The Matthew Elliott House

In 1825, the City of New Haven transformed a six-acre site east of downtown into what is now known as Wooster Square Park. The park was named in honor of David Wooster, a Revolutionary War militia leader born in Stratford, Connecticut. At the time, the development of the site conveyed the eastward momentum the city was experiencing.

As the spaces surrounding the park were developed, it became apparent that the neighborhood would come to display varying styles such as Greek Revival, Federal, Italian Villa, Italianate, Second Empire, and Queen Anne. Despite the stylistic differences, the residential neighborhood maintains harmony in that buildings like the Matthew Elliott House were constructed in the context of their surrounding architecture. In this way, Wooster Square saw a self-perpetuating pattern of buildings that sought to adhere to the quality of design present in the immediate area. To many architects, it was almost seen as a civic responsibility to frame the Wooster Square Park with appropriately contextualized buildings. Wooster Square’s residential buildings, like the Matthew Elliott House and Henry Austin’s 1845 Willis Bristol House, were seen by many as being worthy of protective status so as to preserve the valuable architectural relevance of the neighborhood. In 1971, following numerous efforts from the New Haven Preservation Trust, Wooster Square was designated under the National Register of Historic Places. After being threatened by demolition in the 1930s and later by plans for Interstate 91, Wooster Square persisted in large part due to the New Haven urban rehabilitation program. In 1965, the program brought about the construction of the Conti Community School. The program also renovated tenements found on Court Street in order to increase positive perceptions of what were seen as the neighborhood’s most unsightly buildings. Within the current context of the surrounding building materials, 541 Chapel Street stands as one of the few predominantly wooden structures remaining in Wooster Square. In 1886, the adjacent 523 Chapel Street plot was also identified as a wooden structure by that year’s Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. However, by 1911, 523 Chapel Street was partially converted into a brick structure. Soon after, the 1924 Sanborn Map reveals that the remaining wooden half of the site came to be a brick building as well. These maps reveal that in spite of their architectural reverence, many of the initial 19th-century Wooster Square buildings were frequently altered and in some cases demolished entirely. It follows that 541 Chapel Street also saw a series of structural changes and amendments throughout the last 191 years.

1834-1853 Matthew Elliott N/A ~1853-1860 Charles Goodyear N/A 1890-1940s Paul Russo N/A 1940s-1976 Michael D’Onofrio N/A 1976-1986 N/A (Unknown/Unclear) *At this point, individual units within the building began to be sold separately. N/A 1986 Peter D Thompson (Unit B) $0 1986 Margery C Thompson (Unit A) $0 1990-1992 Unknown buyer (Unit E) $138,500 1992-1993 Unknown buyer (Unit D) $127,000 1993-1997 Wooster Place Condominium (Unit E) $0 1997-1998 Michael C & Jennifer D Deakin (Unit C) $0 1998 Peter D Thompson (Unit D) $85,000 1998-2000 Michael A Albis & Helen M (Unit F) $0 2000-2001 Michael A Albis (Unit F) $0 2001 Jeffrey L Hickey (Unit F) $146,000 2001-2004 Ivan Szelenyi (Unit C) $190,000 2004-2006 Daniel J Adamson (Unit C) $304,150 2006-2007 Mary Lou Aleskie (Unit C) $399,900 2007-2015 Kara A Haas (Unit F) $305,000 2015-2018 Peter Thompson & Nancy Henkes (Unit A) $0 2018-2019 Judith TR Taft (Unit C) $350,000 2019-Present Mahima, Prema, & Palanikumarasamy Sukumar (Unit F) $297,500

The original patron of 541 Chapel Street has not been confirmed. In New Haven, a Guide to Architecture and Urban Design, Elizabeth Brown asserts that Matthew Elliott came to own the house two years after its construction. Others argue that the house was built specifically for Matthew Elliott. Prior to 1832, there are little to no details of the site at 541 Chapel Street given that Wooster Square Park was the main catalyst for its eventual development. As seen by the 1886 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map, 61 years after the founding of Wooster Square Park, there remained an expanse of undeveloped land south of Chapel Street.

