Yale History

George P. Fisher House // 1864

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The George P. Fisher House is located at the corner of Hillhouse Avenue and Trumbull Street in Central New Haven, Connecticut. Built in 1864, the residence is one of the finest examples of the Italianate style in the state with its square, three-story form with gabled pediment, bracketed eaves, window hoods, and brick construction with stucco scored to resemble ashlar masonry. George Park Fisher (1827-1909) completed his education in Theology at Brown and Yale and would become a professor at the latter institution for much of his life. Additionally, Rev. Fisher was a frequent contributor to The New Englander (now the Yale Review) the oldest literary journal in the United States. Due to failing health at the turn of the 20th century, George Fisher relocated to Litchfield County for fresh air and relaxation for his health. The property was sold to John Wolcott Bristol, a wealthy attorney who never married. As with nearly all of the buildings on Hillhouse Avenue, the property was acquired by Yale in 1935 and is now occupied by the University’s Economic Growth Center.

Abigail Whelpley House // c.1826

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The oldest extant building on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven is this Federal-period house with later Victorian-era modifications. The Abigail Whelpley House was built by 1826 (with some estimates as early as 1800 and moved to the site) and was a traditional, five-bay, two-story Federal style residence. It is said that the house was built by James Abraham Hillhouse (1789-1841) for his widowed family member, Ms. Whelpley, and her two sons. As of 1849, the property was owned by Noah Porter, later President of Yale, who would alter the house in the 1860s with the addition of a mansard roof and trim, all designed by architect, Henry Austin. The house, now known as Allwin Hall, is maintained by Yale University and contains offices for the program on Ethics, Politics & Economics.

Pritchard House // 1836

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One of the earliest houses built on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, is this stately Greek Revival mansion with monumental portico. The house was built in 1836 for Mary Pritchard from plans by great American architect, Alexander Jackson Davis. The mansion is two stories and is constructed of brick and stucco with a distinct two-story portico supported by fluted Corinthian columns. The architect also may have designed a barn at the rear of the house for Ms. Pritchard. Like many other former residences on Hillhouse Avenue, the house was acquired by Yale University, and is now the house of the Provost.

Perit House – Horchow Hall // 1859

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This Italianate Villa style mansion on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut, was built in 1859 for Pelatiah Webster Perit (1785-1864), a successful New York City shipping merchant and president of the New York Chamber of Commerce. Perit split his time between New York and New Haven and would hire architect, Sidney Mason Stone, to design this home on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven. The brownstone residence is notable for its elaborate scroll brackets supporting the window pediments and front entry portico with arched doorway with rope moldings. The mansion was occupied by Perit for just four years until his death in 1864, and it was later owned by Henry Lucius Hotchkiss, a businessman. Like nearly all buildings on Hillhouse Avenue, the building was acquired by Yale University and is now known as Horchow Hall, and is part of the Yale School of Management.

Graves-Dwight House // c.1862

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Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut is lined with stunning 19th- and 20th- century mansions showcasing the evolution of styles and architectural taste for the wealthiest residents. This is the Graves-Dwight House, a high-style Italianate mansion built around 1862. The residence was built for John Samuel Graves (1807-1892), a local businessman and politician who was a founder of the New Haven Gas Light Company. The architect is not known, but the house is the work of a skilled designer with immense attention to detail. The highly ornamented exterior features a symmetrical facade, bracketed cornice and window hoods, a recessed third-floor balconette with segmental arch pediment above, and bold, period-appropriate paint scheme. The residence was later owned by James McLaren Breed Dwight, a lawyer, and his wife, Cora Tallmadge Dwight. Since the 20th century, the property has been owned and preserved by Yale University, and is now home to the Archaeology Department.

Yale University – Warner House // 1887

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Originally known as Cloister Hall, this ornate building on Hillhouse Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut is one of the most interesting I have seen. The building was constructed in 1887-8 as a residence hall for members of the Book and Snake, a secret society at Yale University. Architect H. Edwards Ficken designed the ornate brownstone Cloister which was completed in 1888. At the time, it was considered “one of the most picturesque buildings on the Yale campus.” The society added a matching rear addition in 1915, which is a heavier mass, but compliments the original structure. Yale University would eventually acquire the building after the society no longer needed a separate lodging house for members. Today, the building is called Warner House, and Yale does a great job at maintaining this beauty.

Yale University – Alpha Delta Phi Hall // 1895

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Completed in 1895 for the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity at Yale, this stunning example of the Richardsonian Romanesque style on Hillhouse Avenue was such a treat to see in person. This building was designed by local architect William H. Allen who designed the building to provide student members dining and socialization space, but no dormitories. The group was active as a Junior Society, but disbanded by 1930, and the building was sold to Yale University. Yale has since occupied the building with the Morris Steinert Collection of Musical Instruments and it recently underwent a restoration. The longer I look at the building, the more amazing details I can find. The proportion of the Syrian arch with squat engaged columns is really remarkable.

Yale University – Mason Laboratory // 1911

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On Hillhouse Avenue, one of the finest streets in New Haven, you will find a great collection of historic homes and large institutional landmarks. Adjacent to St. Mary’s Roman Catholic Church, the Sheffield Scientific School of Yale College built this structure, the Mason Laboratory between 1910-1911 for Mechanical Engineering and related departments. The building was designed by architect Charles C. Haight, who was responsible for a number of other Neo-Gothic buildings at Yale. The limestone building properly holds the streetedge and blends in well with its surroundings.

Yale University – Kirtland Hall // 1902

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Yale has such great architecture. Walking around the campus, you can find examples of buildings of every time period and architectural style, it is like a living museum of architecture in that sense. Located on Hillhouse Avenue, Kirtland Hall is arguably Yale’s best example of Beaux Arts/Neo-Classical architecture, but it stands out for its use of local East Haven and Longmeadow sandstone. The building was the first laboratory to be built at Yale in the 20th century and was named after Jared Potter Kirtland (1793-1877), the first medical student enrolled at Yale. After graduation, Dr. Kirtland practiced medicine throughout Connecticut until 1823, when his wife died and he moved to Ohio. During his life, Dr. Kirtland also developed an interest in natural history and assisted in the first geographical survey of Ohio. In the early 20th century, Lucy Hall Boardman, a philanthropist and niece of Dr. Kirtland, not only donated funds for scholarships at Yale, but also donated a building, Kirtland Hall. As part of her gift, Ms. Boardman stipulated that her nephew, architect Kirtland Cutter, would be commissioned to design the building, and of course, Yale obliged. The building originally housed the Geology Department and became an integral part of the Sheffield Scientific School.

St. Elmo Hall – Rosenfeld Hall // 1912

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St. Elmo Society at Yale was founded in 1889 as a chapter of the national fraternity Delta Phi, and it is today one of the “ancient eight consortium” of secret societies at the university. The society’s original building was erected in 1895 and provided housing, meeting spaces, a library, smoking room, and other recreational spaces for the members. Just over a decade later, the group’s increasing wealth and membership necessitated a larger building. This building, named St. Elmo Hall was designed by architect Kenneth MacKenzie Murchison in an Elizabethan style and built in 1912 for the society, replacing its former residence hall. The society saw dwindling funding and during World War II, St. Elmo Hall became a convalescent hospital for soldiers who were out of the hospital but still need observation. After WWII, the group began leasing some rooms out to Yale University, who eventually purchased the building in 1962, renaming it Rosenfeld Hall after Richard Rosenfeld ’63. The L-shaped building is sited opening up to the corner lot and is Neo-Gothic in style, likely drawing inspiration from Yale’s established Gothic stylistic influence.