Hendrie Hall

Hendrie Hall was reborn in 2017 after undergoing significant renovations and now provides space for Yale University musicians as part of the Adams Center for Musical Arts (1). Originally constructed for the Yale Law School at the end of the 19th century, Hendrie Hall has retained much of its original architecture from when it once housed aspiring lawyers and later various student groups and organizations (2). The result is a Janus-faced structure, presenting an imposing masonry facade on one end and a warm sandstone exterior at the other. Located along a historic section of Elm Street (3), the building now joins in the larger development of the Yale campus.

Yale University (1895-), Yale Law School (1895-1935), Offices and groups spaces (1935-2016), Yale School of Music (2017-)

Originally constructed on the site of what was probably a wooden house, “Hendrie Hall was intended to be the first of several grand Yale buildings along Elm Street” according to the Historic Buildings of Connecticut website (12) (13) (14). Yet these buildings never materialized and the site on which Hendrie Hall was built and the surrounding block have remained attached to their early roots, at least until the recent renovations. The newest addition extends out into what was once open space behind a cluster of buildings and what was eventually converted into a parking lot (15) (16) (17). Since Hendrie Hall was first built, this cluster of buildings has seen a substantial amount of development, including the construction of a Yale Health Department building (18). In a broader sense, the Elm Street entrance has witnessed the development of downtown New Haven while the building and its neighbors have stayed true to their original design (19). On the other hand, the newest addition looks towards the Yale campus that it played a role in developing and updating.

At first Hendrie Hall provided an elegant new location for the Yale Law School, although as the Historic Resources Inventory notes the Sterling Law Building eventually superseded Hendrie Hall in 1935 (9). From that point forward, the building remained under Yale control and provided space for various student groups and offices for outside organizations as well. For example, during the 1930s the building appeared to house various social services groups in the city, such as the New Haven Council of Social Agencies (10). Towards the latter half of the 20th century, the building largely housed student organizations such as the Yale Banner, the Yale Glee Club, and the WYBC (11). The relatively quiet role that Hendrie Hall played on Yale’s campus was upended by the recent redesign of the location for the Yale School of Music. Now the building continues to house undergraduate organizations like the Yale Glee Club, along with practice spaces and offices for Yale School of Music students and faculty.

From Elm Street, the building looks out on the New Haven Green. A popular bus stop on the corner of Temple Street and Elm Street sits across the street, yet foot traffic in front of the building is relatively quiet and large trees shade the sidewalk. Hendrie Hall is located between two private establishments, the Elihu Secret Society and the Graduate Club, and for this reason the building can feel slightly out of place given its imposing size and stately appearance (7). The Parking Lot 51 entrance sits among a collection of other Yale-affiliated buildings. As the architecture firm responsible for the new addition, KPMB notes that the newest face of Hendrie Hall was meant to join not just the surrounding cluster of buildings but Cross Campus as well (8). Despite the fact that this access point is set off from the street, the benches and pathways placed outside of this entrance present an inviting atmosphere.