A Virtual Jane’s Walk of Autumn Street

By Elizabeth Holt

Located between St. Ronan Street and Whitney Avenue, Autumn Street is an eclectic, mews-like street located in the heart of the Prospect Hill Historic District. The diverse mix of architectural styles found here tell the story of New Haven’s development within a single block.

Though it appeared on New Haven maps before 1879, Autumn Street developed as a residential corridor between 1900 and 1925, coinciding with the growth of surrounding Prospect Hill Neighborhood. Its original use as a carriage way is still reflected in the housing styles and streetscape that exist today.

Thanks to James Hillhouse, the Prospect Hill neighborhood developed as one of New Haven’s first suburbs. Like many men of wealth, Hillhouse speculated extensively in land on the outskirts of town and he was particularly interested in this northern corridor where his farmland was located. His intentions to steer growth north of the city was slowed due to a financial depression in the early 19th-century. Development was revived as factories sprang up along Audubon and Church Street, and between 1890 and 1930, the area that includes Autumn Street was developed as a residential corridor.

21 Autumn Street

The John E. Heaton Carriage House is located at 21 Autumn Street. Its original construction dates to c. 1905, when it served as a carriage house to the John E. Heaton House at 363 St. Ronan Street. The estate context of Autumn Street is preserved here, with the still vacant lot at the corner of Canner and Autumn maintaining a visual connection between the two houses. In the 1960s, it was converted to a residential home by the Office of Carleton Granbery. The noted New Haven architect was known for his California modern design, which is seen here in the U-shaped layout designed for outdoor living. The Foote School, located within the Prospect Hill Historic District but notably excluded from the National Register Listing, is another Granbery design that was created to let the outdoors in.

Vacant lot at the corner of Autumn and Canner, with the rear of 363 St. Ronan Street visible on the left.

27 to 55 Autumn Street

The row of six houses from 27 to 55 Autumn Street represent a range of architectural styles, but maintain a visual coherence through similar scale, massing, and relation to the street. Built between 1912 and 1937, styles include Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, and Queen Anne, and are associated with the second phase of Autumn Street’s development of a residential neighborhood.

The first of these houses, 27 Autumn Street, is an informal Colonial Revival with a steep gambrel roof and Federal Style inspired doorway. Many of its details are reflected two doors down, at 37 Autumn Street.

The house at 35 Autumn is a simple Queen Anne. Its lack of ornate detailing, present on many Queen Anne houses, lends to the visual harmony in this row.

According to the Historic Resources Inventory the house at 43 Autumn Street is a Tudor Revival. It achieved an Arts and Crafts quality though the use of contrasting black and white details. Though the house has been repainted since the 1981 survey, it maintains its Arts and Crafts quality by representing a simpler version of a classic Tudor Revival.

The unusual L-shaped Colonial Revival at 49 Autumn Street also features Federal Style details, such as the segmental pediment and engaged columns, which help to visually tie it to its neighbors. The Historic Resource Inventory refers to the use of black trim which creates a close stylistic relationship to 43 Autumn. Though this house, too, has been repainted, it is interesting to note that of these six houses all but the Tudor Revival have been repainted in shades of blue.

The classic Colonial Revival at 55 Autumn Street represents a prototypical version of the style, common throughout New Haven but unique on Autumn Street. Here, the design is based on Georgian house types, with a symmetrical front facade and classical details such as fluted Ionic columns and dentils on the cornice.

40 Autumn Street

Moving across the street to 40 Autumn is the Lawrence Coffey House. Constructed in c. 1898-99, this is the earliest residence on the street and marks the turning point from a carriage way for St. Ronan Street and Whitney Avenue estates to a residential enclave. Lawrence Coffey, a mason and builder, moved here from 64 Pearl Street, making him the first official resident of Autumn Street.

Delgado Residence, 50 Autumn Street, 1959.

Leavy Residence, 70 Autumn Street, 1967.

50 and 70 Autumn Street

Together, the houses at numbers 50 and 70 represent Modernism on Autumn Street. They represent a period after WWII during which remaining available parcels of land were subdivided to fill with new, Modernist homes.

The Delgado Residence at 50 Autumn Street dates to 1959. It was designed by architects Gaultier & Johnson for prominent Yale researcher Dr. Jose Delgado and his wife Caroline. The California Modern house was originally built as a single story layout but later additions have quadrupled its size. Its design represents the suburban ideal of the time, with living spaces located behind a street facing garage.

The Leavy Residence, at 70 Autumn Street, is another Carleton Granbery house designed with an emphasis on outdoor living. Built in 1967, it originally made a bold statement with crisp geometry and lack of decorative trim, painted in a pea-coup and mustard color scheme which was very much of-the-time.

The house has recently been drastically altered, with little of the original design intent left intact. The massing was notable for its contrasting horizontal and vertical sections, but a second story addition on the south wing of the house detracts from this. Projecting balconies on the vertical facade have been removed, and the angled window that once matched the roofline is now a standard rectangular opening.

Preservationists regretted these changes, favoring the original design for its unique architectural statement.

Leavy Residence (post-alteration), 70 Autumn Street, 1967/2019.

The Subdivision of Autumn Street

From this point, we begin to see how the post-War subdivision of Autumn Street and its history as a carriage way are reflected in the current streetscape. With houses hidden behind garages, converted carriage houses, and parcels still connected to Whitney Avenue and St. Ronan Street, this side of Autumn feels much more private and secluded.

This map highlights the unusual way the land was divided for development, with the outlined parcels showing just how much of Autumn Street’s streetfront is actually connected to the surrounding streets.

71 and 75 Autumn Street

The near-mirror image houses at 71 and 75 Autumn are attributed to notable architecture firm Brown and Von Beren. The asymmetrical gables, fenestration pattern, and classical detailing are characteristic of much of their work in New Haven. Of the two houses, 71 Autumn is a simpler representation of the design. The Historic Resource Inventory links the Silk House at 75 Autumn to those at 43 and 49 Autumn for its use of black trim details, but it has since been repainted.

85 Autumn Street and the Children’s Preschool

The house at 85 Autumn is carriage house conversion, connecting the street to its historic use. Its neighbor, another converted carriage house, is actually connected to the preschool on Whitney Avenue.

Rear of Children’s Preschool, Whitney Avenue.

86 Autumn Street

The most recent addition to the street is the house at 86 Autumn. Built in 2000, its contemporary design reflects the style and detailing of its neighbors. The detached garage at the street front is an older structure that once served the house at 425 St. Ronan Street. It is first in a line of three detached garages that were built for houses not located on Autumn Street.

107 Autumn Street

Our walk down Autumn Street concludes at number 107, the E.H. Tuttle Residence. This house is the third representation of California Modernist by Carleton Granbery on Autumn Street. Built in 1959, it is another example of development designed as infill on parcels subdivided from large through-lots. The house is concealed behind the street-facing garage, much like the Delgado Residence at 50 Autumn, and has maintained its original modest design.

Thank you for taking our virtual tour of Autumn Street in celebration of this year’s Jane’s Walks! Want even more of Autumn Street? You can explore photos and information from the Historic Resources Inventory on our interactive map.

If the above link does not open the interactive map for you, please copy and paste the following link in your browser: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1I9fwxorrOwNfIP4X36X5dLT4GSha6FZs&ll=41.325718040531335%2C-72.9314531&z=15

Elizabeth Holt is the Director of Preservation Services at the New Haven Preservation Trust.

New Haven Preservation TrustMay 2, 2020