This classic Queen Anne-style duplex, commonly known as the Luther House from 1967-2016, now houses ten Yale undergraduates. While this now single-family home has a similar entry, portico, and Victorian ornaments to the fraternity houses adjacent to it, it stands out with its matching hexagonal bowed fronts. The house was built on the relatively newly laid out High Street around 1870 – a time in which many multi-family homes were being built in New Haven and on the street in particularly. The house has remained a residential building over the course of its history and for much of the twentieth century it served a unique function on the block by housing Yale undergraduates on its top two floors and acting as a meeting space for the Yale-New Haven Lutheran community. 

As evidenced by the Doolittle Map, High Street had been created by 1824 and subdivided the original Nine Squares of New Haven, spanning from George Street to Elm Street. This map reveals that few buildings at the time had been constructed along High Street between Chapel and Crown Street – the block on which 27 High Street now sits[20]. This began to change as the nineteenth century wore on. While single-family homes were more common during the first half of the century, more and more duplexes and multi-family homes cropped up during the later half. This is in large part due to New Haven’s population growth during that time, as spatial constructs became an important consideration during residential construction[21].

By 1878, the duplex of 27-29 High Street, along with several other multi-family homes – occupying 26, 31, 35, 37, and 38 High Street – had been built on the relatively new street[22]. Constructed at a time in which Greek Revival and Queen Anne styles were popular in New Haven, all of these buildings remain standing today. The initial owners of these residences were likely wealthy, as they could afford to have their home built from this expensive material. This use of brick is perhaps one of the reasons why these buildings have withstood the test of time and still resemble today what they likely looked like upon original construction[23].

The primarily residential nature of this High Street block was further cemented by the construction of three apartment buildings across the street from 27 High in the early twentieth century. High Street remained uniquely residential while nearby parallel streets in the area, such as York and Temple, became more commercialized as commercial section of Chapel Street Distract swelled beyond Chapel Street itself[24]. The block, now bookended by eating establishments, remains a bastion of residential living.

While it is not entirely clear whom the architect and client were for this house, New Haven city directories indicate that William B Day and Mrs. E.M. Vance, the first listed occupants of the house, lived at 29 High Street in 1868. Day was likely wealthy because he also had a news office located at 90 Church Street. It should be noted that these directories suggest a high degree of turnover of occupancy at this 29 High address. For example, between 1868 and 1878, 17 different occupants are listed for the address, and only one person lived there for more than two years[9].

Interestingly, people did not begin living in 27 High Street – the other side of the duplex – until 1880. The first two listed occupants were Arthur B Tenney, who was considered a boarder, and Ulysses D Tenney, who was an artist. This portion of the house also experienced high turnover of occupancy[10].

This trend of turnover likely continued into the twentieth century, although more and more residents came to occupy the house as the years went on. In 1910, for example, only one person lived at 27 High, while four people lived at 29 High. By 1960, seven people lived in both sides of the duplex[11]. Perhaps during these years, each side of the house resembled multi-bedroom apartments with shared common spaces, kitchens, and bathrooms.

In 1967, the function of the house changed substantially when the University Lutheran Ministry of New Haven purchased the home from Sherman S. Jacobson, the owner at the time. This is surmised from the fact that in 1966, Jacobson received a permit to erect steel fire escapes and in 1967, the house was approved to become a pastor’s residence[12],[13]. After this purchase, the house underwent extensive alterations, including the removal of non-bearing partitions, in order to become a single-family home for the Lutheran Ministry’s pastor[14]. It was at this time that the house came to be known as the Luther House and began to serve as a communal space and a place for worship for the Yale-New Haven Lutheran community[15].

According to Luther House pastor Kari Henkelmann Keyl, in the 1970s, the house was remodeled and transitioned from being a pastor’s residence to housing an intentional community of Christian students on its second and third floors. In the 1980s, Luther House became a community for any students who wanted to live there and that tradition continued until the 2010s. In 2014, the students living at the Luther House were united in their desire to be social justice advocates, regardless of their background or faith. Throughout this time period, the living room on the first floor remained a welcoming place to gather and be spiritual.

By the 2000s, Luther House with its religious focus may have seemed like an outlier on its side of High Street. This is because the block, which had been characterized for its quietness in the past, was now home to three Yale fraternities. Keyl cites that it was difficult at times being so proximal to the fraternities because they were often quite loud and produced trash that sometimes spilled out onto the sidewalk. On the other hand, the house and its residents had a very pleasant relationship with a neighboring restaurant, Rubamba – Rubamba employees used to stop by the house’s community garden and pick tomatoes to use in their dishes[16].

In 2016, Pike International bought the house from the Lutheran Ministry for $900,000 and thus further expanded its real estate empire within New Haven[17], [18]. Ten Yale School of Management students rented the house from Pike during the 2016-2017 academic year and referred to the house as “The Chateau”. Ten Yale seniors occupied the house for the 2017-2018 academic year. One of the house’s current tenants, Nicholas Strong, says that they see the house as a somewhat social space and that they occasionally throw parties or host social gatherings there[19]. This functionality for the house certainly seems more fitting given its company along the street. 

Nowadays, the High Street block has become a hotbed for undergraduate off-campus life. More and more students are deciding to live off campus, and for many[8], living on this block is very desirable for a number of reasons. Students do not find themselves too far removed from Yale’s campus and thus the possibility of having a long walk to class is not a chief concern. Additionally, there is a wide and diverse range of food options all quite close by that promise to satiate any and all cravings. Lastly, on any given weekend night, you are likely to hear loud music thumping out from any of three fraternities on the block, serving as a constant reminder that you do not have to venture far to find a happening social scene.

As you walk down High Street towards Crown, you might mistake the former Luther House as the fourth fraternity along a so-called “frat row,” especially given the perhaps misleading Pike International plaque that prominently adorns its façade. In some ways, this assumption is not too far from the truth, considering the house now serves as home for a group of close-knit students who want to make good use of its considerable open space in the living room, basement, and backyard.