Airport. Tweed New Haven Regional Airport is another nearby facility that provides scheduled air service. The closest international airports are La Guardia and John F. Kennedy in New York City, Newark in Newark, New Jersey, Stewart in Newburgh, New York and Bradley in Windsor Locks, Connecticut.
Major highways
Bridgeport has several major roadways. Interstate 95 and the Route 8/Route 25 Connector meet in downtown Bridgeport. I-95 runs east-west near the coast heading towards New York City to the southwest and Providence to the northeast. Routes 8 and 25 run north-south across the city, with the two routes splitting just north of the city. Route 8 continues towards Waterbury and Torrington and Route 25 continues towards the Danbury area. Both Routes 8 and 25 connect to the Merritt Parkway in the adjacent town of Trumbull.
Other major surface arteries are U.S. 1 (the Boston Post Road), which runs east-west north of downtown, and Main Street, which runs north-south towards Trumbull center. The city also has several secondary state highways, namely, Route 127 (East Main Street), Route 130 (Connecticut Ave, Stratford Ave, Fairfield Ave and Water Street), and the Huntington Turnpike.
Railroad and ferries
The city is connected to nearby New York City by both Amtrak and Metro-North commuter trains. Many residents commute to New York jobs on these trains, and the city to some extent is developing as an outpost of New York-based workers seeking cheaper rents and larger living spaces. Connecting service is also available to Waterbury via Metro-North, and New Haven via Amtrak and Metro-North.
A ferry service runs from Bridgeport across Long Island Sound to Port Jefferson, New York; the three vessels "Grand Republic", "P.T. Barnum" and "Park City" transport both automobiles and passengers.
Buses
The Greater Bridgeport Transit Authority (GBTA) provides bus service to Bridgeport and its immediate suburbs. Route 2 the Coastal Link goes west to Norwalk and east to Westfield's Connecticut Post Mall in Milford, from where Connecticut Transit can bring passengers to the New Haven Green. Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines both offer intercity bus service to points throughout the Northeast and points beyond.
On the National Register of Historic Places
- BERKSHIRE NO. 7 — Bridgeport Harbor (added 1978)
- Barnum Museum — 805 Main St. (added December 7, 1972)
- Barnum/Palliser Historic District — Roughly bounded by Myrtle and Park Aves., Atlantic and Austin Sts. (both sides) (added 1982)
- Bassickville Historic District — 20-122 Bassick, 667-777 Howard, and 1521-1523 Fairview Aves., and 50-1380 State St. (added October 8, 1987)
- Beardsley Park — 1875 Noble Ave. (added April 18, 1999)
- Bikur Cholim Synagogue — 1545 Iranistan Ave. (added December 27, 1995)
- Black Rock Gardens Historic District — Bounded by Fairfield St., Brewster St. and Nash Ln., including Rowsley and Haddon Sts. (added October 26, 1990)
- Black Rock Historic District — Roughly bounded by Black Rock Harbor, Grovers Ave., Beacon and Prescott Sts. (added April 15, 1979)
- Bridgeport City Hall — 202 State St. (added October 19, 1977)
- Bridgeport Downtown North Historic District — Roughly bounded by Congress, Water, Fairfield Ave., Elm, Golden Hill & Chapel Sts. (added December 2, 1987)
- Bridgeport Downtown South Historic District — Roughly bounded by Elm, Cannon, Main, Gilbert, and Broad Sts. (added October 3, 1987)
- Connecticut Railway and Lighting Company Car Barn — 55 Congress St. (added 1987)
- David Perry House — 531 Lafayette St. (added April 22, 1984)
- Deacon's Point Historic District — Roughly bounded by Seaview Ave. and Williston, Bunnell and Deacon Sts. (added September 21, 1992)
- Division Street Historic District — Roughly bounded by State St., Iranistan, Black Rock and West Aves. (added July 3, 1982)
- ELMER S. DAILEY — Bridgeport Harbor (added 1978)
- Eagle's Nest — 282-284 Logan St. (added April 5, 1979)
- East Bridgeport Historic District — Roughly bounded by RR tracks, Beach, Arctic, and Knowlton Sts. (added May 25, 1979)
- East Main Street Historic District — Bounded by Walters and Nichols Sts. from 371-377, 741-747, 388-394 and to 744 East Main Sts. (added March 21, 1985)
- Ein Jacob (Ayn Yacob) Synagogue — 746 (aka 748) Connecticut Ave. (added December 27, 1995)
- Fairfield County Courthouse — 172 Golden Hill St. (added February 21, 1982)
- Fairfield County Jail — 1106 North Ave. (added May 18, 1985)
- First Baptist Church — 126 Washington Ave. (added March 22, 1990)
