Yale Sociology Department

493 College Street is a tall “section” building made of cut white stone, designed in the Late Gothic Revival style (1). Its most poignant features are its deeply-arched entrance, and its octagonal bay windows on the second and third floors, adding a sense of welcome or comfort to a building originally built as a living space for students. Designed by the architect Charles C. Haight, the building has 4.5 floors, and has an asymmetrical façade that clues viewers into its intriguing history: 493 College was originally part of its neighboring structure, 483 College Street (St. Anthony Hall) (2). The division of the building post-construction may provide some explanation as to why 493 College is unevenly distributed, with the right half of the building double the size of the left half of the building. Originally purposed as student dormitories for the undergraduate members of the society St. Anthony Hall, 493 College Street was purchased by Yale University in 1946 as part of its New College Plan to encourage students to live in the newly built residential colleges, and was repurposed into an administrative space thereafter (3).

In 2011, 493 College Street underwent a large-scale renovation with the goal of making the building more environmentally sustainable and wheel-chair accessible, before becoming the home of the Yale Sociology Department (4). Situated at the center of the Yale Central Complex, and at the center of heavy car and foot traffic, this eco-friendly building thus stands as a model of the urban future for New Haven (5).

From 1913, when the building was first erected, the space was used by undergraduate students who were members of the society St. Anthony Hall. 493 College Street was the space for student dormitories for these members (6).

In 1946, Yale University purchased 493 College Street from St. Anthony Hall, and adapted the space for office use and for administrative purposes. Since 1946, the building’s tenants have been university administrators, and professors who had their offices there (7).

In 2011, 493 College Street became the home of the Yale Sociology Department. They remain the building’s current tenants (8).

Though Saint Anthony Hall was first founded as a society in 1868, the location in which 493 College Street was an empty lot until the construction of the society’s first building in 1884. This Society Hall is pictured on the corner of College Street and Wall Street in the 1886 New Haven Sanborn Map (29). This first building was eventually replaced with the structure still standing today in 1911, when Frederick William Vanderbilt generously donated to the cause of St. Anthony Hall for the construction of a new building. Designed by Charles C. Haight, construction of the building finished in 1913. This building is displayed on the 1924 New Haven Sanborn Map (30).

In 1940, Yale University and The Anthony Trust Association were in deep conversation about the turning over of St. Anthony Hall’s dormitories to the university as part of the New College Plan. Details were finalized and signed in 1946. Plans were delayed until after the conclusion of World War II, but the Mott-Mohr Construction Company was eventually tasked with the planning and building of the partition. The 1973 Sanborn Map depicts 483 College Street and 493 College Street as separate entities (31).

In 2011, 493 College Street underwent a large-scale renovation in line with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system (32). The details of the renovation are mentioned above in the “Physical Description” section. The purpose of the renovation was to make the building more environmentally sustainable, as well as wheel-chair accessible.

The original structure of 493 College Street was built as a part of 483 College Street, known as Saint Anthony Hall, a student society on campus. This society was first established in 1868 as one of several “Sheff clubs” founded by students of the Sheffield Scientific School who felt excluded from other societies when Yale College was split into two parts. A second society building was established in 1911, and remains to this day (18). This building was built with the generous donation of Frederick W. Vanderbilt, PH.B. 1876, for Saint Anthony Hall, and Charles C. Haight was the architect. The building was designed to blend in with its surrounding student dormitories.

The half of the building that is now 493 College Street was originally used as student dormitories for the members of Saint Anthony Hall. This was during an era of Yale history when students could live, and were encouraged to live in fraternity spaces, and the residential college system had not fully come into play (19). The demographics of these members were rather representative of the Yale student body in the early 20^th century: all of the members were students of the Sheffield Scientific School and studied various STEM disciplines, many of the members were athletic and participated in sports such as crew and rowing, and many of the members came from sound financial backgrounds (20).

However, in the 1920s, the Yale University administration began to discuss the planning and implementation of the “New Yale College Plan,” which would create the system of undergraduate residential colleges famous to Yale today. This was prompted by the rapid diversification of the student body, and the growing rate of the College in this time period.

For example, in 1800, there were only 220 students enrolled in Yale. By 1899, enrollment was recorded at 1,200 students, and more than 3,000 students by the 1920s (21). Under the stress of this exponential growth rate, the adequacy of dormitory housing broke down, leaving many undergraduates to seek out their own living situations. Fraternities and secret societies, with living spaces offered as part of membership, thus became attractive options for students. In response to this growing problem, Edward S. Harkness, B.A. 1897, made a generous donation to Yale to create the residential college system in January of 1930. Emulating the college systems of Oxford and Cambridge, Harkness hoped to create residential college communities where faculty and students could live together, cultivating an intellectual environment inside and outside of class (22). In 1933, seven colleges: Branford, Calhoun, Davenport, Jonathan Edwards, Pierson, Saybrook, and Trumbull Colleges, opened under this New College Plan. In 1934, Berkeley College opened, and Timothy Dwight College opened the following year (23).

