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.