Berzelius Society Tomb

Despite the bustle of the busy intersection of Trumbull, Whitney, and Temple streets, it is impossible to miss the imposing monument of the Berzelius Society Tomb. Built in 1910, the Tomb is a neoclassical-style society hall that houses one of Yale’s eminent secret societies, Berzelius. Largely bereft, apart from its crowning ornamentation at the top, bottom, and entrance, the Tomb is architecturally as well as physically distanced from its urban landscape. The Tomb’s physically imposing structure that stands removed from its urban context paired with a dearth of concrete information on its social history creates a mysterious allure for the casual observer and the scholar alike.

1910 – Present: Berzelius Society

In 1910, the Berzelius Trust Association purchased the site from the Hill Estate, Inc. to construct their new tomb (13). While the City Records do not trace the ownership beyond the transfer of land, early maps and photographs reveal that the site previously contained several other structures. Early maps in 1886 and 1888 show that the site was originally divided into two plots: 74 & 78 Trumbull. At 78 Trumbull stood a domestic residence, though the name could not be located. A store with several outbuildings including a shed behind stood on 74 Trumbull (3,16). However, in 1900 either a new house was built, or the old house located at 78 Trumbull was renovated, and the store at 74 Trumbull was razed. The house as of 1901 was built in the Colonial style, with Greek-style elements surrounding the entrance (14, 15, 4). That house would remain standing until the Hill Estate sold the property to the Berzelius Trust Association.

The Berzelius Society Tomb has remained under the uninterrupted ownership of Berzelius Trust Association for the last century since the purchase of the plot, and subsequent construction of the society hall, in 1910 (2, 7, 8). Since its construction, the Tomb has been used by current members and alumni of the Berzelius Society as a meeting hall and gathering space. Originally one of the early Sheffield Societies at Yale, founded in 1848, Berzelius is now one of Yale’s oldest secret societies (1, 2, 12).

Consistent with the secrecy inherent to Yale’s secret societies, the Berzelius Trust Association legally changed their name to the Colony Foundation in 1951, presumably under the auspices of disguising the Tomb’s affiliation with Berzelius (9, 10, 11). This secrecy reinforces the separation of the Tomb from those in the surrounding urban setting. Mysterious tombs such as the Berzelius Society Tomb are scattered throughout the New Haven landscape, furthering emphasizing the distance between Yale and its city.

The Berzelius Society Tomb is set off from its larger urban context largely due to its location at the tip of the triangle created by the busy intersection of Whitney, Trumbull and Temple streets. Today, the Tomb is surrounded by a commercial district composed of small storefronts and Yale administrative buildings, though the building is oriented away from these buildings and instead faces a small park, Phelps Triangle.

Historically, the urban setting surrounding the Tomb was much quieter – composed mostly of houses, at least through the 1920s. However, by 1973, the district had shifted from residential to the commercial hub it has become today (3, 4, 5, 6).

Both then and now, the physical separation paired with the Tomb’s monumental appearance which contrasts starkly with its surroundings emphasizes the separation the Tomb and its society members from the urban context.

The Berzelius Society Tomb, a large and imposing society hall, is primarily constructed of Indiana limestone blocks, supported by steel girders (1). The limestone blocks that compose a majority of the building’s façade create a blankness that dominates the physical appearance of the structure. The limestone block face is only disrupted by six windows on each side, two metal doors at the front entrance, and ornamentation at the very top, bottom, and around the doors. This eclectic yet minimal collection of ornamentation and iron-clad windows on the otherwise blank surface of limestone provide the street observer with minimal material with which to identify the building’s purpose or origin, enhancing the mystery around the Tomb.

Each window is covered with iron detailing which prevents anyone from looking in and emphasizes the secrecy of the building. The three front windows on the left-hand side are staggered, as opposed to the front four windows on the right-side, which are in a square formation. This difference suggests the presence of a staircase on the left side of the building with a half floor landing between the first and second floor.

At the top of the Tomb, oriental, Asian-inspired detailing is paired with a Greek revival cornice banding. The building is crowned with a cornice line balustrade. These elements span the entire top edge of the building, uninterrupted by the building’s various obtrusions and protrusions. The large, ornate metal entrance doors are framed by a similarly eclectic mix of ornamentation, predominantly of the late Renaissance and Baroque style. At the bottom of the building runs a more circular ornamentation banding.

At first glance, the building plan appears to be shaped like a T, and early documents describing the Tomb’s construction corroborate this T shape layout (2). However, a closer look at the building reveals a slight protrusion at the top of the T, suggesting a pseudo cross-like plan more typical of churches, suggesting the building is a sacred place. However, the removal of the agency of the top of the cross can be seen as removing the religious component, and instead emphasizing the society itself as the sacred entity.

The main entrance to the building is flat and superimposed onto the south side of the building, as opposed to a grand entrance that might be expected of such a grand building. There is no threshold beyond the five steps up to the two ornate metals doors with which to offer a sense of welcome visitors. A curved inset in the gate is all that loosely suggests one can enter. By creating such an unwelcoming front entrance, the Tomb emphasizes the visitors are not welcome. Both the interior layout and the exact nature of what occurs within remains secret to those who are not members of the society.

(1) Building Permit Application, No. 3842, (New Haven: Records of the New Haven Building Inspector), 1910.

(2) Report of the Information Committee for 1909-1910, Berzelius Society, Pamphlets of the Berzelius Society (New Haven: Yale University Manuscripts and Archives).

(3) Sanborn Map Company of New York, Insurance Maps of New Haven, Connecticut, vol. 1, 15, 1886. New Haven: New Haven Museum.

(4) Sanborn Map Company of New York, Insurance Maps of New Haven, Connecticut, vol. 2, 209, 1923. New Haven: New Haven Museum.

(5) Sanborn Map Company of New York, Insurance Maps of New Haven, Connecticut, vol. 3, 209, 1973. New Haven: New Haven Museum.

(6) Sanborn-Ferris Map Co., Insurance Maps of New Haven, Connecticut, vol. 1, 45, 1901. New Haven: New Haven Museum.

(7) Grantee Index, Jan. 1, 1910 – Jan. 1, 1912, Index of New Haven Land Records. New Haven: New Haven Office of the City Clerk.

(8) New Haven Historic Resources Inventory, Phase I-IV (New Haven: The New Haven Preservation Trust, 1984), 937.

(9) Special Act No. 111, House Bill No. 722. New Haven Town Records (New Haven: New Haven Office of the City Clerk), vol. 1896, 305.

(10)Certification of Special Act No. 111. New Haven Town Records, (New Haven: New Haven Office of the City Clerk), vol. 1896, 305.

(11) Special Act No. 111, House Bill No. 722, New Haven Town Records, (New Haven: New Haven Office of the City Clerk), vol. 2003, 143.

(12) Invitation to the Annual Meeting, 1933, Pamphlets of the Berzelius Society, Yale University Manuscripts and Archives, Yale University Libraries.

(13) Grantee Index, Jan. 1, 1910 – Jan. 1, 1912, Index of New Haven Land Records (New Haven: New Haven Office of the City Clerk).

(14) Berzelius Society, Dana Collection (New Haven: New Haven Museum), vol. 68, 44-47.

(15) Berzelius Society, Dana Collection, (New Haven: New Haven Museum), vol. 49, 52.

(16)Atlas of the City of New Haven, Connecticut, (Philadelphia: GM Hopkins), 1888.