Year built:



1983 (finished 1984)



Architect and/or builder:



CUHO (Cooperative for Urban Home Ownership) CEO/President: Frank Nasti



Style:



Basic Italianate (pediments, multiple stories, narrow windows, flat roof)



Building materials:



Brick, particle board (used as sheathing material rather than plywood in order to keep costs of condos low)



Program (building function):



Residential (but used as mixed residential-commercial) The land at 900-910 State Street was first sold and developed in the 1880s – a few simple brick stores were built at the addresses, with frame buildings in the back of the lot functioning as storage spaces. Over the next century, additional buildings were constructed next to the originals, and various working class tenants lived and ran retail shops in the structures, which usually included a tenement space on the top floor, the store below, and a brick cellar underground. A sausage factory, bakeshop, and grocery store existed and provided identity to this block of State Street early in the 1900s, before eventually being replaced by a motorcycle repair store, bicycle shop, and the establishment of Donnarummo & Demassi barbers, who existed at 904 State for over thirty years beginning in the 1920s. Tenants in the buildings changed fairly regularly, likely due to the development of the State Street area at the time – buildings were still being constructed, and the identity of blocks shifted along with the construction of new spaces and economic flux.Beginning in 1930, with the establishment of his meat store at 910 State, Carl Roessler became a figure on the block. He gradually obtained more and more land, opening a grille and tavern at 908, warehouse at 904, and factory at the addresses to the north. His establishments created an identity for the block until the late 1950s, when his death led to a downward turn for his meat business.



In 1973, a fire on the block led to the destruction of most of the properties between 900 and 910 State, leaving the area abandoned. In 1976, due to tax evasions and the bankruptcy of the Roessler family, the land was taken over by First Bank and N.B.C. Incorporated, a Connecticut company.In 1979, the New Haven Redevelopment Agency acquired the land as part of an urban renewal project for the State Street area. Over the past decade, community outcry as well as the city’s desire to revitalize the street, which had played a prominent role throughout New Haven’s history, had led to the beginning of similar redevelopment projects on nearby blocks, as well as a movement to nominate Upper State Street to the National Register of Historic Places.



In 1982, CUHO (Corporation for Urban Home Ownership) purchased the land from the city and began plans for a rowhouse project at 900-910 State. The CUHO Upper State Street Condos, eleven two and three bedroom residences that were aimed to provide an affordable housing option for New Haven residents, were constructed in 1983 and opened in 1984. In order to keep costs low, CUHO used government subsidies and chose pragmatic materials – particle board, which is both cheaper and more long-lasting than plywood, was used in construction. The condos are built in a simplified Italianate style, and boast a brick façade as well as English basements at street level (rather than conventional cellars), which provides for more usable space. A building was also constructed in the back area of the lot in order to provide more housing, and each condo has a small backyard space. Over the past twenty years, 900-910 State Street has been home to various residents as well as businesses, such as a graphic design center and barbershop. It is interesting to note the ethnic shift that the block has undergone – an insurance company catering to the Spanish-speaking community is a prominent tenant. The CUHO rowhouses will likely stand for many years to come, providing housing for shifts of residents as the economic and cultural environment of Upper State Street continues to change.