The borough of Fair Haven East, incorporated in 1872, represents the city’s one (and only) experiment with this semi-autonomous form of local government.  

 This two-part lecture featuring presenters Oliver Gaffney and Joe Taylor will explore architecture that exemplifies the development of the borough from its roots in East Haven; through its annexation to New Haven in 1881; and its eventual consolidation with city government starting in 1897. Historic maps, newspaper articles, and rare photos from the Joe Taylor Collection will help us visualize changing patterns of commerce, agriculture, transportation, and housing in the borough — and some interesting stories about the residents who called it home!

THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL. If you would like to join the waitlist, please email info@nhpt.org

This event will be held indoors, rain or shine, at the New Haven Friends Meeting, 225 East Grand Avenue, New Haven.

In the New Haven real estate market, the name Alice Washburn (1870–1958) is sure to add a premium to the price of a house, and with good reason. Distinguished by flowing spaces, recognizable features, and exceptional detail, Washburn houses are a cut above the ordinary suburban dwellings of the 1920s. More remarkable, Alice Washburn was a self-taught designer and assembled a team of builders at a time when women were almost entirely unknown in the construction business. But if Washburn stood out for her sex, she nonetheless belonged to a flowering of builder-designers who flourished outside of professional architectural circles in the early-20th-century suburbs.

 Join us for an informative talk by Chris Wigren!

THIS TALK IS NOW FULL. If you wish to join the waitlist, please email info@nhpt.org 

All members and friends of the Preservation Trust are warmly invited to join us for an outdoor gathering and our Annual Meeting.

The Trust’s activities, initiatives, and board updates will be discussed. The Annual Meeting is open to everyone, and all Preservation Trust members are entitled to vote.

Please click the button below to register and receive event details.

View the program and schedule →

This event is generously sponsored by Bruce R. Peabody, former President and loyal member of the New Haven Preservation Trust.

A walking tour of New Haven’s “Tudor Capital”! Beaver Hills is one of New Haven’s earliest planned and developed neighborhoods, and is home to some of the best examples of unique and well-preserved Tudor revival houses in the city. We will explore the heart of this neighborhood and talk in detail about a number of representative examples, chat with some homeowners about their houses, and discuss these houses in the context of the neighborhood and of New Haven more broadly

Registration is required.

This tour is now full.

The first third of the 20th century is known as the era of “The Comfortable House,” a time when technological improvements and ongoing traditional styles helped bring the lifestyle of the growing American suburbs to more and more people. Designer-contractor Alice Washburn (1870–1958) was only one of many creators whose Tudors and Bungalows and Colonials in many ways still shape what we think of when we talk of Home. But even among these others, Washburn’s houses stand out for their sensitive planning and their distinctive yet familiar detailing.

Meet at the corner of Chapel Street and Alston Avenue.

New Haven Preservation Trust is pleased to present this walking tour in collaboration with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

This tour is now full.

The borough of Fair Haven East, incorporated in 1872, represents the city’s one (and only) experiment with this semi-autonomous form of local government. With much of the waterfront already built out for the oystering trade, residents sought a different approach to developing the steep, wooded hills to the east of the village. By directly electing their neighbors to serve as government officials, the community enjoyed a much greater say in the arrangement of streets, utilities, and amenities that soon came to be known as Fair Haven Heights.

During our tour, we’ll focus on architecture that exemplifies the development of the borough from its roots in East Haven; through its annexation to New Haven in 1881; and its eventual consolidation with city government starting in 1897. Historic maps, newspaper articles, and photos will help us visualize changing patterns of commerce, agriculture, transportation, and housing in the borough — and some interesting stories about the residents who called it home.

New Haven Preservation Trust is pleased to present this walking tour in collaboration with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

This tour is now full.

A walking tour of New Haven’s “Tudor Capital”! Beaver Hills is one of New Haven’s earliest planned and developed neighborhoods, and is home to some of the best examples of unique and well-preserved Tudor revival houses in the city. We will explore the heart of this neighborhood and talk in detail about a number of representative examples, chat with some homeowners about their houses, and discuss these houses in the context of the neighborhood and of New Haven more broadly.

