Historical Tenants/Programs:



1824 – Joel Root – most likely a residential unit, across from wealthy merchant Ebenzer Higgens (Figure 2, Dana Scrapbook Collection)



1835-Hoadley Coach Carriage Factory – bordered this property (Sandbourne Maps)



1839- John J. Stone- Dentist, advertising “teeth of a superior quality, and artificial teeth supply for retail opportunities” (Figure 5, Dana Scrapbook Collection)



1896-Empty Lot- As see in the Sandbourne Maps



1911- Lea Hammond- residential building next to the Fire Engine, current building (Figure 7, Sandbourne Maps)



1913-Chocolate Food Company Sugarbroker-neighboring businesses included food products, electirical supplies, printing (City Directory)



1915-Booth & Law Company-distributor of varnishes, paints, and oils until 1935 (surrounded also by engravers, and paper companies) (City Directories)



1940- Vacant storefront - along with 28-36 crown (City Directory)



1948- Eastern Liquor Company Inc. – Michael Beckonstin (City Directory)



1963-1999 Connecticut Window and House Cleaning Company- Moss & Son, landscape of street now furniture, cleaning places (City Directories)



Short Description/ Narrative:



The historical uses and re-uses of 35 Crown Street highlights the different manifestations of New Haven’s Ninth Square as a center for shops and industry over the course of the last century. Back in the early 20th century, the corner of Ninth Square bordered the New Haven Harbor and the mouth of the Farmington Canal. Today, the corner of Ninth Square borders another transportation hub: the State street train station, and serves as a point of entry for visitors coming in from the New Haven Union Station. Although the transportation mode has evolved, the square and its environs continue to serve as a stop on what Brinkerhoff Jackson calls “The Stranger’s Path,” and as a place of shops and industry on the stranger’s route from transportation hub to uptown New Haven.



In the mid 19th century, the area west of Crown and State in Ninth Square was home to a large carriage factory, residential units, and small family practices. A dentist, John J. Stone, who advertised “teeth of a superior quality”, owned the lot currently called 35 Crown Street (Figure 5). Later on, in or around 1900, Lea Hammond built the current building as a residential unit (Figure 8). As the city became more populated, and increased use of the waterways as a transportation hub drove foot traffic to increase as well in Ninth Square, the character of the shops in the square changed as well. By the mid 20th century, the area west of Crown and State had largely become a neighborhood of small shops selling food products and offering printing services. It was at this time that 35 Crown Street transformed into a retail location, first in 1913 into the “Chocolate Food Company Sugarbroker,” and then from 1915-1935 into the “Booth & Law Company,” a distributor of varnishes, paints, and oils (City Directories).



The longevity of “Booth & Law Company’s” stay at 35 Crown Street was not unusual in the area in the mid 20th century—well-established printers, paper companies, and engravers were also long-standing tenants of Ninth Square. The Depression, however, took its toll and by 1940, 35 Crown Street was a vacant storefront along with 28-36 Crown (City Directory). The next tenants also enjoyed relatively long stays: Michael Beckonstin operated the “Eastern Liquor Company Inc.” at 35 Crown from 1948-1963, and Moss & Son operated the Connecticut Window and House Cleaning Company successfully from 1963-1999 (City Directories).



The current aesthetic of New Haven’s Ninth Square was the result of a city-driven urban renewal project in the late 1980s and early 90s. The site had been proposed for redevelopment in 1960 as a festive marketplace, but a lack of investor interest prevented that plan from moving forward. A 1982 push by local politicians helped the area achieve a historical district status, which made development in Ninth Square eligible for a federal tax credit. By the time city planners set to designing another comprehensive plan for the area, they had learned to preserve the historical facades of buildings during redevelopment. This city-driven renewal project that brought about 530 units of housing with affordable housing requirements known today as the “Residences of Ninth Square” was therefore one that kept the original terra cotta façade of 35 Crown Street visually intact.



The increased sensibility of city planners towards historical preservation did not prevent the short-term dilapidation of New Haven’s Ninth Square. Before construction started on this renewal project, in 1987, only 2 vacant storefronts existed on Orange Street from Court through State Street. By 1995, only 1 business on that street remained open (City Directories). The Connecticut Window and House Cleaning Company occupied 35 Crown Street during the time of this renewal project, and saw the transformation of small shops into vacant storefronts during its tenancy (City Directory).



Today Ninth Square enjoys special designation not only as a historical district but also as a business improvement district where storefronts pay additional taxes in exchange for additional city services on their streets. Festivals like “Breatheon9” and “FitWeekon9” are regularly offered, and foot traffic has increased not just with the Residences of Ninth Square but also with the opening of 360 State, a condominium building with a similar affordable housing program, but built by a private developer. 35 Crown Street’s current occupants, Gray Organschi Architecture, now sit across from a cozy coffee shop and next to the popular bar and music recording studio housed in the old firehouse. As architects and designers, this firm has itself a critical role to play in redesigning its surroundings—Gray Organschi’s projects include renovating the recording room in its neighboring Firehouse 12 and doing the interior of a high-end New Haven restaurant Barcelona.