Hillhouse Avenue is a street in New Haven, Connecticut, famous for its many nineteenth century mansions, including the president's house at Yale University. Both Charles Dickens and Mark Twain have described it as "the most beautiful street in America."[2] Much of the avenue is included in the Hillhouse Avenue Historic District, which extends to include houses on adjacent streets.[3]
The street's mansions were completed by 1871. In this 1905 photograph, Sachem's Wood is still visible
The avenue is named for James Hillhouse (1754–1832) (and his son James Abraham Hillhouse, 1789–1841), innovator in land use in New Haven, who began the program of tree planting that gave New Haven its nickname, The Elm City, and who laid out the Trumbull Plan for Yale College and the Grove Street Cemetery.
Hillhouse Avenue was initially called Temple Avenue, and was staked out, 150 feet (46 m) wide, by Hillhouse employee, and later Yale president, Jeremiah Day, in 1792. The avenue ran from the Green at Temple Street to a hilltop location where James Abraham Hillhouse built the family mansion, Highwood (later called Sachem's Wood), in 1828. The houses along the wide avenue were set back with room for trees creating a park-like effect. The elms which once shaded the street were lost to Dutch elm disease, but mature oak trees have largely taken their place.
The avenue was privately owned until 1862. Because of the nature of the street, its lots, and its orientation to the nine-square-grid of New Haven (the nation's first planned city), Hillhouse Avenue is sometimes considered to be the first suburb in the United States.
The Hillhouse mansion was razed in 1942 in accordance with a directive in the will of James Abraham Hillhouse's daughter, Isaphene. In time, Hillhouse Avenue came to be divided into an upper, residential area, and a lower portion for public buildings and the Farmington Canal. It is now just two blocks long, running from Grove to Sachem. The upper portion of the avenue, along with the adjacent blocks (and the Dana House), was designated the Hillhouse Avenue Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985.[1]
Buildingsedit
Yale now owns all of the properties on Hillhouse Avenue except for St. Mary's Church and its parish house. Many of the mansions of the upper area have been converted for use by the economics department, Cowles Foundation, School of Management, and other academic departments, and have been completely restored. Lower Hillhouse primarily includes university buildings, a number of them formerly part of the Sheffield Scientific School. There are several houses designed by architects Ithiel Town, Henry Austin and Alexander Jackson Davis. The area at the end of the avenue where Hillhouse's mansion stood is now part of the Science Hill section of Yale's campus.
Notable buildings on Hillhouse Avenue that are included in the historic district are:
Mary Prichard House, 1836. This Greek revival design by Alexander Jackson Davis includes a two-story Corinthian porch with white columns. It is also known as the Provost's House and has been used to house Yale administration.[4]
Henry Farnam House, Russell Sturgis, 1871. Redesigned with Victorian features removed in 1934. It has been the home of Yale's presidents since 1937.
John Pitkin Norton House (Steinbach Hall, Yale Astronomy Department,[5] formerly Yale School of Management), 1849. Tuscan/Italian Villa on Hillhouse Avenue designed by Henry Austin.
Pelitiah Perit (Horchow Hall, Yale School of Management), Sidney Mason Stone, 1859. Renaissance revival/Tuscan.
Henry F. English House, 1892. Classical revival mansion, designed by Bruce Price. Home of the Yale University Office of Undergraduate Admissions.
Graves-Dwight House, 1862. This villa is now used by the Yale Anthropology Department.
Apthorp House (Evans Hall, Yale Astronomy Department, formerly Yale School of Management), Town and Davis, 1836 (with extensive subsequent remodeling).
Skinner House (Yale Astronomy Department, formerly Yale International Center of Finance), Town and Davis, 1832. Landmark Greek Revival.
Graves-Gilman House (now 37 Hillhouse), 1866. Victorian Italian Villa. Home of Sheffield professor, Daniel Coit Gilman. Converted into apartments for married Yale students (1946–1957). George H. W. Bush lived here while he was a student and his son lived here until the age of two.[6] Now used by the Yale Department of Economics.
Abigail Whelpey House, 1826. The oldest house standing on Hillhouse. This Federal structure was altered in the 1860s with a mansard roof and dormer windows by Noah Porter, later President of Yale. The house, now known as Allwin Hall, has served as a residence for Yale administrators.[7]
Sheffield-Town Mansion, Hillhouse Avenue
Buildings on lower Hillhouse Avenue, outside of the historic district, include:
Cloister Hall (now Warner House), 1888. Brownstone building originally served the Book and Snake fraternity of the Sheffield School.
Kirtland Hall, Dunham Laboratory, Mason Laboratory, Leet Oliver Memorial Hall. Yale University buildings originally part of the Sheffield Scientific School.
