*Note: 1886 Sanborn Maps and 1888 Hopkins Atlas indicate that a building used to exist at the site of what is now 38-44 Crown St. However, information on these buildings could not be found in the city directories. Given that in the early 20th century, many commercial buildings were being constructed in the 9th District to replace residential buildings, it is possible that these buildings were old tenement housing.



History of S.Z. Field Printing Press:



Samuel Z. Field moved to New Haven in 1890 and set up a fruit and confectionary business on Grand Avenue. However, he eventually had more success with printing and stationary. He bought the lot of 38-44 Crown St. sometime between 1910 and 1913 from a real estate broker named Charles H Webb. While the Field Building was being constructed his business was located on State Street. The printing press remained at 44 Crown St. until Field’s death in 1939 when the building and company was sold to Carleton S. Read. Ownership of the company and building were passed through his descendants until at least 1981.



Sources:



 



From the New Haven Museum:



New Haven Directories



Connecticut Historical Commission: Historic Resources Inventory by the New Haven Preservation Trust



Dana Scrapbook Collection



1888 Hopkins Atlas



1911 Kelly Atlas



From New Haven Building Department:



New Haven Building Permits



Online:



Historic American Buildings Survey conducted by New Haven Preservation Trust



New Haven Independent Articles:



9th Square Rescue Mission Triumphs (2012)



Zoners OK 9th Square Historic Re-Do (2010)



Preservationists Rally to Save 3 Gems (2008)



Yale Uploaded Sanborn Maps



Historic Map Works Website



**Has images of historic photographs and maps but must be purchased to download. Can be viewed on the website:



http://www.historicmapworks.com/Buildings/index.php?state=CT&city=New%20Haven&id=6944



The last record of the S.Z. Field Company in the New Haven Directory was in 1990. After that, directories show that the building was vacant (at least until 2006). However, the building was said to have been deteriorating since the late seventies according to Alan Greenberg, owner of ACME furniture across the street (source: The New Haven Independent).



 



Description of Building:



The Field Building is one of the few remaining commercial buildings constructed during the late 19th to early 20th century in New Haven. Many commercial buildings were built at this time to replace old tenement housing.



The building itself has 4 stories and a basement with approximate dimensions of 48 by 120 feet. It is 3 bays wide with a flat roof. The windows on the side bays are paired while the windows in the middle bay have 3 parts.  Unlike the front windows, the side windows are arched. The front façade features cut-stone pilasters and surround with foot scrolls that are supposed to create a classical and dignified air.



The original cornice had been removed and the building now has a pressed-metal cornice and aluminum frames in the entry.



History of Alterations to the Field Building:



1/1/39



“Alter store front”



12/16/41



“Remove Cornice”



10/5/48



“Relocate existing opening to elevator”



7/15/59



“Erect fire escape.”



3/24/61



“Fourth floor: Remove present masonry construction and replace rigger to take out and replace some machinery on this floor”



***This alteration is likely the cause of the odd shape of the 4th floor center window.



5/28/65



“Erect sign ‘S.Z.Field Co’”



11/9/70



“Alter store front and interior alterations”



(From New Haven Building Permits)



The addition to the first floor in the back of the building was constructed between 1913 and 1915 according to the Historic American Building Survey.



According to the Connecticut Historical Commission, the pressed-metal cornice and storefront was also altered in 1965.



Recent Events:



In 2004 the Field Building (and a couple other buildings on Crown Street) was bought by a private development group, College St LLC, owned by David Nyberg. However, after no significant renovations were made to the building (and specifically after some gutting of plumbing and wiring on the second and third floors), preservation groups began to protest the apparent negligence by the developer. In 2010 the Board of Zone Appeals handed management of the building to the Philadelphia based PMC Property Group. They started rehabilitation and renovation of the building in January of 2012 and sought to preserve some of the original elements of the building (namely the windows, wood flooring, beams and brickwork). The Green Well Cafe and the apartments (there are 65, mostly single bedroom) all opened earlier this year.