In 1940, Silliman College opened, and with its opening came an offer from the Yale University administration to The Anthony Trust Association—the organization that manages Saint Anthony Hall—to purchase the dormitory section of Saint Anthony Hall upon the completion of the College Plan. The university hoped to encourage fraternities and other social spaces on campus to turn towards living in the residential colleges, and contacted other societies as well, including Saint Elmo’s. This would allow for quicker consolidation and implementation of the New College Plan, and would allow for Harkness’ vision to come to fruition: a residential system where students could engage academically and intellectually with others and faculty even after class, whether in the dining hall or the dormitories (24). With specific regards to the property of 493 College Street, Yale University hoped to use the space for administrative purposes relating to Silliman College. After much negotiation between the Yale administration and the Anthony Trust Association, the following agreement was made in 1946:

“Upon completion of the present College Plan, that is to say, when Yale University shall have rooming facilities in its several Colleges sufficient for the housing of substantially all undergraduates other than those residing at their homes in New Haven and vicinity…St. Anthony will execute and deliver to Yale University a proper deed without covenants conveying in fee simple the northerly or dormitory portion of its property" (25).

The conditions the two parties agreed on include: (1) Yale University will pay the taxes of St. Anthony Hall for ten years after the sale; (2) Yale University will cover heat and electricity for St. Anthony Hall for ten years after the sale; (3) Yale University will construct and pay for the partition that will separate the building and divide it into two; and (4) Yale University will commemorate the transaction with St. Anthony Hall with a plaque of acknowledgement to both the society and its benefactor, Frederick William Vanderbilt (26). This plaque still stands in the foyer of 493 College Street, and is pictured below.

Since the turning over of 493 College Street to Yale University, the building has mainly functioned as an administrative space: first for dormitory administration of Silliman College, and then as various office spaces for professors (27). In 2011, after the large-scale renovation of the building mentioned above in “Physical Description,” the building became the home of the Yale Sociology Department (28). Today, there are a number of seminar classrooms on the first floor of the building. The remaining floors are offices for professors in the Sociology Department.

493 College Street blends in with its general streetscape, as its architectural façade of cut white stone is identical to that of 483 College Street, and similar to that of Silliman College. The greenspace in front of the building is relatively bare, but there exists some greenery in the front lawn of the building. Plant species were specially selected to be native or adapted to the region. This was so that the plants would not require regular irrigation, and thus have no impact on the building’s overall water consumption (15). Thus, it seems that the planners of 493 College Street were very environmentally conscious about the way the building interacted and contributed to the environment.

Furthermore, 493 College Street is located at the center of the Yale Central Complex, especially with the openings of Yale’s two new residential colleges, making it situated at the center of a dense urban environment (16). Directly in front of the building is a busy two-way street, with heavy car traffic and foot traffic throughout the course of the day. Additionally, three Yale shuttle buses stop at two shuttle stops in close proximity to 493 College Street, making a total of 300 stops each weekday (17). This contributes to the population density around the urban setting of 493 College Street.

Designed by Charles C. Haight, 493 College Street is a classic example of the Late Gothic Revival Style, inspired by the likes of medieval architecture (9). With a sturdy iron and steel structure, the entire façade of the building is covered with cut white stone, lending the building a sense of stability and weight.

Immediately recognizable of this tall section building is its asymmetrical façade. The building, with its central axis marked by a “cross-gable pavilion with a deep-arched entrance flanked by small turrets with ogee domes,” is unevenly divided with an extra column of space on the right half of the building (10). Thus, the second and third floors of the right half of the building have two windows each, while the left half of the building has just one window on the two floors. This vertical asymmetry is further explained in the social history and site history sections below. Briefly: 493 College Street was originally built as a part of Saint Anthony Hall (483 College Street), the building next door. The two current-day buildings were historically one structure, and were divided in 1946 (11). Because the buildings were separated post-construction, the partition created an asymmetrical façade for 493 College Street.

The building also displays a 3:2:1 ratio, with the first floor, or base, of the building boasting great height. This also lends to a sense of stability in structure. On the first floor, the greatest feature on the façade is a wide English Decorated window with modernized detail. This is a feature that no other floor shares.

The second and third floors comprise the column of the building, and are smaller than the first floor. The two are identical in their facade features, creating a sense of replication. The two floors feature octagonal bay windows, commanding center attention.

