“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 →

See the evolution of New Haven’s urban planning from large-scale, sweeping urban renewal to the reactive response of adaptive renovations and historically-sensitive contextual projects. This walking tour will cover several prominent buildings and spaces of the 1970s and ’80s along the New Haven Green and the Arts District of Audubon Street. Unbuilt projects such as I.M. Pei’s and Paul Rudolph’s City Hall visions will be shared.

The Audubon Arts District features a pedestrian-friendly street of visual, music and performing arts schools, theaters, studios, non-profits and the Community Foundation, mixed with a variety of retail shops, residences and small businesses.

Covering five blocks, the tour will see about 15 notable buildings and plazas by such architects as Cesar Pelli, Herbert S. Newman, William F. Pederson, Frank Winder, Roth & Moore, and others.

This tour will be led by NHPT board member Channing Harris.

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 →

Join New Haven Preservation Trust and MakeHaven for the Houseparts Hospital, a recurring program series helping New Haven residents learn how to restore historic building materials. This first session will feature builder’s hardware including door knobs, hinges, latches, mail slots, and lock sets within historic homes. NHPT board member Oliver Gaffney will showcase physical samples made by Sargent, P&F Corbin, Lockwood, and other prominent manufacturers and discuss strategies for bringing them back into good repair using the tools available at MakeHaven. 

Attendees of the session will:

• Learn how to identify the age and manufacturer of builder’s hardware based on elements of style

• Gain familiarity with major Connecticut hardware firms and their contributions to American decorative arts

•  Understand common hardware finishes and tips for identification

• Review common terminology for hardware pieces and parts

• Discover strategies for cleaning, repairing, and polishing hardware

There will be time at the end of the presentation for Q&A. Please feel free to bring any questions (or physical hardware) for discussion! 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 give your spot to somebody else.

Free and open to the public; reservations are required. 

See slides from the presentation →

Co-sponsored with MakeHaven.

Join New Haven Preservation Trust and MakeHaven for a free event exploring the many different building styles that define New Haven’s neighborhoods. Architectural historian Michael Waters will share examples of Colonial, Federal, Greek Revival, Gothic Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Arts & Crafts, Colonial Revival, and Midcentury Modern homes from across the city — and how to identify the key architectural features of each style.

Attendees of the session will:

• Learn about a home’s “thesis statement” and how the architectural style reinforces it

• Gain familiarity with architectural vocabulary used to describe parts of a structure

• Understand the signature architectural elements that define a given style

• Review strategies for sensitive rehabilitation

• Discover additional architectural resources

There will be time at the end of the presentation for Q&A. Please feel free to bring any questions about your home or potential restoration projects!

Free and open to the public; reservations are required.

Co-sponsored with MakeHaven.

Join us for a FREE community event to learn more about the Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church and urban renewal in the Dixwell area.

The open house will be held at Dixwell Avenue Congregational Church, designed by John Johansen. Exhibits will be on display to browse. At 5:00 pm Charles Warner Jr., historian, educator, and community influencer, will discuss the church’s history and architecture and its connection to the 1960 Dixwell Redevelopment and Renewal Plan.

We are delighted that architect Edward E. Cherry will also be present at the event to talk to visitors. Mr. Cherry played a leading role in designing Modernist buildings that characterized the redevelopment of the neighborhood.

Handouts will be available for a local self-guided walking tour through which visitors can learn more about the surrounding Modernist Dixwell area buildings, including several by Mr. Cherry.

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

Download a PDF of the walking tour brochure →

This event is co-sponsored by Dixwell Avenue Congregational United Church of Christ and the New Haven Preservation Trust as part of the DOCOMOMO US National Symposium.

The Fair Haven neighborhood was once a small village whose residents depended upon the tidal river nearby — the Quinnipiac — for their livelihood as oystermen, coastal traders, sailors, and shipbuilders. Over time, Fair Haven became ever more closely integrated into the city of New Haven, but even today, many of the historic homes and other buildings along the river recall the area’s maritime heritage. This walking tour will be led by Bruce Clouette, longtime Connecticut historian and historic preservationist.

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

Free; reservations are required. Space is limited. Find out more and sign up on the International Festival of Arts & Ideas website.

Download a PDF of the tour handout →

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, future 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 2022 Annual Report →

The New Haven Museum will celebrate National Preservation Month with a presentation by co-authors Susan Godshall and Jack Tripp about their new book, The Builder Book: Carpenters, Masons and Contractors in Historic New Haven, published by the New Haven Preservation Trust.

Godshall and Tripp will highlight the biographies and show colorful illustrations of some of the Elm City’s notable architecture. The presentation will celebrate the often-unknown men, and one woman, who built houses, commercial and academic buildings, monuments, and other structures in New Haven between 1810 and 1930.

Susan Godshall has worked at four major New Haven institutions including City Hall and Yale University. Most recently, she retired as Senior Vice President of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce where she worked on economic development, state and local government affairs, and transportation investment. Susan holds degrees from Yale Law School and Yale School of Architecture. She is a long-time board member of the New Haven Preservation Trust. 

