Benjamin A. Gorman
It is important to take the time to view the variety of structures that exist in Fair Haven. The area contains buildings from the late colonial period, unique examples of waterfront architecture, Victorian Gothic, NeoClassic, cubed Italian Villas and modern styles. Observing some of these can promote the feeling that Fair Haven has deep roots in the American development and reveal the rich architectural heritage that is part of the students’ environment. Many of the structures belong to the past and thus provide a reference to Fair Haven’s history. The current restorations attempt to preserve and to maintain contact with the area’s heritage. The newer buildings add today’s imprint; this is needed so that an area does not stagnate in its past. The modern buildings provide the balance that a vital community needs to keep moving into the future. Of course the designated Historic District regulates exterior construction but the Fair Haven area is large enough to accommodate the new while protecting its past.
To counterpoint, the chronological story of Fair Haven— The past, its architecture is presented in three groups: public structures, commercial establishments, and private residences. The buildings in each group include the old, the new, and the attempt to preserve existing architecture through adaptive use.
Fair Haven contains public school architecture that is reflective of many periods. The old Woolsey School (slide 1), 1878-1984, was a solid building sitting close to the street on a third of an acre. Dulled by age, the colorful brickwork accented the arched windows of the upper floors in the front while connecting the windows with horizontal bands. The hip roof had a majestic overhang with brackets; its white detail circled the red brick structure. Woolsey School which had been closed since the mid-1960’s was demolished in June of 1984. Its replacement was Christopher Columbus School in 1966 (slide 2) on Grand Avenue. Set back into the landscape, which also serves as a park, Columbus School sits on three acres and has fourteen classrooms; the same number as had the old Woolsey. Besides the increase in land use, the size of and decrease in number of windows is noticeable. Columbus’ window shapes are designed to admit light according to the sun’s exposure, more glass on the shadier sides, less on the sunny sides. Woolsey’s windows were large openings on all sides allowing easy viewing of the outside surroundings without regard to the changing natural light.
At 611 Ferry Street, you can still find the building that was the Ferry Street School built in 1881. It is easily recognizable as a school (closed 1938) although it is now a commercial business with the exterior brick painted to hide its old purpose. Along Quinnipiac River, the old Benjamin Jepson School (slide 3) has been cleaned, modernized and reborn for commercial use. Cheever School (1896) on Lombard Street also has undergone restoration and continues to serve the public in a commercial way. In 1911, the Clinton Avenue School (slide 4) was dedicated. Next to Clinton park, it is an example of Neo-Classicism, popular before World War I. The entrance, with its columns, is slightly set back from the wings to create a portico. The columns, seem to support a wide fascia and stepped pediment. Ignoring the building’s function, it appears to exist on a page from an Edwardian picture book. The windows are not original of course, but the new ones add depth in helping the columns to move forward from the facade.
Strong School (slide 5), on Grand Avenue at the Clinton Avenue corner, was the most elaborate school built after 1915. It is an example of Collegiate Tudor with plain brick walls, decorated with diamond shaped figures, a lot of glass and twin towers which are best seen at a distance. In early 1914, the earlier Horace H. Strong School (1895) burned down; the site was a good location atop the crest of Grand Avenue before it slopes toward the river for the then new chapel-like structure whose facade has remained unchanged.
In 1927-2B, Fair Haven Junior High School was built at 164 Grand Avenue. It was constructed in two stages with the back section set on the rear of the property. Within a year, while the first building was in use, the front section was added. Brown and Von Beren were the architects (slide 6); they used red brick with white trimmings on this Colonial design. The decorated clock tower (slide 7) once was higher with an octagoned shaped turret; it became structurally weak during the 1930’s and was removed. Aside the main entrance doors sit two mythical griffins designed by Malcom Rice, a Fair Haven sculptor (slide 8). Over the doors are two bas-relief heads of children. Though the name remains over the doors, the school is now a middle school, serving grades 5 to 8, but the divided entrance steps which reach towards the street still beckon the children to “enter to learn. . . ”
Directly across from the school is the Grand Avenue Congregational Church (slide 9) originally built in 1853; the front that is now seen was constructed in 1878. The story of the 237 foot steeple’s removal has been related and now the imagination must be used to envision the lofty Roman spire and pinnacles. Behind and to the right of the church is the Victorian Gothic gate (slide 10) into Union Cemetery. Built in 1885, the gate is a solemn entrance facing the street, marking the buying ground as an important place.