New Haven Preservation Trust is pleased to present this walking tour in collaboration with the International Festival of Arts & Ideas.

This tour is now full.

How much do you really know about New Haven’s famous Wooster Street? Most locals know that it’s home to the world‘s best pizza. But did you know it was also the site for Eli Whitney‘s first factory built to produce his famous cotton gin? Did you know that General Wooster, for whom the street is named, was a Revolutionary War hero and that his home existed here until the 1930s? Did you know that the harbor used to lie just one block away and that this area first served as the city’s thriving mercantile district, home to sea captains, merchants, politicians and other wealthy individuals, long before the famous Square was ever created?

Come along as we stroll the street and explore what’s there now and what no longer exists. Share your memories, thoughts, and questions in this community walking tour and dialogue.

This event is now full, however you may still register to be placed on the waitlist.

Hosted by: Barbara Lamb and Kyle Driebeek

With support from the New Haven Preservation Trust, the New Haven Museum, the Historic Wooster Square Association, and Preservation Connecticut as part of the international Jane’s Walk Festival weekend honoring Jane Jacobs, America’s early urbanist, writer and activist who helped fuel the preservationist movement.

Join New Haven Preservation Trust and MakeHaven for this workshop which is intended to introduce homeowners and DIYers to basic concepts of masonry repair for older buildings including selection of appropriate tools, products, and methods for the job. Attendees will gain confidence in tackling simple projects around the house — or evaluating the credentials of a professional masonry firm hired for more complex work. A variety of examples featuring rubble stone, brick, and block construction methods will guide discussion. 

This program is intended for a general audience with no prior knowledge or experience needed. Thanks to a partnership with MakeHaven and the New Haven Preservation Trust, this will be a free event!

Please kindly RSVP so that we can provide enough seating in the upstairs classroom. In the event that you register and are unable to attend this session, please notify administration@nhpt.org as soon as possible so that we can make your spot available to somebody else.

Free and open to the public. Advance registration is required.

THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL

Co-sponsored with MakeHaven.

Please join us for the New Haven Preservation Trust 2024 Awards, an annual recognition of longstanding and creatively renovated architecture in our diverse and sophisticated city.

This year we honor five structures for their notable character, history, and preservation. We also honor all the individuals and companies involved in their stewardship.

The Trust will celebrate the active reuse of two formerly abandoned schools: Edwards Street School (Landmark Award) and St. Michael’s School (Merit Award), along with House Awards for the restoration of two 1955 “California Modern” residences and special recognition for a renovated 1869 house at 1389 Chapel Street.

For over 60 years, the New Haven Preservation Trust has given Landmark, Merit, and House awards to over 250 structures, a remarkable tradition that demonstrates the City’s rich architectural heritage.

Free and open to the public. Advance registration is appreciated, but not required. Everyone welcome!

Event made possible through the valued support of:

“Inner” Grand Avenue — that area between downtown and Fair Haven, State to East Streets — is today a mere shadow of the thriving commercial district that once served the eastern side of New Haven. In addition to providing a plethora of retail and other business establishments, it was also a mosaic of numerous cultures, most long gone from the area: German and Russian Jews, Italians, Irish and African-Americans existed side-by-side in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. Likewise, this activity led to the creation of the nearby “Wooster Heights”, a quiet residential area which boasts an amazing array of splendid Victorian homes.

The decline of local industries, combined with the construction of I-91 bisecting the neighborhood, had a devastating impact on this once vibrant street. Today Upper Grand Avenue supports just a handful of businesses, two storefront churches and a number of social service agencies, which all might change with a proposed mid-rise apartment building.

In the spirit of Jane Jacobs, the New Haven Preservation Trust and the Historic Wooster Square Association invite all to come and share their knowledge of this once bustling street — or learn more about its past as well as visit today’s quiet, historic residential streets surrounding it. Come share your thoughts and ideas for what the future might hold.

