1050 Chapel Street, a two-story Art Deco structure built in the early 20th century, has long served New Haven’s commercial history. At the corner of Chapel and High streets, the building has housed a rich variety of businesses including flower shops and restaurants to dentist offices and truck insurance companies.

In an image from the Dana archive in the New Haven Museum dated 1923, the current building is present on the site for the first time. A Sanborn map from 1923 confirms that the building’s construction was likely completed during this year. On this map the plan of the building is glued over a plan of the previous structure on the site, suggesting it is unlikely that the building was constructed earlier than 1923.

For the past ninety years dozens of different businesses have cycled through the building. There are, however, some interesting trends in the types of occupants that seem to correlate with New Haven’s historical changes and development. Before analyzing the chart of the tenants I want to note that the building has several addresses: 1050, 1052, 1054, 1056, 1058, 1060, 1062, and 1064 Chapel Street. 1056 Chapel is assigned to the second story of the building and the rest of the numbers represent separate storefronts on the ground floor.

According to the city’s directories from 1887 to 1924, the Yale Fruit Store and Frank Roberts, a dentist, occupied the second story of an older structure on the site. But between 1924 and 1925, a drastic change occurred and the previous occupants of the second story seemed to have to vacated the structure. Furthermore, the building expanded and thirteen units were available for rent instead of two. But only four of these new units are occupied. The new tenants were Red Top Cab Company, Eck Tailors, Cravagan Eleanor Millinery, and Dutee Wilcox Flint Incorporation (Dutee Wilcox Flint - a Rhode Island State Senator and business magnate). Moreover, 1050 and 1060 Chapel also became vacant. Only Moore S H Co florist at 1054, Glouskin & Fox jewelers at 1058, and the State restaurant at 1064 remained at their places. The change of occupancy most likely followed changes in the structure. New Haven’s directories suggest that the new building was constructed not in 1923 but a year later.

For the next twenty years tailors, dentists, and photographers were the primary occupants of the new building. Some of them left in a couple of years while others lingered longer. The Christian Science Reading Room remained in one of the sections on the ground floor for approximately 10 years and moved a couple of blocks down the street by the 1950s.

At the same time another big change occured. The main street of New Haven registered the nationwide shift in cities ignited by extensive highway construction and the automobile boom. U. S. Motors employment office, General Motors Acceptance Corp Finance Co., Car & Truck Leasing Co. Inc., Jaycee Fleet Leasing Corp. replaced tailors and dentists at 1056 and remained present at this address until the 1970s when the automobile industry shrunk and the building became vacant once again.

In 1977, well-known architect César Pelli became the Dean of the Yale School of Architecture and founded his architecture firm in New Haven. Soon, César Pelli Architects moved in to the 1056 Chapel and took up the entire second story of the building.

The architecture firm is still there today. Interestingly, the composition of the rest of the businesses in the building has returned to its origins. The types of occupants, two art galleries, a gift store, a Panera Bread Bakery and Enson’s menswear store, are similar to ones that were there back in 20s and 30s.

Today the stretch of buildings from 1050 to 1064 Chapel Street appear almost exactly like they would have looked right after construction either in 1923 or 1924. It has been preserved very well and, hopefully, will continue to thrive and be occupied by a variety of stores that reflect the development of New Haven and its consumers’ needs.

The building exemplifies a number of typical characteristics of the Art Deco style. Its façade is divided into eight rectangular blocks arranged in geometric fashion. A narrow entrance to the upper floor, squeezed in the middle of these blocks, divides the building into two halves. A wide band of glass stretches out horizontally reinforcing the streamlined appearance. The design of the façade is guided by straight lines rather than curved lines that unusually appear in another modern style - Art Nouveau. A steel frame is most likely the core structural element of the building. On the outside it is covered with smooth grey stone. The design of the building represents the scientific progress of the early 20th century and the subsequent rise of commerce, technology, and speed.

Built in 1923, the edifice is one of the earliest examples of commercial Art Deco architecture in America. The style became more widespread in the United Stated only in late twenties following the impact of the International Exposition of Modern Industrial and Decorative Arts in Paris in 1925.

There are several visually similar commercial structures in New Haven and in Connecticut. One in New Haven, located on Orange Street, was built in 1926 while another in Torrington was constructed in 1930. A building in New Britain was finished the same year as 1050 Chapel.