The John G. Phillips House on Pleasant Street in Sharon, Massachusetts, is a playful and eclectic example of early 20th century residential architecture showcasing the blending of many styles into a single composition. The house was built in 1901 for John Goddard Phillips, who moved to Sharon from Boston to retire in this large home, and serve as President of the Sharon Historical Society. The house blends typical Queen Anne and Shingle style forms but with interesting brackets common in styles popular a half-century earlier.
Sharon, Massachusetts, is a small suburban community south of Boston that is lesser known than its neighbors, but the community has some great old buildings! The Town of Sharon was originally part of a 1637 land grant given by the Dorchester Proprietors to encourage new settlement in areas southward. In 1726, the lands of the present towns of Sharon, Canton and Stoughton, were separated from Dorchester and called the Stoughton Territory. Settlers in present-day Sharon found it difficult to attend mandated church services centered around present-day Stoughton and petitioned the General Court in 1739 to set off as a separate precinct. The request was granted and the Second Precinct was established, and incorporated as Stoughtonham in 1765, changing its name in 1783 to Sharon, named after the Sharon Plain in Palestine. In 1813, the local congregationalists split due to theological differences and some formed a Unitarian church. The Congregationalists moved down the street and built a new church in 1822 which was destroyed by fire in 1838 and replaced a year later by this edifice. Built in 1839 the First Congregational Church of Sharon is a vernacular and well-preserved example of a Greek Revival church building in the Doric order with towering pilastered steeple, monumental portico supported by four fluted Doric columns, and flushboard siding. The Congregational Church retains an original bell cast by the The Revere Copper Company of nearby Canton.
A rare example of the Art Deco architectural style in New Haven, the former Lupoli Brothers Funeral Home on Chapel Street in Wooster Square is more than meets the eye! This Art Deco jewel box was originally constructed in 1841 as a large, single family home and modernized nearly 100 years later in its current design. In 1841, Henry Lucas Hotchkiss (1810-1861), a businessman and president of the L. Candee Rubber Company, had a two-story Greek Revival style home built on this lot for his wife, Lucy. The home was originally two stories, but a third floor was added in the 1860s, around the time the rear stable (still extant) was constructed, for another owner. In the early 20th century, as the Wooster Square neighborhood became a center of Italian-American life and business in New Haven, the property was purchased by Liberato Lipoli (1862-1934) who moved to Connecticut from the Piedmont region of Italy. A year after their father’s death, sons Mario, Gennaro, Antonio and Louis Lupoli, established a funeral parlor catering to the local Italian American community. In 1935, the Lupoli Brothers hired local architect, Lester Julianelle to reimagine the former Hotchkiss House in a modern style. The result is the refaced building with Classical Revival and Art Deco elements including the iconic entry reading, “Lupoli Bros” in the iconic lettering. The Lupoli’s closed the parlor here in 2008 and the building was converted to eight condominium units.
The Willis Bristol House on Chapel Street in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, is one of the finest and most architecturally distinctive residences in New England. Built in 1845 for Willis Bristol (1804-1875), a partner in the shoe manufacturer of Bristol & Hall, the home was designed by Connecticut architect, Henry Austin, who designed many of the other great mansions in Wooster Square around this period. The Bristol House is Italianate in style with Exotic Revival detailing which has often been described as Moorish Revival, but it is actually more Indian Revival, an extreme rarity in 19th century New England. It is believed that Henry Austin was influenced by an illustration of columns and capitals at the Ellora Caves in India published by Henry Repton in Designs for the Pavilion at Brighton (1808) and through this worked picked up a fascination with Indian architecture that was to influence his designs in the mid-19th century. Many of Austin’s designs in Wooster Square feature these Indianesque columns on their porches. The Willis Bristol House remained in the family until 1876 and was subsequently used as a congregation house, school, beauty parlor, and presently as apartments. The owners should be commended for preserving and protecting this ornate and unique residence for all to enjoy.
