Long-time home of the New Haven Police Third Precinct, this small, red-brick fortress anchors the corner of Howard and Minor Street. It has more recently housed a range of community service organizations, including the Hill Development Corporation.

Throughout the years, the property has changed hands between several companies and organizations, most of which have been oriented toward community development services. But only after a 1956 purchase by J. George Canter Company did the building see major alterations. According to the deed signed by Major Richard C. Lee (on September 28th, 1956), the company sought to “remodel and renovate the face of the building by making a modern store front instead of a police station.” Toward this end, the company covered the original police precinct sign with stucco, added an aluminum awning, cleaned the brick, and replaced the main central arch with new front doors. The company also claimed other improvements as “necessary to make this building a credit to the neighborhood and the city of New Haven.” But by comparing a photo taken in 1905 (from a publication by Brown & Von Beren Architects) with more modern images, one can see that the two front windows were never enlarged to make room for displays, as the J. George Canter Company had planned.

The building is situated on a corner lot with no side or front yards. It was originally composed of a front main block and a large one-story rear wing. Currently, there are two stories — a first floor and finished upper floor — as well as an unfinished basement in the rear wing. The building features load-bearing masonry and contains 5,486 square feet.



Romanesque in its symmetry and massive solidity, the building also displays qualities of a miniature gothic revival fortress. Battlements (along the top), turrets, and a central pavilion with a parapet contribute to the overall appearance of a modern day fortification. A corbelled cornice capped with a sandstone stringcourse defines the top of the building, while other stringcourses broken up by small arches divide the brick façade. The building also features irregular fenestration in placing narrow windows above the wider first story windows. All these details, which amount to a convincing barbican façade, could be found in the original design of the building.