23 Lynwood Place

Erected at the beginning of the 20th century, the building at 23 Lynwood place diverges from the traditional mold of New Haven homes in a variety of ways. Although its style is quite unique for houses in this city, 23 Lynwood is one of several tudors on Lynwood place, and combined these homes bring a warm atmosphere to the street. This multi-family, 2.5 story home stands tall in very good condition. Passersby will notice its unique style and character. This building is owned by the St. Thomas More Corporation, who purchased it in 2009. St. Thomas More rents out this space to Yale undergraduate and graduate students, as well as young professionals associated with the church.

This building is owned by the St. Thomas More Corporation and is inhabited primarily by Yale University graduate students, undergraduate students, and young professionals. Tenants change every few years, as graduated students leave campus and new students arrive.

According to the Sanborn Maps from 1886, the area surrounding 23 Lynwood was very underdeveloped, and was likely in the very early stages of planning and development. The city was expanding as the population and production increased, although the development didn't reach this area until around the turn of the century. Before the houses were built in 1900, the area was likely used as storage or leisure space by the carriage and clothing companies that were stationed nearby.

According to the Sanborn Maps, the houses on Lynwood Place were erected right near New Haven’s Seabrook Smith & Co. carriage factory. These houses likely served as residences for the workers in this factory, allowed quick commutes and served as social hubs after the end of the workday. As the rise of the automobile took hold of America, Seabrook Smith & Co. failed to change with the times, and ended up dissolving in 1908. After this dissolution, the homes on Lynwood Place likely switched to traditional family housing during the remainder of the first half of the 20^th century. As Yale’s population expanded throughout the middle/later part of the century, and on-campus housing became more scarce, it is likely that these homes were bought by corporations and rented out to students looking for housing during the school year. This is the function that it still serves today. 

This building stands alongside many similar sized houses that stretch down Lynwood Place, between Elm St. and Edgewood Ave. The street is quite small, with a narrow road and very little traffic. Although not well known, the street has a terrific personality, as each house is filled with Yale Students and faculty. Many Yale varsity athletic teams have designated houses on Lynwood place, including the Men's Lightweight Crew Team and the Sailing team, which stand directly across from 23 Lynwood. These houses, along with 33, 35, and 37 Lynwood, are social hubs of the area. In contrast, 23 serves as a very steady presence on the street, to counterbalance any immaturity or flippancy. It's staunch, robust nature and mature tenants provide the backbone to the street, while its aesthetic provides a sense of neighborhood within the city street. 

This multi-family, 2.5 story home stands tall in very good condition. Passersby will notice its unique style, characterized by its steep gable - styled roof, half-timbered exterior filled with stucco, and multi-colored brick covering the lower half of the house. This brick is quite unconventional, and consists of multiple misshapen, erratically placed stones. These stones could fulfill either a structural or an aesthetic purpose, and could possibly be the result of repairs made to the exterior walls.

Among the brick and timber are the windows. These windows are small, narrow, rectangular, and clustered quite closely together, indicating a dark interior, lacking natural light often associated with tudors. Additionally, many small windows are scattered along the fronts and sides of the home. On the rooftop one can see a classic dormer style window, which allows a small touch of natural light up into the top floor of the building, likely a bedroom as this is a multi-family house, with tenants on each floor.

Vision Government Solutions. Accessed February 27, 2018. http://gis.vgsi.com/newhavenct/Parcel.aspx?Pid=16831.

New Haven Sanborn Maps 1886 Vol.2 https://yale.instructure.com/courses/34116/files/folder/Sanborn%20Fire%20Insurance%20Maps/New%20Haven%20Sanborn%201886?preview=1840516

New Haven Sanborn Maps 1901 Vol.1 https://yale.instructure.com/courses/34116/files/folder/Sanborn%20Fire%20Insurance%20Maps/New%20Haven%20Sanborn%201901?preview=1840519

Seabrook & Smith, Seabrook and Smith Co., New Haven, Moore & Watson, Henry C. Seabrook, Lyman T. Smith, light carriages - CoachBuilt.com. Accessed February 27, 2018. http://www.coachbuilt.com/bui/s/seabrook_smith/seabrook_smith.htm.