the town's authorities built britain's first pedestrian precinct, and first modern-style residential tower block, the lawn, constructed in 1951; it is now a grade ii listed building. gibberd's tromp-l'oeil terrace in orchard croft and dawbarn's maisonette blocks at pennymead are also notable, as is michael neylan's pioneering development at bishopsfield. the first neighbourhood, mark hall, is a conservation area. from 1894 to 1955 the harlow parish formed part of the epping rural district of essex. from 1955 to 1974, harlow was an urban district.