On East pearl Street, the Methodist Church (1871) is located (slide 11). Easily identified from across the river because of its steeple, now under repair, the church’s style is Victorian Gothic whose intricate interior woodwork frames its stained glass window. This is the third church built by Fair Haven Methodists over the years. At 65 East Grand Avenue, the Second Congregational Church was built in 1851; its name was changed in 1902 to the pilgrim Congregational Church (slide 12). The design is mindful of Center Church on the Green. Note the six columned portico, the design in the pediment and the urns at the steeple’s base. predating the Pilgrim Church is St. James Episcopal Church (slide 13) across the street. Dedicated in 1845, the sandstone used to build this Gothic style church came from Captain Isaac Brown’s quarry nearby. The hurricane of 1938 necessitated that the tower be reduced in height.
Education and religion are two institutions that communities value highly, thus their structures are constructed to last and are styled to reflect the importance of the inner activity. Function aside, the churches in Fair Haven illustrate a heavenward reach by people; they soar above the everyday life of the street and offer hope for one’s personal future. The school buildings tend to reach out side ways to include and embrace the public. Of solid construction, their details mark them as special places in the community, for the community. Besides these aspects of community life, one remaining building from Fair Haven’s interest in public welfare exists at 118 Clinton Avenue. Originally founded as a place for homeless girls, The Home for the Friendless has served as a charitable institution in the area since 1866. Renamed the Mary P. Wade Home (slide 14) in 1931, the brick wing was opened in 1888 being designed by Henry Austin and Son. The main entrance as shown, replaced an earlier wooden house in 1898. Today the Home serves elderly women and its spacious gardens in the back are a source of pride for all the community.
From the earliest days of settlement, the Quinnipiac River was the basis of prosperity for the oystering, shipbuilding and related activities. Even the quarrying business in the Heights used the river for transport of its red sandstone. The native stone was used for foundations in many New Haven buildings including the old State House on the Green. From Canada, three-masted schooners brought gypsum to a plaster company. But by the Civil War, manufacturing had established itself and with the railroad expanding inland transportation, the importance of the river was challenged. More and more factories were built along Mill River and along the Quinnipiac’s south bank facing the Harbor. By 1913, the population center had shifted from the river to the intersections of Grand and Ferry.
From the Ferry Street Bridge on South Front Street you can see the Quinnipiac Brewery (slide 15). It includes the earlier 1870’s building of the Robinson Company that made “Oyster Tubs, Kegs and Extension Tables.” Note the mansard roof and tower; they were incorporated into the Quinnipiac Brewery building constructed in 1896. This towering brick structure is going to receive new life as it is being remodeled into residential apartments. Moving along Chapel Street toward the Mill River, the center of much industry at one time, one remaining giant sits on an island in the river. The New Haven Electric Light Company built its power plant here where coal could be easily delivered by barge. In 1899 a merger formed the United Illumination Company as seen from Grand Avenue (slide 16). Built in stages, 1927 and 1947; the power plant mixes futurism, the 410 foot stacks and powerful lines to dwarf the island.
The oldest continuous hardware store in New Haven is across the avenue at One Grand; it is the Roland T. Warner Hardware founded in 1883 by William A. Warner (slide 18). He moved into this 1890’s building in 1910 combining the three earlier shops (1,3,5 Grand) on the first floor. When William’s brother Roland became head of the business in 1914, the name was changed. The building was remodeled in 1948 using grey asbestos siding and the windows on the first floor were covered. A fire in August 1982 almost destroyed the building, however, the new owner, Edward Flanagan, has restored the exterior to its original design. The building is of post and beam construction with roof timbers measuring 14” x 14”. The new clapboards and trim exist today as they did on the original facade. For an extended analysis note appendix I.
Fair Haven’s strength as a community has always been its people. Their homes relate a story of development that parallels the community’s history of growth. Along the river bank the oystermen’s houses became the nucleus of the Village. The houses built between 1795 and 1830’s were raised on high cellars that were dug into the bank at the tide line; the cellars served as work places for oyster opening and as storage spaces. Along North Front Street can be seen a mixture of late Colonial, Federal and Greek Revival architecture. A traditional Colonial one-and-a half story house with a center chimney is found at 196 North Front Street (slide 19). This is the oldest house on the street; it was moved to the location and placed on an existing foundation. The house was turned sideways to the street with the main entrance facing south. Note the wide entrance into the cellar for the moving of oysters and shells in and out. Along South Front Street, Redevelopment has taken all but one of the Federal and Greek Revival waterfront houses. The sole survivor is the 1846 home of Captain Edwin Thompson (slide 20). The Doric entrance faces south; the exterior is stucco and the red sandstone foundation gives the viewer a hint of the once distinguished house that existed. The twin chimneys add an unusual dimension to the front. The steeply pitched roof and large arched window through which goods could be hoisted give clues to the fact that Captain Thompson used the attic level for storage as he was a coastal trader before becoming an oyster dealer with a warehouse across from the house at the river’s edge.
