Building of the Day

A pentecostal church on Dwight Street, Ebenezer Chapel is an Italianate and Georgian-style building on the outskirts of New Haven’s Chapel West  area serving the New Haven population. The limestone brick facade, the two symmetrical towers, and the warm orange doors evoke an image of the Italianate villa even as its three arched doorways and long, thin windows allude to Gothic revival forms. Before being bought by Ebenezer Chapel Inc. in 1985, the building was originally named St. Barbara’s Greek Orthodox Church and served New Haven’s Greek population for about 40 years.

The St. Barbara Greek Orthodox Church, constructed in 1941 in New Haven, Connecticut, showcases a unique fusion of architectural elements from two different styles, Twentieth Century Eclectic and Tuscan Architecture. During the period of its construction, Eclectic Architecture was a prominent and contemporary choice, appealing to both the architect and the client. The church is marked by distinctive twin towers that command attention, an abundance of intricate exterior embellishments, a diverse roofline, and the presence of stained glass windows that infuse the interior with vibrant, hued light. Additionally, the grand and impressive entrances underscore the eclectic character of the building.

At its time of construction in 1941, the building was originally named St. Barbara’s Greek Orthodox Church. It was paid for completely by New Haven’s Greek immigrant population through donations ranging from $125 to $1500 after the previous Greek Orthodox church on Beers Street had been ravaged by a fire. The new church on Dwight Street became a symbol of optimism; of a phoenix rising from the ashes. Due to the reason the new church was constructed and the “crowd-sourcing” process by which it was funded, the structure became a powerful symbol of Greek solidarity and community in the city. The building cost about $60,000 to build and was consecrated the next year on Easter Sunday of 1942.

For over 40 years, the church served uninterrupted until it was sold to Ebenezer Chapel Inc. in 1985. The members of the church had split into two factions, and ended up in court. When the church was sold and changed its designation from Orthodox to Pentecostal, most of the congregation moved to Orange, CT. The ones who stayed rented space in the Center Church on the Green for a short time. It was not until September 2017 that the New Haven Greek population established an Orthodox place of worship in founding St. Basil’s Greek Orthodox Church in Elm City.  

Ebenezer Chapel now has a pentecostal congregation and serves primarily African American communities in the New Haven area both through its Sunday sermons and through its Sunday School and charity work in the community.