Hosted by: Barbara Lamb and Linda Reeder

Parking is free at the New Haven Parking Authority Lot on Olive and State Streets. The Grand Avenue Fire Station is served by CT Transit busline 212 from Fair Haven and the New Haven Green.

THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL

Co-sponsored with Preservation Connecticut and the Historic Wooster Square Association.

The New Haven Preservation Trust and the New Haven Museum share a commitment to saving the stories of the past — and at our outdoor movie event we will see whether the Muppets can save an old building too! On August 4, we will show this family comedy (rated PG) on the lawn of the New Haven Museum's historic Pardee-Morris House. All ages are welcome to laugh along.

The National Trust for Historic Preservation included The Muppets on its list of 15 Awesome Preservation-Themed Movies:  “A devoted Muppet fan reunites the gang to help save the Muppet Theater from a businessman who plans to demolish it to drill for oil.”

This event is free. Remember to bring a blanket or a chair! We look forward to seeing you!

This program is presented in partnership with the New Haven Museum.

Nearly 75% of New Haven’s housing stock was built prior to 1980 using methods and materials that we now know are harmful to human health. Despite a 1978 federal ban on the use of lead in consumer products, it continues to persist in old paints, glazes, varnishes, pipes, and soils. As such, lead poisoning remains a significant and persistent public health issue, particularly in New Haven where childhood lead poisoning rates are among the highest in the state.

This two-part program series will examine the use of lead in historic buildings through the perspectives of both public health and preservation. In this first session, attendees will learn about how the Regional Water Authority is working to reduce sources of lead in our water supply; how residents can take advantage public health funding to pay for lead abatement work; and how families can work with healthcare providers to keep children safe while living in a historic home.

• Kevin Watsey: Director of Public Affairs for the Regional Water Authority

• Glenda Buenaventura: Deputy Director Environmental Health for New Haven Health Department

• Louis Hart, M.D.: Medical Director of Health Equity for Yale New Haven Health

Our second session, scheduled for October 23 at the Stetson Library, will explore this topic through the lens of preservation including strategies for working “lead safe” and using historic tax credits to supplement lead abatement grants. Please stay tuned for additional details!

At the conclusion of both sessions, New Haven Health Department staff will be available to assist with questions as well as applications for lead abatement programs.

This program is presented in partnership with the New Haven Health Department.

Construction began on Yale School of Medicine’s Sterling Hall of Medicine in late 1922. Melissa Grafe, PhD, John R. Bumstead Librarian for Medical History and head of the Medical Historical Library at Yale, will lead attendees on a tour of SHM, sharing information about its history, including how the building has evolved overtime. There will be an opportunity to view original documents related to the building’s history, from the invitation to the original groundbreaking, to various architectural plans and archival photographs.

 This NHPT members only tour is free, but space is limited to the first 25 registrants.

River Street is significant in the industrial history of New Haven as the location of several metalworking enterprises that characterized the city's transformation into a manufacturing center between the end of the Civil War and the beginning of World War I. One of the complexes in the district, the H. B. Bigelow Company boiler works, was a national leader in its field of steam boilers. Hobart B. Bigelow himself participated in the formation of related enterprises, including the National Pipe Bending Company, which also helped make the River Street area a center of metal-fabricating industry.

 This program will explore the history of two remaining buildings within the historic Bigelow boiler works currently occupied by Phoenix Press and Armada Brewing. Attendees will gain perspective on the quirks of doing business in old buildings and the rewards for doing so. Brian Driscoll of Phoenix Press will share his lessons learned from installing the largest wind turbine in Connecticut to power his print shop. John Kraszewski of Armada Brewing will provide a brief tour of the brewhouse and how he makes some of the most innovative beer in Connecticut.

•  Attendees will receive a complimentary drink ticket as well as a lunch provided through our catering partner, Haven’s Harvest.