Turning from Front Street onto East pearl Street the change in style of the houses is noticeable. As Fair haven prospered, more elegant homes were built on the higher elevation. 37 East pearl Street (slide 21) began in the 1840’s as a Grecian Villa but was changed with a mansard roof and additions such as the porch about thirty years later. East pearl Street before the Civil War was where prestigious homes were built attesting to the economic wealth that mainly resulted from oystering and shipping. W.S. Barnes, ca. 1840, built a Villa style home (slide 22) at number 42 East Pearl. Note the fringed eaves of the roof and porch.
The houses on this street reflected the success and wealth of the owners who built homes that illustrated their achievement in life. Detail, ornament and the half-moon window graced gable ends (slide 23) on this Victorian Gothic built by oysterman John Ludington in the 1870’s. Columns were used extensively to support porch roofs and like this carved capitol added beauty (slide 24). The iron fences served to bound important places as well as scale down the street path. The Greek Revival columns on 76 East Pearl Street, (slide 25) which was built as a small Villa in 1B51, were topped with a cornice and brackets. A top floor and roof trimmings were added in the 1870’s. Built as the Methodist parsonage (slide 26) in 1882, this Queen Anne style structure is now a multi-family dwelling.
Still graceful, an 1852 Villa stands at 169 Grand Avenue (slide 27). The large porch and classic lines remind the viewer of the Avenue’s rural past. The original owner, Lyman Woodward, expressed his fear that the lofty steeple of Capain’s Church might crush his Italian Villa-style home. The 1877 gale and his concern prompted the steeple’s removal. Moving back towards the river on Grand Avenue is an interesting Greek Revival double house with a recessed Doric porch (slide 28) and a divided stair entrance of red sandstone. Its neighbor (slide 29) at number 33 has a Greek Revival porch and dentile molding under the eaves.
Across the River at 630 Quinnipiac Avenue (slide 30) is a gable to-street middle-income home popular between 1850 and the mid-1879’s. It and its neighbors to the north are part of a rehabilitation project whereby luxury condominiums will replace the residences. Next to Pilgrim Church exists one of the earliest houses built on the hill above the Quinnipiac River (slide 31). 61 East Grand Avenue was originally constructed between 1836 and 1847. The balustrades and shingles were added in the 1880’s. Farther along up East Grand at 133 is an interesting combination (slide 32). It is a Swiss variation of Victorian Gothic built in the 1870’s. The intricate pattern of woodwork contrasts against the brick and creates a jutting facade to the street.
As wealth increased, Fair Haven Heights became the place to live because of the spectacular view afforded of the river and the landscape beyond. Impressive residences sitting on many acres began to occupy the relatively unsettled land by the 1860’s. Three of the five Lancraft brothers built gabled and towered houses within walking distance of each other on Lenox Street. Henry Lancraft, a builder and oyster dealer, built this Victorian of the 1870’s (slide 33) with an entrance at 120 Lexington Avenue. The red stone wall still visible on Lenox Street marked the brothers’ land. In 1862, the James Babcock estate covered thirty acres. The Victorian mansion (slide 34) at 89 Sherland Avenue was Babcock’s home until 1869, the years that he was Collector of Customs. Babcock then moved into a palatial home at the corner of Grand and Ferry, now the site of the Second New Haven Bank. The home in the Heights was later occupied by Andrew R. Bradley, president of the company that invented the “lollipop”. The current owner has restored and preserved the old home, however, much of the original acreage is now crowded with newer homes. yet the mansion still shines above its surroundings and dominates the space.
Still, among the growth of the twentieth century, exist these Victorian masterpieces along the river from Foxon Boulevard into Morris Cove. At 1212 Quinnipiac Avenue (slide 35) the faded elegance of the 1870’s can be seen; it awaits an unknown future. Substantial, open yet at the same time, foreboding; it remains an ornate legacy to Fair Haven’s architectural heritage.
Fair Haven Village (slide 36) exists in its structures as it has for many years; its architecture remains for the observer to read and delight in the story of the community’s development. It represents the vanished society of the oysterman and 19th century entrepreneur. But with the present structures their moments are not forgotten and can serve us as a source of visual pleasure and pride.