William Lyon Phelps House, 1908–1909, at 110 Whitney Avenue, Colonial Revival
a second William Lyon Phelps House, 1914, at 114 Whitney Avenue, designed by J. Frederick Kelly, "one of New Haven's finest Colonial Revival-style structures"[3]: 14
^ abcMary McCahon; J. Paul Loether; John Herzan (December 17, 1984). "National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination: Hillhouse Avenue Historic District". National Park Service. and Accompanying 22 photos, from 1979 and 1985
^"Astronomy Department moves to Hillhouse Mansions | Department of Astronomy".
^Ahles, Dick (December 24, 2000). "Bush's Birthplace? It's Deep in the Heart of . . . New Haven". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved May 15, 2023.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hillhouse Avenue Historic District.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hillhouse Avenue Historic District.
Holden, Reuben A., Yale: A Pictorial History, Yale University Press, New Haven, 1967.
Pinnell, Patrick L., Yale University: The Campus Guide, Princeton Architectural Press, New York, 1999.
Kelley, Brooks Mather, New Haven Heritage, New Haven Preservation Trust, 1974.
External linksedit
Hillhouse Avenue Historic District, New Haven Preservation Trust website (text adapted from NRHP nomination, plus gallery of 11 photos)
December 07, 2023
hillhouse, avenue, street, haven, connecticut, famous, many, nineteenth, century, mansions, including, president, house, yale, university, both, charles, dickens, mark, twain, have, described, most, beautiful, street, america, much, avenue, included, historic,. Hillhouse Avenue is a street in New Haven Connecticut famous for its many nineteenth century mansions including the president s house at Yale University Both Charles Dickens and Mark Twain have described it as the most beautiful street in America 2 Much of the avenue is included in the Hillhouse Avenue Historic District which extends to include houses on adjacent streets 3 Hillhouse Avenue Historic DistrictU S National Register of Historic PlacesU S Historic districtSkinner House Town and Davis 1832 Show map of ConnecticutShow map of the United StatesLocationBounded by Sachem Temple Trumbull and Prospect Sts Whitney and Hillhouse Aves amp RR tracks New Haven ConnecticutCoordinates41 18 52 2 N 72 55 23 6 W 41 314500 N 72 923222 W 41 314500 72 923222Area18 acres 7 3 ha Built1792ArchitectTown and Davis Henry Austin et al Architectural styleVictorianNRHP reference No 85002507 1 Added to NRHPSeptember 13 1985 Contents 1 History 2 Buildings 3 Images 4 See also 5 References 6 Sources 7 External linksHistory edit nbsp The street s mansions were completed by 1871 In this 1905 photograph Sachem s Wood is still visibleThe avenue is named for James Hillhouse 1754 1832 and his son James Abraham Hillhouse 1789 1841 innovator in land use in New Haven who began the program of tree planting that gave New Haven its nickname The Elm City and who laid out the Trumbull Plan for Yale College and the Grove Street Cemetery Hillhouse Avenue was initially called Temple Avenue and was staked out 150 feet 46 m wide by Hillhouse employee and later Yale president Jeremiah Day in 1792 The avenue ran from the Green at Temple Street to a hilltop location where James Abraham Hillhouse built the family mansion Highwood later called Sachem s Wood in 1828 The houses along the wide avenue were set back with room for trees creating a park like effect The elms which once shaded the street were lost to Dutch elm disease but mature oak trees have largely taken their place The avenue was privately owned until 1862 Because of the nature of the street its lots and its orientation to the nine square grid of New Haven the nation s first planned city Hillhouse Avenue is sometimes considered to be the first suburb in the United States The Hillhouse mansion was razed in 1942 in accordance with a directive in the will of James Abraham Hillhouse s daughter Isaphene In time Hillhouse Avenue came to be divided into an upper residential area and a lower portion for public buildings and the Farmington Canal It is now just two blocks long running from Grove to Sachem The upper portion of the avenue along with the adjacent blocks and the Dana House was designated the Hillhouse Avenue Historic District on the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 1 Buildings editYale now owns all of the properties on Hillhouse Avenue except for St Mary s Church and its parish house Many of the mansions of the upper area have been converted for use by the economics department Cowles Foundation School of Management and other academic departments and have been completely restored Lower Hillhouse primarily includes university buildings a number of them formerly part of the Sheffield Scientific School There are several houses designed by architects Ithiel Town Henry Austin and Alexander Jackson Davis The area at the end of the avenue where Hillhouse s mansion stood is now part of the Science Hill section of Yale s campus Notable buildings on Hillhouse Avenue that are included in the