The United House of Prayer for All People

The United House of Prayer for All People was part of the 1960s Dixwell Redevelopment Plan, but the church was not constructed until 1980 by Edward E.Cherry, an African American architect from Hamden who had previously aided in the design of other buildings for the Redevelopment Plan. This $1.1 million church was inspired by a modernist, California style and faces east on a very popular shopping street of Dixwell Ave. It is very easy to spot the United House for All People by its very large 3 red and green crosses which are suspended above its porch at its entrance. Since its construction, the church has served as a place that united the people of the town and today is part of a regional church that has 130 congregations.

The United House of Prayer for All People has been owned by the United House of Prayer for All People since it was constructed in 1980.

Before the construction of the United House of Prayer for All People, evidence suggests that this plot of land on Dixwell Avenue was divided and up and composed of multiple residential homes. The 1911 Atlas of New Haven shows that some of these homes belonged to M.A. Davenport, the Briggs-Hawley family, and the Farrar family, as well as the Bailey family.

The construction of this building all started with the Dixwell Area Redevelopment Plan of the 1960’s which wanted to diminish the parts of the town that had deteriorated and become damaged. Wanting to bring the community back together, they hoped that selling the land to private developers and building religious buildings, such as churches, as well as housing would bring the stability that the community needed in order to recover. The outcome of this project achieved the goal they had wanted and resulted in giving the people of the town a place to come together for religious services as well as other events. Since its construction in the 1980, the building has been owned and used by the United House of Prayer for All People.

The United House of Prayer for All People is situated in an area that is very much a mix of buildings from many different time periods, ranging from the 19th century residential buildings which were 2 - 3 stories to the 1 - 2 story building buildings that were built during the mid-20th century. Today, the area has a very high building density, leaving very little room for green and trees, and is very much a commercial and residential environment. The street that the church is located on, Dixwell Avenue, additionally is a very important street in the town for shopping and also provides a route to Hamden, Connecticut which is located to the north of New Haven.

Constructed in 1980, The United House of Prayer for All People is a load bearing masonry composed of mostly red brick with a gable roof made up of asphalt shingles. The church has received no alterations since being built except for the addition of a spire to the ridge of the roof. The entrance of the church faces east on Dixwell Avenue and has a staircase leading up to the gable porch which contains four large beams supporting the roof that extends over the entrance. In between the beams, three large green and red crosses are suspended and behind these crosses rows of windows extend from the roof of the building to the top of the entrance doors which are also constructed of glass. The front of the building also contains minimum vegetation with a couple of shrubs and trees enclosed in a small black fence as well as parking lots on either side of the building.

http://newhavenmodern.org/system/dragonfly/production/2013/12/03/17_27_33_789_HRI_NewHaven_DixwellAvenue_100.pdf - Historic Resource Inventory

http://gis.vgsi.com/newhavenct/Parcel.aspx?Pid=18508 - Vision Government Sources

https://samghelms.github.io/new-haven-historical-maps/ - 1911 Atlas of New Haven