the Hermann Armbruster Building

In 1885, the late Italianate house on the parcel of 961-963 State Street was built to house the saloon and residence of Hermann Armbruster, who moved from Franklin Street into the upper stories of the building later that year.  The structure, known as the Hermann Armbruster Building,  is a load bearing brick building measuring  26' wide by 38' deep with a 3 bay dual entry front and brick and cut stone foundation. The roof is a ridge-to-street gable roof, with a bracketed main cornice, cut stone window sills and lintels. The original first story commercial front modified, original 2-over-2 double hung window sash replaced 1-over-1 sash.



As reported by Living Places magazine, the Hermann Armbruster building reflects the fact that "by the early 1900s, the upper State Street area had become firmly established as one of New Haven's most bustling and prosperous, as well as densely built-up outlying neighborhood commercial districts. The area boasted well over sixty-five small businesses, including nine grocery markets, eight saloons, seven shoe stores and shoe repair shops, seven confectionaries, four barber shops, four drygoods stores, three bakeries, three drugstores, three tailors' shops, two dressmakers' shops, and two delicatessans, as well as a jewelry store, a clothing store, a print shop, a fish market, a cigar and tobacco store, a photography studio, an eyeglasses shop, a tin smithy, a variety store, a stove brick store, a coal dealer, and a milk dealer."



Brenton Evans Piano Showroom