Like its resourceful tenants and owners over the years, 250 Crown has boldly stood its ground as rapid industrialization transformed its block -- Crown between High and College -- from a quiet 19th century street full of small homes and shops [fig. 1] into a high-density, automobile-centric commercial district with super-sized garages, used-car dealerships, gas stations, and large apartment buildings [fig. 2]. According to architect and preservationist Preston Maynard, the small two-and-a-half story home “speaks to a neighborhood long gone by.”



Fig. 1 - A (random) sampling of 19th century New Haven residents: dressmakers, grocers, painters, carpenters



(New Haven City Directory, 1903) Fig. 2 - Auto supplies, storage, sales.



(New Haven City Directory, 1932) Fig. 3 - Small residential lots in 1868. Crown is the uppermost street.  (New Haven City Maps, 1868) Fig 4. - Expanding Lots and the Influence of the Automobile



(Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 1923 with paste-overs until 1930) Fig. 5 - A changing streetscape



(New Haven City Directory, 1922) Fig. 6 - A new source of revenue...



(New Haven Building Department, 1949) Fig. 7 - Once again, a "9-bedroom rooming house"



(New Haven Building Department, 2014) Fig. 8 - The Baker's Dozen House, 2015  (Photo by author) Fig. 9 - The storefront will soon become a sandwich shop in Spring 2016. (Photo by author)