•  Free parking is available within the Armada Brewing lot (enter off of Lloyd Street). Additional free parking can be found along Lloyd Street.

•  The seating area for this program is located on the second floor of the brewery. Due to the age of the building, it is only accessible via stairs; there is no elevator or other ADA accommodations available. We apologize for this inconvenience.

Tickets for this NHPT tour are $30 per person. Space is limited to the first 50 registrants. We will be accepting walk-ins for this tour. Please bring cash or a check payable to the New Haven Preservation Trust.

All Members and Friends of the Preservation Trust are warmly invited to join us for this year’s Annual Meeting, which will be held on Zoom so that many supporters can attend.

The Trust’s activities, initiatives, and board updates will be discussed. The Annual Meeting is open to everyone, and all Preservation Trust Members are entitled to vote.

Please click the button below to register and receive a link for the meeting.

View the program and schedule →

View the 2023 Annual Report →

“Inner” Grand Avenue — that area between downtown and Fair Haven, State to East Streets — is today a mere shadow of the thriving commercial district that once served the eastern side of New Haven. In addition to providing a plethora of retail and other business establishments, it was also a mosaic of numerous cultures, most long gone from the area: German and Russian Jews, Italians, Irish and African-Americans existed side-by-side in one of the city’s most diverse neighborhoods. Likewise, this activity led to the creation of the nearby “Wooster Heights”, a quiet residential area which boasts a most amazing array of splendid Victorian homes.

The decline of local industries, combined with the construction of I-91 bisecting the neighborhood, had a devastating impact on this once vibrant street. Today Upper Grand Avenue supports just a handful of businesses, two storefront churches and a number of social service agencies. Which all might change with a proposed mid-rise apartment building.

In the spirit of Jane Jacobs, the New Haven Preservation Trust and the Historic Wooster Square Association invite all to come and share their knowledge of this once bustling street — or learn more about its past as well as visit today’s quiet, historic residential streets surrounding it. Come share your thoughts and ideas for what the future might hold.

Hosted by: Barbara Lamb and Linda Reeder

Parking is free at the New Haven Parking Authority Lot on Olive and State Streets. The Grand Avenue Fire Station is served by CT Transit busline 212 from Fair Haven and the New Haven Green.

THIS EVENT IS CANCELLED

Co-sponsored with Preservation Connecticut and the Historic Wooster Square Association.

Join the New Haven Preservation Trust and the Connecticut State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) for a crash course on the Historic Homes Rehabilitation Tax Credit (HHRTC) program! Recent changes to state law in effect for 2024 have simplified the tax credit voucher process, so prior participants may still want to get a refresher. This free workshop, led by architectural preservationist Erin Fink, will cover all four parts of the HHRTC program including the initial project submissions and the post-rehabilitation documentation of completed work.

 Attendees of the session will:

•  Learn how homeowners and non-profit housing corporations can use the HHRTC program to help defray the costs of preservation projects.

• Discover SHPO resources such as ConnCRIS that help document a structure’s eligibility covered in the Part 1 submission.

• Identify eligible rehabilitation projects and costs covered under the Part 2 submission.

• Understand how the approved tax credit reservation relates to documentation of completed work in the Part 3 submission.

• Review how the tax credit voucher issued in Part 4 is earned and applied to tax liabilities through CT Department of Revenue Services.

This session will be recorded and posted on the Trust’s website for future viewing! Thanks to the magic of Zoom, we are not limited on the number of seats available in the room either. Please feel free to share this program with preservation-minded friends and neighbors who can apply this information to historic districts located anywhere in Connecticut.

Watch the video of the presentation →

Built by the prolific New York architecture firm Carrère and Hastings to commemorate Yale’s two-hundredth anniversary in 1901, the Bicentennial Buildings have recently reopened to the public as the Schwarzman Center, having undergone a dramatic restoration and transformation by Robert A.M. Stern Architects. Join Melissa DelVecchio, RAMSA partner in charge of the project, and Christian Ponce, YSC Visitor Services Manager, for a special New Haven Preservation Trust tour of the Center, which will highlight its history, the process of its revitalization, and its active role in university life today. Following the tour, participants will be invited to enjoy a drink at the Well, the basement bar of the Schwarzman Center.