historic district are James Dwight Dana House designed by Henry Austin built 1845 1848 Home to the Yale Statistics Department for many years and listed as a U S National Historic Landmark Mary Prichard House 1836 This Greek revival design by Alexander Jackson Davis includes a two story Corinthian porch with white columns It is also known as the Provost s House and has been used to house Yale administration 4 Henry Farnam House Russell Sturgis 1871 Redesigned with Victorian features removed in 1934 It has been the home of Yale s presidents since 1937 John Pitkin Norton House Steinbach Hall Yale Astronomy Department 5 formerly Yale School of Management 1849 Tuscan Italian Villa on Hillhouse Avenue designed by Henry Austin Charles Henry Farnam House J Cleaveland Cady 1884 Queen Anne style Pelitiah Perit Horchow Hall Yale School of Management Sidney Mason Stone 1859 Renaissance revival Tuscan Henry F English House 1892 Classical revival mansion designed by Bruce Price Home of the Yale University Office of Undergraduate Admissions Graves Dwight House 1862 This villa is now used by the Yale Anthropology Department Apthorp House Evans Hall Yale Astronomy Department formerly Yale School of Management Town and Davis 1836 with extensive subsequent remodeling Skinner House Yale Astronomy Department formerly Yale International Center of Finance Town and Davis 1832 Landmark Greek Revival Graves Gilman House now 37 Hillhouse 1866 Victorian Italian Villa Home of Sheffield professor Daniel Coit Gilman Converted into apartments for married Yale students 1946 1957 George H W Bush lived here while he was a student and his son lived here until the age of two 6 Now used by the Yale Department of Economics Abigail Whelpey House 1826 The oldest house standing on Hillhouse This Federal structure was altered in the 1860s with a mansard roof and dormer windows by Noah Porter later President of Yale The house now known as Allwin Hall has served as a residence for Yale administrators 7 nbsp Sheffield Town Mansion Hillhouse AvenueBuildings on lower Hillhouse Avenue outside of the historic district include Cloister Hall now Warner House 1888 Brownstone building originally served the Book and Snake fraternity of the Sheffield School Kirtland Hall Dunham Laboratory Mason Laboratory Leet Oliver Memorial Hall Yale University buildings originally part of the Sheffield Scientific School St Mary s Church and parish house Sheffield Town Mansion Ithiel Town 1836 Additions for Joseph Earl Sheffield by Henry Austin in 1859 Razed in 1957 Yale University Collection of Musical Instruments 1895 Romanesque structure built originally for the Alpha Delta Phi fraternity Significant properties not on Hillhouse Avenue but included in the historic district include 3 Russell Henry Chittenden House at 83 Trumbull Street listed as a National Historic Landmark Wolf s Head built in 1883 designed by McKim Mead amp White Richardsonian Romanesque with stepped end gables former home of Wolf s Head Society William Lyon Phelps House 1908 1909 at 110 Whitney Avenue Colonial Revival a second William Lyon Phelps House 1914 at 114 Whitney Avenue designed by J Frederick Kelly one of New Haven s finest Colonial Revival style structures 3 14 Images edit nbsp John Norton House nbsp Mary Prichard House nbsp Graves Gillman House nbsp Graves Dwight House nbsp Peletiah Perit House nbsp Henry English House nbsp George Fisher House nbsp Elizabeth Apthorp House nbsp Henry Farnam House nbsp Abigail Whelpey House nbsp St Mary s ChurchSee also editNational Register of Historic Places listings in New Haven ConnecticutReferences edit a b National Register Information System National Register of Historic Places National Park Service July 9 2010 Hillhouse Avenue City of New Haven a b c Mary McCahon J Paul Loether John Herzan December 17 1984 National Register of Historic Places Inventory Nomination Hillhouse Avenue Historic District National Park Service and Accompanying 22 photos from 1979 and 1985 Prichard House Yale Facilities permanent dead link Astronomy Department moves to Hillhouse Mansions Department of Astronomy Ahles Dick December 24 2000 Bush s Birthplace It s Deep in the Heart of New Haven The New York Times ISSN 0362 4331 Retrieved May 15 2023 Allwin Hall Yale Facilities permanent dead link Sources edit nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hillhouse Avenue Historic District nbsp Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hillhouse Avenue Historic District Holden Reuben A Yale A Pictorial History Yale University Press New Haven 1967 Pinnell Patrick L Yale University The Campus Guide Princeton Architectural Press New York 1999 Kelley Brooks Mather New Haven Heritage New Haven Preservation Trust 1974 Hillhouse Avenue Historic District New Haven Preservation TrustExternal links editHillhouse Avenue Historic District New Haven Preservation Trust website text adapted from NRHP nomination plus gallery of 11 photos Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Hillhouse Avenue amp oldid 1169089182, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
