Lupoli Brothers Funeral

This Art Deco building, currently housing eight separate condominiums, captivates with its motifs of grandeur including an intricate brick pattern façade and stylized columns engraved onto the building. Interestingly enough, the location at 576 Chapel Street has gone through multiple functional and physical transformations with the changing dynamics of the city. Sitting across the street from Wooster Square, it is difficult to imagine this building and specifically this façade was once intended to house a funeral parlor owned by the Lupoli family, which is what the gold engraved “Lupoli” above the entrance indicates. Starting out as a Greek Revival home for Henry L. Hotchkiss, the building was bought by the Lupolis in the late 1880s and transformed into a funeral home before going out of business and being internally remodeled to serve as residences. Now, it pays homage to these origins and its exterior with certain elements like curtains over the Depalma entrance doors and narrow stained-glass windows on this side of the building as well.

1841~1860s: Henry Lucas Hotchkiss

1880-2008: Lupoli family, Lupoli Funeral Home

2008-now: residential, 8 tenants

The history of Wooster Square actually began in the 1830s, which was around the time that this building was constructed as a house for Hotchkiss. He was one of many wealthy business owners who decided to settle in the area and made Wooster the appealing area it became at the time for architects. 576 Chapel was one of the important homes in creating the space and significance of Wooster because it, along with other expensive properties, presented an image that made other wealthy people want to invest money into the city.

The Wooster area did go through an economic and social slump in the 1930s, when HOLC maps put it in a red zone to discourage investors from putting money into the area and therefore further demeaning its reputation and hopes for help. It is unclear when this slump ended, but this may be the reason for the renovation of the exterior of the funeral home in 1935. Facing an economic and social decline, it would make sense for the Lupoli to assert their dominance and try to revive the market in the Wooster area by constructing the beautiful art deco façade.

This building was constructed in the early 1840s as a Greek Revival home for Henry Lucas Hotchkiss, owner of a Rubber Company at the time. According to the Wooster Square Historic District, the Hotchkiss family was important in the area because they were among the earliest to settle in Wooster and had businesses tied to the city itself. The family was likely important in drawing capital to the city of New Haven and may have had a broader effect in this way. The 1911 Atlas of New Haven refers to the original owner of the 576 Chapel home, Hotchkiss, despite the fact that it had already been sold by this time. Although the building is three floors now, it was originally two stories and the third was not added until 1863. It is unclear when the Hotchkiss family moved out of the home or under what circumstances, but it is interesting to note that Russell Hotchkiss was involved with the New Haven Clock Company in the 1840s and this company very soon went on to be very successful in drawing European immigrants to work in New Haven. Interestingly enough, it was Italian immigrants that began to settle in Wooster in the 1900s and it was the Italian family Lupoli that eventually took over the 576 Chapel Hotchkiss home in the 1880s and remade the façade in the 1930s. In this way, the Hotchkiss family’s industrial ventures drew in the people who were to later inhabit and transform their home.

When the Lupoli family bought the home in the 1880s, they followed the trend of the earlier inhabitants by setting up businesses themselves. Starting off as a livery, the Lupoli business grew into a funeral home in the 1900s that ran until 2008. During the time of the Lupoli ownership, there was likely much importance placed in the funeral parlor because the façade renovation is intricate and indicative of grandeur. This business undoubtedly peaked in the 1930s with its exterior renovation. The Lupoli funeral parlor went out of business in 2008 after around a century of operation because several complaints were lodged against the owner for not providing adequate services or having the proper legal documentation.

After the Lupoli business left 576 Chapel, architect Christiaan Dinkeloo was hired by the city to rebuild the entire interior of the building to make it into condominiums. Although the interior was divided into eight separate homes, the architect did not modify the exterior at all and in fact took inspiration from the building itself in ornamenting the interior. Now, the building is more a part of daily life in the city as it houses families.

576 Chapel is located directly across the street from Wooster Square, near its southwest corner. It is located near other historic New Haven buildings and is actually right next to the famous Bristol House at 584 Chapel. A few doors down from it is a funeral home that is actually still in operation. This location nonetheless stands out from its surroundings because its art deco façade is so different from the rest of the older buildings with more traditional 1860s structures. In a sense, it is helpful that it is next to the Bristol House because this building also stands out in the historic Chapel Street setting and they almost emphasize each other’s non-belonging. 576 Chapel is definitely a building that sparks intrigue because it is so central and its façade facing Wooster demands attention. It also sparks intrigue in the visitor because it bears the Lupoli name permanently embedded in gold above its entrance.