The fourth story of the building, otherwise known as the capital, is separated from the rest of the section by a “projecting architrave below the sills”(12). This top floor, capped with a traditional gable roof, is treated as an attic, or frieze level.

Originally built for use as student dormitories for the undergraduate members of Saint Anthony Hall, one of Yale’s secret societies, the building has been repurposed for administrative functions, and now houses the Yale Sociology Department (13). As mentioned above, a partition was created to separate the two buildings. 493 College Street kept the original entrance, and a new entrance was built for neighboring 483 College Street. The interior of 493 College Street was also altered significantly—the student dormitories were removed, and in its place, administrative offices were set up. However, the arched entrance and foyer were kept and renovated to be in pristine condition. This provides a sense of grandeur when visitors first step into the building. In 2011, the building was renovated in line with the U.S. Green Building Council’s LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) rating system. The renovation project included increased ventilation to improve air quality and the indoor environment; the use of recycled and local materials to implement the renovations; the installation of low-flow toilets, pint-flush urinals, and low-flow kitchen faucets to improve water efficiency of the building; and the addition of a ramp at the exterior of the building to allow for wheelchair-accessibility at the main entrance (14).

A photo of 493 College Street’s façade, as well as photos of the interior of 493 College Street, are included below for reference.

[1] Ryan, Susan, “493 College Street,” Historic Resources Inventory Building and Structures: State of Connecticut Historical Commission, August 15, 1980.

[2] Ibid.

[3] “Correspondence between President Charles Seymour and The Anthony Trust Association: Box 141,” Guide to the Charles Seymour, President of Yale University, Records, 1940-1946.

[4] “493 College Street,” Yale Office of Sustainability, Accessed February 22, 2018., https://sustainability.yale.edu/sites/default/files/college493-120726.pdf

[5] Ibid. 

[6] Richards, David Alan, Skull and Keys: The Hidden History of Yale’s Secret Societies, (New York: Pegasus Books, 2017), 67.

[7] “Correspondence between President Charles Seymour and The Anthony Trust Association: Box 141,” Guide to the Charles Seymour, President of Yale University, Records, 1940-1946.

[8] “493 College Street,” Yale Office of Sustainability, Accessed February 22, 2018., https://sustainability.yale.edu/sites/default/files/college493-120726.pdf

[9] Ryan, Susan, “493 College Street,” Historic Resources Inventory Building and Structures: State of Connecticut Historical Commission, August 15, 1980.

[10] Ibid.

[11] “Correspondence between President Charles Seymour and The Anthony Trust Association: Box 141,” Guide to the Charles Seymour, President of Yale University, Records, 1940-1946.

[12] Ibid.

[13] “493 College Street,” Yale Office of Sustainability, Accessed February 22, 2018., https://sustainability.yale.edu/sites/default/files/college493-120726.pdf

[14] Ibid.

[15] “493 College Street,” Yale Office of Sustainability, Accessed February 22, 2018., https://sustainability.yale.edu/sites/default/files/college493-120726.pdf

[16] Brown, Elizabeth Mills, New Haven: A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design: 15 Illustrated Tours, (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976), 27-32.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Richards, David Alan, Skull and Keys: The Hidden History of Yale’s Secret Societies, (New York: Pegasus Books, 2017), 34-38.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid.

[21] Osborn, Robert C. “’Student-Faculty Table,’ the College Plan,” 1953, Accessed February 19, 2018, http://www.library.yale.edu/mssa/YHO/Piersons/resCollege_Coed.html

[22] “Yale History Timeline: 1930-1939,” Yale University Library, Accessed February 19, 2018, https://guides.library.yale.edu/c.php?g=296074&p=1976342

[23] Ibid.

[24] “Correspondence between President Charles Seymour and The Anthony Trust Association: Box 141,” Guide to the Charles Seymour, President of Yale University, Records, 1940-1946.

[25] Ibid.

[26] Ibid.

[27] “493 College Street,” Yale Office of Sustainability, Accessed February 22, 2018., https://sustainability.yale.edu/sites/default/files/college493-120726.pdf

[28] Griswold, Alison, “Sociology Department Home At Last,” Yale Daily News, September 2, 2011, Accessed February 19, 2018, https://yaledailynews.com/blog/2011/09/02/sociology-dept-home-at-last/.

[29] New Haven Sanborn Map 1886.

[30] New Haven Sanborn Map 1924.

[31] New Haven Sanborn Map 1973.

[32] “493 College Street,” Yale Office of Sustainability, Accessed February 22, 2018., https://sustainability.yale.edu/sites/default/files/college493-120726.pdf