Jack Tripp is a senior at Yale College from Westport, Massachusetts. His studies focus on English and political science, concentrating on the Romantic poets and political philosophy. Besides research for the Preservation Trust's Builder Book, he has also spent time writing for the Yale Daily News and The New Journal, serving on the executive board of the Yale Dramatic Association, and working as a President’s Public Service Fellow at the Arts Council of Greater New Haven. 

Free and open to the public. Space is limited.

Presented by the New Haven Museum

A conversation: Barbara Lamb and Rona Johnston

Join Barbara Lamb, coordinator for the year-long Donald Grant Mitchell Bicentennial Celebration, in conversation with Rona Johnston, president of the board of the New Haven Preservation Trust, as Donald Grant Mitchell’s 201st birthday approaches and his bicentennial year comes to a close. 

Learn more about the past year-long celebration and future plans to memorialize him as they talk about Mitchell’s long life and his numerous contributions to our city. New Haven’s own, a famous bestselling author for whom the Westville Library branch is named, farmer and naturalist, he designed many of New Haven’s beautiful public parks. This Yale grad was a true Renaissance man, scholar and teacher, inveterate cartographer and diplomat, who made his home at a 200-acre farm in Westville in 1855, remaining there until his death in 1906. Don’t miss it!

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

Check out the website for more information about DGM and the months long celebration: DonaldGrantMitchell.com.

DGM Bicentennial Committee
To date, eight New Haven-based organizations have come together to create this Celebration honoring Donald Grant Mitchell and others may join in. Currently events and activities are being planned by: New Haven Free Public Library, New Haven Preservation Trust, New Haven Museum & Historical Society, Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, Friends of Edgewood Park, Friends of East Rock Park, and Broken Umbrella Theatre.

With support from: The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Design Monsters.

Hosted by: New Haven Free Public Library

Join Barbara Lamb, coordinator for the year-long Donald Grant Mitchell Bicentennial Celebration, as Mitchell’s 101st birthday approaches and his Bicentennial year comes to a close. She will talk about the many facets in the life of Donald Grant Mitchell: best-selling author, farmer and naturalist, scholar and teacher, lecturer, inveterate cartographer and diplomat. He is, however, most remembered for his landscape designs for the creation of East Rock and Edgewood Parks.

Free and open to the public.

Check out the website for more information about DGM and the months long celebration: DonaldGrantMitchell.com.

Donald Grant Mitchell Bicentennial Committee
To date, eight New Haven-based organizations have come together to create this Celebration honoring Donald Grant Mitchell and others may join in. Currently events and activities are being planned by: New Haven Free Public Library, New Haven Preservation Trust, New Haven Museum & Historical Society, Yale University Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, Friends of Edgewood Park, Friends of East Rock Park, and Broken Umbrella Theatre.

With support from: The Community Foundation for Greater New Haven and Design Monsters.

Hosted by: Institute Library

Join Susan Godshall and Jack Tripp for a presentation of their new book published by the New Haven Preservation Trust. This unique take on New Haven focuses on the often unknown men — and one woman — who built houses, commercial and academic buildings, monuments and other historic structures.

Susan Godshall has worked at four major New Haven institutions including City Hall and Yale University. Most recently, she retired as Senior Vice President of the Greater New Haven Chamber of Commerce where she worked on economic development, state and local government affairs, and transportation investment. Susan holds degrees from Yale Law School and Yale School of Architecture. She is a long-time board member of the New Haven Preservation Trust.

Jack Tripp is a senior at Yale College from Westport, Massachusetts. His studies focus on English and political science, concentrating on the Romantic poets and political philosophy. Besides research for the Preservation Trust's Builder Book, he has also spent time writing for the Yale Daily News and The New Journal, serving on the executive board of the Yale Dramatic Association, and working as a President’s Public Service Fellow at the Arts Council of Greater New Haven.

Free and open to the public. Space is limited. Advance registration is recommended.

UPDATE — This event is currently full. You may sign up to be put on the waiting list and will be contacted if a space opens.

Presented by: New Haven Free Public Library

If the English Puritans who colonized New England in the 1630s had an enemy they could all agree on, it was Spain and Spain’s enormous New World empire. Yet the town that some of these Puritans founded near the place where the Quinnipiac River meets Long Island Sound looked nothing like the other English towns of New England. It looked like Spanish towns in the New World. This talk will explore this and other mysteries about New Haven’s founding, including the question of where its English name came from, and why its colonists imagined they were entering a “wilderness.”

Speaker: Mark Peterson is Edmund S. Morgan Professor of History at Yale and has worked extensively on Puritan New England. His most recent book, The City-State of Boston: The Rise and Fall of an Atlantic Power, 1630–1865 (2019), has been called ‘breathtaking’ and ‘ingenious.’ Prof. Peterson lives in New Haven.

Entry: $10 until November 9 and $15 at the door. All proceeds to support the work of the New Haven Preservation Trust.

Watch the lecture video →

Lecture made possible through the valued support of Bruce R. Peabody, Esq. and the Herzan Lecture Fund.