Melissa DelVecchio is a partner at Robert A.M. Stern Architects and is the design lead for many of the firm’s most complex academic and institutional projects. Building upon her education that included an intensive study of classical architecture and a subsequent immersion into contemporary design, her work synthesizes tradition and invention, reinforcing the many visual, social, environmental, and cultural influences that give places identity and meaning. In addition to the Schwarzman Center, Melissa’s projects include two new residential colleges at Yale University, the first LEED Gold-certified academic building in China, and the Raclin Murphy Museum of Art, the anchor for the University of Notre Dame’s new arts district. She is a fellow of the American Institute of Architects as well as a jury member for the Richard H. Driehaus Prize and the Rafael Manzano Martos Prize. Melissa also recently served as the Robert A.M. Stern Visiting Professor of Classical Architecture at the Yale School of Architecture and as the Visiting Critic in Classical Architecture and Urbanism at Catholic University of America.

 This NHPT members only tour is free, but space is limited to the first 25 registrants.

THIS EVENT IS NOW FULL

Join New Haven Preservation Trust and MakeHaven for another installment of the Houseparts Hospital, a recurring program series helping New Haven residents learn how to restore historic buildings. This session will explore the topic of architectural salvage as it pertains to sustainability and historical context. Joe DeRisi of Urban Miners in Hamden will share why he doesn’t give up on the materials coming from a renovation or demolition — and the economic and environmental benefits of doing so.

Attendees of the session will:

• Learn how a historic building can be saved rather than demolished by deconstruction.

• Identify the mechanics of material recovery and how they can be made available again for use.

• Discover opportunities for repurposing historic building materials in renovation projects.

• Understand design challenges involved when working with architectural salvage materials.

• Review historic preservation ordinances and how they can be improved to encourage deconstruction when appropriate.

There will be time at the end of the presentation for Q&A. Due to limited seating availability, pre-registration is required (no walk-ins). In the event that you register and are unable to attend this session, please kindly notify administration@nhpt.org as soon as possible so that we can make your spot to somebody else.

Free and open to the public; reservations are required. 

See slides from the presentation →

Co-sponsored with MakeHaven.

Please join us for the New Haven Preservation Trust 2023 Awards, an annual recognition of longstanding and creatively renovated architecture in our diverse and sophisticated city.

This year, the Trust celebrates a landmark building on the New Haven Green, the creative adaptation of two factory buildings in the Dixwell neighborhood, and a renovated Italianate house on Dixwell Avenue.

For over 60 years, the New Haven Preservation Trust has given Landmark, Merit, and House awards to over 250 structures, a remarkable tradition that demonstrates the City’s rich architectural heritage.

The event will take place in the former banking hall.

Free and open to the public. Advance registration is appreciated, but not required. Everyone welcome!

Event made possible through the valued support of:

Wooster Square is one of New Haven’s most fascinating neighborhoods, a maritime area that became a fashionable upper-class enclave then a gritty industrial/immigrant neighborhood. In the 1960s, Wooster Square’s urban renewal program was one of the first to renovate, rather than replace, deteriorated buildings on a wide scale. This tour will explore how renewal changed the neighborhood, demolishing some structures and scattering their inhabitants while renovating other buildings and adding new ones designed by leading Modernist architects or local practitioners.

This tour will be led by Christopher Wigren, Deputy Director of Preservation Connecticut, and a volunteer for NHPT.

Registration for this event is now filled.

Join thousands of participants in cities across the U.S. throughout the month of October for Docomomo Tour Day, an annual celebration of modern architecture and design. Tours will explore the multifaceted theme of urban renewal — seeking to revisit and better understand the complexity of the projects that were built, their significance, positive and negative impacts, and their legacy today.

Learn more about Docomomo Tour Day across the country →