The oddly proportioned James E. English House stands on Chapel Street in New Haven’s Wooster Square neighborhood and remains one of the most interesting mid-19th century residences in the city. Built in 1845 for James Edward English (1812-1890), a prominent businessman who later became Governor of Connecticut and U.S. Senator. James English started his career as a carpenter and expanded to open the English & Welch Lumber Company. He was a savvy businessman and helped restructure the New Haven Clock Company into one of the largest clock manufacturers in the region. From his success, he purchased property in the new fashionable Wooster Square district and moved into this residence which was designed by architect, Henry Austin, who designed many other homes in the neighborhood. English got engaged in politics and served as the 43rd and 45th Governor of Connecticut and later as a U.S. Senator (1870-1871). Upon returning to Connecticut, James English continued his lumber business and with his own product, expanded his Wooster Square home, vertically. In the mid-1870s, the house, which was originally two stories, was given a third floor, creating the strong vertical proportions we see now. Today, the James E. English House operates as the Maresca & Sons Funeral Home, one of the many prominent Italian-American-owned businesses that helped revitalize the neighborhood in the 20th century.
This extraordinary row of brownstone homes is located on Chapel Street in New Haven, Connecticut, and overlooks Wooster Square as its southern anchor. Built in 1871, the symmetrical row of six rowhouses are clad with brownstone facades which read more like Brooklyn townhouses than what is typical in New Haven, which is why these are so special. The row was designed by New Haven architect, David R. Brown, who got his start as an apprentice under Henry Austin, and became a prolific local designer. The row was likely constructed by one owner on speculation and subsequently sold to individual owners, who have maintained the structure over 150 years since. The Brownstone Row is Italianate/Second Empire in style with window surrounds, bracketed cornice and cupolas on the flanking homes with the center two residences capped by mansard roofs.
The Henry Cowell House, one of the great Italianate style residences in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven, tells the story of the neighborhood from enclave of wealthy merchants and businessmen to vibrant immigrant area, to reborn middle-class neighborhood. The residence was built for Henry Cowell (1829-1904), a professional photographer and businessman who owned multiple properties in New Haven. The Cowell family, who lived in the house through the turn of the century, bequeathed it to a French order of nuns in 1912 who turned it into the St. Joseph’s Guest House, a residence affiliated with an area church. The Sisters of Holy Ghost managed the Cowell and neighboring Max Adler House, and constructed an addition between the structures to serve as a chapel and classrooms in 1929. The properties, which also served as housing for single women, were sold and converted into condos in the 1980s, with the current condo board taking great steps to preserve the significant buildings. The Henry Cowell House retains its boxy form with cupola at the roof, stucco walls scored to resemble ashlar masonry, and ornate entry porch.
Built beginning in 1829, St. Paul’s Episcopal Church on Chapel Street in Wooster Square, New Haven, Connecticut, was one of the first churches in the nation built in the Gothic Revival style and a visual entrance to the iconic neighborhood. Constructed from local brownstone, the design of the building is attributed to a partnership between master builder and contractor, Sidney Mason Stone, and Sherman Croswell, son of the congregation’s pastor, Rev. Harry Croswell, who possibly consulted with architect, Ithiel Town. St. Paul’s is said to be the first attributed work of Sidney Mason Stone, who went on to build and design over 100 churches, homes, and buildings all over the region. The church originally featured two end towers were built of wood but were ambitiously removed in 1893 to be replaced with stone belfries, which was likely the original design. Sadly, funding ran out and only one tower was rebuilt of stone, leaving the lopsided single-tower look today.
A true expression of the Italianate Villa style, the King-North House on Chapel Street in the Wooster Square neighborhood of New Haven is among the communities finest mid-19th century residences but suffers from some serious deferred maintenance. The residence was built in 1852 for Jonathan Williams King (1813-1863) a merchant who moved to New Haven from Cincinnati and hired famed Connecticut architect, Henry Austin, to design this home for him and his new bride, Ann Margaret Smith. The stuccoed mansion features a central tower, broad overhanging eaves with brackets, porches, and arched windows. After Jonathan King’s death in 1863, the property was purchased by Oliver B. North, owner of a saddlery and carriage firm. The property became a multi-family property in the 20th century and has suffered from some unsympathetic alterations and neglect, but remains a highly significant gem in Wooster Square.
William Lewis was a lumber dealer and business partner of Nelson Hotchkiss, who managed the firm in their name. The partners purchased house lots on Chapel Street in the Wooster Square district of New Haven and are said to have worked with architect, Henry Austin, on furnishing designs, with this residence built for Mr. William Lewis. Square in plan, the two-story residence is built of brick with stucco walls, broad overhanging eaves, and a front porch with Indian style columns on bases.
Buildings of New England 