NEW HARTFORD

A number of whites-only subdivisions were developed in New Hartford, a suburb of Utica, NY.  Racial restrictive covenants were employed in the following subdivisions:  Hillcrest View, Hartford Manor, Bon Aire Estates, Glen Crest Village, and Benton Hills (also Inman Village?).  

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Hillcrest View and Hartford Manor

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Jack B. Wallace developed both the Hillcrest View (1929) and Hartford Manor (1930) subdivisions located side-by-side on Seneca Turnpike.  Together they comprised nearly 500 lots, the deeds to which all carried racial covenants. Hillcrest View was comprised of 197 lots on Concord Boulevard West, Concord Boulevard East, Lincoln Drive, Forest Avenue, Midland Place, Stratford Drive, Filmore Place, and about a dozen lots fronting the northern side of the Turnpike ①.  Two similar racial covenants were used in the subdivision:

 

1) "This parcel of land shall not be sold or transferred to any person or persons other than to whites of American origin. ②"

2) "This parcel of land shall not be sold or transferred to any person or persons other than those of the white or caucasian [sic] race. ③"

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​Hartford Manor was subdivided into 297 lots on Lexington Boulevard, Caryle Boulevard, Park Boulevard, Park Boulevard West, Burton Drive, Lincoln Drive, and Homewood, Grove and Forest Avenues.  Another fourteen lots had frontage along the northern side of Seneca Turnpike ④.  Deeds in the subdivision contained the following racial covenant: "This parcel of land shall not be sold or transferred to any person or persons other than those of the white or caucasian [sic] race. ⑤"

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Bon Aire Estates​

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Bon Aire Estates was developed by Wilfred S. Winchester and Jesse W. Davis on part of the former Samuel Campbell tract ⑥ in 1939.  Winchester Avenue, Washington Drive, Coventry Ave (later Fairway Drive), and Read Street initially had 54 lots and an additional 8 lots fronted the north side of Burrstone Road.  LATER FAIRWAY DRIVE?

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Wilfred S. Winchester, President of Liberty Homes, Inc., signed and submitted a declaration of restrictions for Bon-Air Estates that included the following racial restrictive covenant: "No person or persons other than those of the Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building on any lots in this sub-division, except that this covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of any race. ⑦"

 

Glen Crest Village

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Utica realtor, sports promoter, and civic leader Faye Inman constructed Glen Crest Village in 1940 on a hill off Oneida Street less than half a mile from the Utica city line, with the promise to buyers that, "Sensible deed restrictions create [a] desirable neighborhood making it an ideal spot for the carefree homeowner ⑧".  Among those restrictions was the following racial covenant:

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The initial allotment contained nine lots along Glen Crest Boulevard and Valley View and Doris Roads, on which were built modern stone homes that offered "seclusion from street noises and the hustle and bustle of a machine made world.... [and] comfort and rest for the business man after a hard day's work. ⑨"

 

Benton Hills

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The plat map and declaration of restrictions for the Benton Hills subdivision, comprised of Higby Road, Tilton Road, Westminster Road, Windsor Terrace, Bradley Road and Old Orchard Road, were submitted by William A. Benton, President of Benton Hills Realty Corporation, on July 31, 1940.  Among the restrictions was the following: "No person of any race other than the Caucasian race shall use or occupy any building on any lot, except that this covenant shall not prevent occupancy by domestic servants of a different race domiciled with an owner or tenant. ⑩​"

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It is notable that portions of New Hartford were also included in the 1938 HOLC Residential security map of Utica.  Areas A-2 and A-4 were colored green, indicating "First Grade," no doubt reflecting the presence of racial covenants in place there, while Area B-4 was colored blue and encompassed the Village of New Hartford. Area A-2 contained the Sherman Hills development and area A-4 contained Benton Hills and Inman Village (clearly labeled on the map).  Unsurprisingly, no black or foreign-born families were recorded living in these neighborhoods in 1938 according to their corresponding HOLC Area Descriptions ⑪⑫.​​

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① “Hillcrest View First & second Allotments, Town of New Hartford, County of Oneida, N.Y.”  (Map Book 39, page 16, Map Room of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY); “Hillcrest View Third Allotment, Towns of New Hartford, Oneida Co., N.Y.”  (Map Book 21, page 20, Map Room of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).

② Deed for lot #193 of Hillcrest View (28 June 1929), Deed Book 894, page 500, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY.

③ Deed for lot #108 of Hillcrest View (3 May 1930), Deed Book 894, page 470, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY.

④ “Hartford Manor ‘The Developement [sic.] Beautiful,’ Town of New Hartford, County of Oneida, N.Y.”  (Map Book 40, page 21, Map Room of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).

⑤ Deed for lot #278 of Hartford Manor (21 May 1930), Deed Book 894, page 468, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY.

​⑥ “Bon Aire Gets Siren; Picnic Aids Payment,” Utica Observer-Dispatch, 1 August 1943, p. 2-A.  Accessed via fultonsearch.org

⑦ “Declaration of Restrictions,” 18 April 1939, Liberty Homes, Inc. (Deed Book 987, page 377, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).

⑧ "Oneida St. Development Formally Opened by Inman." Utica Observer-Dispatch, October 5 1941, page unknown.  Accessed at www.fultonhistory.com 

⑨ Ibid.

⑩ “Declaration of Restrictions,” 31 July, 1940, Benton Hills Realty Corporation (Deed Book 997, page 495, Records Department of the Office of the Oneida County Clerk, Oneida County, NY).​

⑪ "Area Description: Security Map of Utica, N.Y., Area No. A-2."  Accessed at Mapping Inequality [https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/map/NY/Utica/area_descriptions/A2]

⑫ "Area Description: Security Map of Utica, N.Y., Area No. A-4."  Accessed at Mapping Inequality [https://dsl.richmond.edu/panorama/redlining/map/NY/Utica/area_descriptions/A4]

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© MAY 2026

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