 It is roughly bisected by United States Route 1, which is briefly a limited access roadway as it passes through the area.The commercial downtown area is east of US 1 and near the river, with predominantly residential areas to the west, east and south.The historic district is dominated by Federal period architecture in both its residential and commercial areas, owing to the city's principal period of prosperity, which came to an end with the advent of the War of 1812, which disrupted the trading activities of its seafaring merchants.