- Gateway Village Historic District — Roughly bounded by Waterman St., Connecticut Ave. and Alanson Ave. (added October 26, 1990)
- Golden Hill Historic District — Roughly bounded by Congress St., Lyon Terr., Elm, and Harrison Sts. (added October 3, 1987)
- Hotel Barnum — 140 Fairfield Ave. (added 1978)
- Lakeview Village Historic District — Roughly bounded by Essex St., Boston Ave., Colony St., Plymouth St. and Asylum St. (added October 26, 1990)
- Maplewood School — 434 Maplewood Ave. (added March 21, 1990)
- Marina Park Historic District — Marína Park, Park and Waldemere Aves. (added May 27, 1982)
- Mary and Eliza Freeman Houses — 352-4 and 358-60 Main St. (added March 22, 1999)
- Nathaniel Wheeler Memorial Fountain — Park and Fairfield Aves. (added May 4, 1985)
- PRISCILLA DAILEY — Bridgeport Harbor (added 1978)
- Palace and Majestic Theaters — 1315-1357 Main St. (added 1979)
- Park Apartments — 59 Rennell St. (added October 26, 1990)
- Penfield Reef Lighthouse — Long Island Sound off Shoal Point (added October 27, 1990)
- Pequonnock River Railroad Bridge — AMTRAK Right-of-way at Pequonnock River (added July 12, 1987)
- Peyton Randolph Bishop House — 135 Washington Ave. (added September 25, 1987)
- Railroad Avenue Industrial District — Roughly bounded by State and Cherry Sts., Fairfield and Wordin Aves. (added October 30, 1985)
- Remington City Historic District — Roughly, Bond, Dover, and Remington Sts. and Palisade Ave., between Stewart and Tudor Sts. (added October 26, 1990)
- Remington Village Historic District — Roughly, Willow and East Aves. between Boston and Barnum Aves. (added October 26, 1990)
- Seaside Institute — 299 Lafayette Ave. (added July 14, 1982)
- Seaside Park — Long Island Sound (added August 1, 1982)
- Seaside Village Historic District — W. side of Iranistan Ave. between South St. and Burnham St. (added October 26, 1990)
- St. John's Episcapal Church — 768 Fairfield Ave. (added September 2, 1984)
- Sterling Block-Bishop Arcade — 993-1005 Main St. (added 1978)
- Sterling Hill Historic District — Roughly bounded by Pequonnock St., Harral Ave., James St. and Washington Ave. (added May 2, 1992)
- Stratfield Historic District — CT 59 and U.S. 1 (added July 23, 1980)
- Tongue Point Lighthouse — W side of Bridgeport Harbor at Tongue Point (added June 29, 1990)
- US Post Office-Bridgeport Main — 120 Middle St. (added April 17, 1986)
- United Congregational Church — 877 Park Ave. (added August 19, 1984)
- United Illuminating Company Building — 1115-1119 Broad St. (added March 21, 1985)
- West End Congregation-Achavath Achim Synagogue — 725 Hancock Ave. (added June 11, 1995)
- William D. Bishop Cottage Development Historic District — Cottage Pl. and Atlantic, Broad, Main and Whiting Sts. (added July 28, 1982)
- Wilmot Apartments Historic District — Jct. of Connecticut and Wilmot Aves. (added October 26, 1990)
For an extensive list of places elsewhere in Connecticut on the register, see List of Registered Historic Places in Fairfield County, Connecticut.
Notable people, past and present
For further information, see People of Bridgeport, Connecticut
Perhaps Bridgeport's most famous resident from the past is P. T. Barnum, the circus promoter who also served as mayor of the city.
Other Bridgeporters who achieved fame far outside the city include:
- actors: Robert Mitchum, Brian Dennehy, Bob Crane, and John Ratzenberger, actor/comedian Kevin Nealon and the actor and comedian Richard Belzer who once worked as a reporter for The Connecticut Post
- sportspeople: NBA players Charles Smith, John Bagley and Chris Smith and baseball players George "Kiddo" Davis, who had 7 hits in the 1933 World Series, helping the New York Giants win the championship, and Jim O'Rourke, the first player to be credited with a hit and single in a professional baseball game.
- musicians: the pianist Samuel Sanford and composers Joseph Celli and Jin Hi Kim. Before relocating to Fairfield, Grammy Award winner John Mayer grew up in Bridgeport while his father, Dr. Richard Mayer, was the principal at Bridgeport's Central High School. Antonio Pappano, Music Director of the Royal Opera in Covent Garden, London, spent much of his childhood in Bridgeport and graduated from Central High School. R&B singer Lumidee and American Idol's Syesha Mercado, and singer Jessica Delfino.
- cartoonists: Al Capp, who created Lil Abner, and Walt Kelly, who created Pogo, attended Bridgeport High Schools in the 1920s.
- other: Henry A. Mucci, who led the raid that rescued survivors of the Bataan Death March in World War II.
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