Despite the building’s historical name, Matthew Griswold Elliott is said to have bought 541 Chapel Street from an unknown owner only two years after the building’s construction. Elliott was born in the rural town of Kent, Connecticut, on November 16, 1805. He moved to New Haven in 1823 where he worked as a clerk for Elihu Sanford, a prominent wholesale grocery tradesman. After only four years, Elliott became Sanford’s business partner. Soon after, Elliott involved himself in countless civic and commercial affairs. In 1844 he was elected to the Board of Councilmen; In 1848 he became a member of the Board of Aldermen; In 1852 he became President of the New Haven and New London Railway Company; In 1855 he was elected President of the Tradesmen’s Bank of New Haven. He also came to be a Vice-President of the New Haven Savings Bank, director of the Farmington Canal, and a director of the New York and Hartford Railroad. Elliott resided at 541 Chapel Street until the year 1853. Due to his impressive number of positions, he was widely respected and regarded as one of the city’s most influential individuals. His involvement across various industries and civic matters established him as a figure that the majority of the city recognized. For many, his journey from a farming background to being a successful entrepreneur only further increased their admiration. Elliott was later followed by Charles Goodyear. As a self-taught chemist, he was known as the inventor of vulcanized rubber and he founded the Goodyear Rubber Company. However, he died in 1860, only a few years after moving into 541 Chapel Street. To some, Goodyear played such an important role in the industrialization of New Haven that he was seen to be as influential as Eli Whitney. In 1890, Paul Russo purchased 541 Chapel Street. Russo was born in 1859, in Viggiano, Italy. His family moved to New York in 1869 and then New Haven in 1872. In 1893, Russo became the first Italian to graduate from Yale Law School. Like Elliott, Russo engaged in a number of business and civic activities. He was in private practice for ten years, made real estate investments, started a bank, and made a newspaper that sought to encourage other citizens to become successful. Russo gained praise among the Italian community for using his influence and business position to push to establish projects like the St. Michael Church. Russo’s place in the development of Wooster Square’s Italian culture was so significant that there is now a small park south of Wooster Square Park with his name. After Paul Russo, Michael D’Onofrio, also of Italian descent, purchased 541 Chapel Street. Along with his wife, brothers, and friends, D’Onofrio transformed the building into a funeral home. In addition to 541 Chapel Street, D’Onofrio owned and rented out the adjacent 533 Chapel Street. In 1976, D’Onofrio retired after selling off both buildings. Not much is known about the building’s ownership between 1976 and 1986. After 1986, tax records indicate that the building was split into subunits available for individual purchase. For 1993, these same records point to Wooster Place Condominium as the entity with ownership of the entire property. More recently, Google Street View images indicate that Seabury Hill Realtors has managed the property as early as 2017. In its stint as a single family residence, the Matthew Elliott House saw some of the most renowned individuals in the history of New Haven. They were pioneers, inventors, and businessmen, each from unconventional backgrounds. In their own ways, each of these enterprising individuals sought to impress their own beliefs and ideas for what the city of New Haven could become.

