William H. Allen House

One of architect William H. Allen’s magnificent residential designs, 357 Whitney Avenue in New Haven, Connecticut remains a monument to the bold Queen Anne style prominent at the start of the twentieth century. Today, the building stands as one of the three Queen Anne “castles” that dominate the block between Lawrence Street and Cottage Street, historic reminders of the rise and subsequent transformation of Lower Whitney Avenue as a pathway to downtown New Haven.[1]

At two and a half stories tall, the varying wall surfaces, window shapes, colors and textures of the brick masonry, and the multiple rooflines of the William H. Allen House create a rather jarring and asymmetrical form.[2] Though the building served as the private residence of New Haven real estate broker Lemuel G. Hoadley upon its completion in 1897, it has since been adapted to suite the commercial needs of local businesses.

Today, the building itself stands out abruptly from its neighboring structures, as is exemplified by its stark contrast with the rather plain colonial revival houses located directly across the Avenue. The collection of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings—each executed in a different architectural style—creates a “…rather ragged lineup,” as the individual buildings are interesting yet together incoherent.[3]

[1] Amy L. Hudnall, “Historic Resources Inventory: Building and Structures” (Connecticut Historical Commission, New Haven, 1981).

[2] Amy L. Hudnall, “Historic Resources Inventory.”

[3] Elizabeth Mills Brown. New Haven, A Guide to Architecture and Urban Design (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1976), 44.