In 1825, the City of New Haven transformed a six-acre site east of downtown into what is now known as Wooster Square Park. The park was named in honor of David Wooster, a Revolutionary War militia leader born in Stratford, Connecticut. At the time, the development of the site conveyed the eastward momentum the city was experiencing. As the spaces surrounding the park were developed, it became apparent that the neighborhood would come to display varying styles such as Greek Revival, Federal, Italian Villa, Italianate, Second Empire, and Queen Anne. Despite the stylistic differences, the residential neighborhood maintains harmony in that buildings like the Matthew Elliott House were constructed in the context of their surrounding architecture. In this way, Wooster Square saw a self-perpetuating pattern of buildings that sought to adhere to the quality of design present in the immediate area. To many architects, it was almost seen as a civic responsibility to frame the Wooster Square Park with appropriately contextualized buildings. Wooster Square’s residential buildings, like the Matthew Elliott House and Henry Austin’s 1845 Willis Bristol House, were seen by many as being worthy of protective status so as to preserve the valuable architectural relevance of the neighborhood. In 1971, following numerous efforts from the New Haven Preservation Trust, Wooster Square was designated under the National Register of Historic Places. After being threatened by demolition in the 1930s and later by plans for Interstate 91, Wooster Square persisted in large part due to the New Haven urban rehabilitation program. In 1965, the program brought about the construction of the Conti Community School. The program also renovated tenements found on Court Street in order to increase positive perceptions of what were seen as the neighborhood’s most unsightly buildings. Within the current context of the surrounding building materials, 541 Chapel Street stands as one of the few predominantly wooden structures remaining in Wooster Square. In 1886, the adjacent 523 Chapel Street plot was also identified as a wooden structure by that year’s Sanborn Fire Insurance Map. However, by 1911, 523 Chapel Street was partially converted into a brick structure. Soon after, the 1924 Sanborn Map reveals that the remaining wooden half of the site came to be a brick building as well. These maps reveal that in spite of their architectural reverence, many of the initial 19th-century Wooster Square buildings were frequently altered and in some cases demolished entirely. It follows that 541 Chapel Street also saw a series of structural changes and amendments throughout the last 191 years.

In spite of numerous alterations, 541 Chapel Street remains a prime example of the Greek Revival architectural style. The building features a grid-like symmetrical distribution of windows along its west facade. There exists a similar even distribution of windows on the three other sides of the building, however, the pattern is largely obstructed by the more complex plan of the rear. A similar symmetrical grid pattern can be found in the placement of the building’s chimneys. During the 1940s and 1950s, the windows featured exterior window shutters that were removed at some point. This represents one of many small deviations from the characteristics of the Greek Revival style. The windows also feature low-relief decorative headers that provide some degree of ornamentation. Although, this is contrasted with the simple window sills present underneath every window. Throughout the years, the building has seen a number of additions to its plan. The brick west porch, added sometime between 1911 and 1924, features a horizontal transom, a pyramid roof, two rows of dentil detailing along the entablature, balustrades, and a set of square fluted posts. Two rows of dentil detailing can also be seen on the entablature of the building itself. Sometime between 1886 and 1901 (as indicated by the Sanborn Fire Insurance Maps), the Chapel Street facing porch of the building also saw a brick addition. Later, sometime after the 1950s, the porch was adapted in a way that removed a lot of the styling that characterized the Greek Revival style. This alteration can be seen when comparing the building during its time as a funeral home to that of its modern era. One can also see other notable changes, such as the phasing out of the organic detailing atop the entablature’s cornice. Ironically, the omission of the doric columned porch also serves to further adhere to the Greek Revival ideal of unpretentiousness. Despite the columns being seen as a characteristic of the style, one can argue that their removal conveys the fundamental ideas of the style to a greater extent. These changes reflect a desire held by the building’s tenants to adhere to the surrounding material vernacular while still respecting the original vision. By 1911, the adjacent plot to the east saw the introduction of a brick building. Furthermore, by 1924, the same plot became entirely comprised of brick buildings. Even more, the then newly completed neighboring 533 Chapel Street was composed of brick. Although the 1924 Sanborn map illustrates the Matthew Elliott House as an outlier in terms of structural material, the persistence of the original clapboard of the house speaks to a partial adherence and pride toward the original vision intended to be evoked. This idea is also evident when comparing the integrity of the original square’s hipped roof and the rolled asphalt of the flat-roofed additions. Today, images of the building’s interior convey an embrace of the wood. In many cases, it seems as if the interior wood serves a critical part of establishing an inviting and natural character.

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