Hillhouse Avenue Downing, Andrew Jackson * Schiff, Judith Ann, et al * Historic District The Architecture of Country The Green Guide, Yale Houses, orig. 1850; New York: University and New Haven, New Haven, Connecticut Dover Edition, 1969 Greenville, SC: Michelin Travel Publications 2000 Suggested Reading List Elliot, Charles * best for Hillhouse Avenue “A.J. Downing, Garden Scully, Vincent, et al Evangelist”, Horticulture, Yale in New Haven, Compiled by Channing Harris Boston: November 1995. Architecture and Urbanism, for New Haven Preservation New Haven: Trust 10/3/2012 Favretti, Rudy & Joy Press 2004 Landscapes and Gardens for Atwater, Edward E. Historic Buildings. Walnut Seymour, George Dudley * History of the City of New Creek, CA: Alta Mira Press, New Haven, New Haven: Haven to the Present Time, 1997. Privately printed, Tuttle, New York: W.W. Munsell & Morehouse & Taylor Company Co. 1887 Fleming, Nancy 1942. Money, Manure & Maintenance Balmori, McGuire & McPeck …Gardens of Marian Coffin Shumway, Floyd & Hegel, Beatrix Farrand’s American 1876-1957, Country Place Richard, New Haven: An Landscapes, Her Gardens and Books, 1995, 2002. Illustrated History, New Campuses, Sagaponack, NY: Haven Colony Historical Sagapress 1985. Holden, Richard Society, Windsor Publications Yale, A Pictorial History, New 1981. Bartlett, Ellen Strong Haven: Historical Sketches of New 1967. Willis, N.P. & Bartlett, W.H. Haven, New Haven: Tuttle American Scenery, 2 Volumes, Moorhouse & Taylor 1910 Kelly, Brooks Mather * London: George Virtue pub. New Haven Heritage: An Area 1839-40 [Also reprinted Barre, Brown, Elizabeth Mills * of Historic Houses on MA: Imprint Society 1971]. New Haven: A Guide to Hillhouse Avenue and Architecture and Urban Trumbull Street. New Haven: Design. New Haven and The New Haven Preservation Notable Resources: London: Yale Univ. Press 1976 Trust 1974. (out of print) Yale University, Art & Dana, Henrietta Francis * O’Gorman, James F. * Architecture Library and Hillhouse Avenue from 1809 , In Every Sterling Library, Manuscripts to 1900, Reminiscences, New Variety of Architectural Style, & Archives, New Haven, CT. Haven: Private printing Tuttle, Middletown: Wesleyan Moorhouse & Taylor, 1900. University Press 2008 Library Archives, both New Haven and Connecticut Trusts Dickens, Charles Osterweiss, Rollin for Historic Preservation, New American Notes, London: “Three Centuries of New Haven and Hamden, CT. 1842, Penguin reprint, 1985. Haven, 1638-1938”, New Haven: Yale Univ. Press 1953. Dana Papers Collection, * Downing, Andrew Jackson Whitney Library, New Haven A Treatise on the Theory and Pinnell, Patrick L. * Museum & Historical Society Practice of Landscape The Campus Guide: Yale Gardening, New York: Orange University, New York: For additional information: see the Judd Co. 1845, 1865. Princeton Architectural Press website of The New Haven 1999. Preservation Trust www.nhpt.org

TIMELINE of LANDSCAPE HISTORY on HILLHOUSE AVENUE

1792 -Layout of “Temple Avenue” by James Hillhouse (1754-1832), rows of elm trees planted each side. 1807 -Construction of the first house on Temple Avenue, No. 28 Benjamin Silliman House. 1828 -Greek Revival/ Italianate Architectural period begins (1828- 1849) with the construction of Sachem’s Wood, home of James A. Hillhouse (1789-1841). First canal boat on the . 1840 -Andrew Jackson Downing’s picturesque landscape aesthetic becomes the preferred treatment for the yards; First wooden fences appear. Bands on elms to control ‘Canker Worms’ of 1838. 1847 -Farmington Canal Converted into the New Haven & Northampton Railroad Line, the bed deepened. 1849 -Eleven houses on the Avenue.

1859 -Victorian Architectural period begins (1859- 1871) with the construction of No. 55 - Perit House. (Civil War and a building boom through 1865) -Semi-circular drives are an established feature along Hillhouse Ave.; Fences, predominately wooden, line the Avenue and streetlights appear. 1868 -Charles Dickens’ visit to New Haven where he is said to have pronounced Hillhouse Avenue, “ the most beautiful street in America”. Elm trees age 76 yrs. 1870 -Cast/ wrought iron fences with stone bases and stone posts replace some of the wooden fences. -Construction begins on St. Mary’s Catholic Church, South block. Sidewalks appear to be oystershells.

1880 -Late Victorian/ Romanesque Architectural period begins (ca. 1880- 1898). -Refined landscape; large cut ‘bluestone’ paving appears; darker house colors become popular. 1890 -Electric lights begin in the city; elm trees near 100 years old, Elm Leaf Beetle defoliations. 1895 -Nineteen Residences on Hillhouse Avenue – the peak of residential development.

1920 -Elm trees infected with the Leopard Moth; B. Farrand landscape architect begins work at Yale 1922. 1928 -Some of the semi-circular drives have disappeared with the introduction of the automobile. -Some sidewalks have been converted to flagstone, -Many of the fences have been removed. -Ivy covers several buildings and fences along the Avenue. 1930 -Remaining Semi-circular drives removed, Curbs & gutters installed along the North block. 1938 -Hurricane, loss of some Elm trees; by 1940’s ‘Dutch Elm Disease’ was beginning to kill them. 1942 -“Sachem’s Wood”, the estate of James Hillhouse, demolished as instructed in the will of his daughter.

1965+ -Introduction of the Pin Oak along Hillhouse Avenue; width of Hillhouse Avenue widened to 36 feet. -Traffic direction flows one way (North bound) with parking on either side. -Parking meters, modern street lights & traffic signs are added as standard vehicular accessories. 1966 -No. 24, Dana House, is registered as a “National Historic Landmark”. 1985 -National Historic District established – Northern block plus No. 24, the Dana House. -Farmington Canal named on the National Historic Register. -Sidewalks, predominately Flagstone are widened to 6 feet. -Historical style street lighting is installed at 75 feet on center, both sides. 1990’s -Historic restorations/ renovations of many houses and gardens in the northern block. 2001 -Yale Tercentennial, landscape restoration/renovation of the street: fencing and evergreens.

Selected Architects and Landscape Architects (underlined houses and properties on Hillhouse Ave.) , 1784-1844: Center & Trinity Churches, New Haven State Capitol (gone), Town-Sheffield Mansion (gone); patented bridge designs used extensively (see new pedestrian bridges at canal) Town & Davis firm: Skinner House, Apthorp House, Sachem’s Wood (gone), Prichard House, Alexander Jackson Davis, 1803-1892: many state capitals, university buildings, NYC Customs House, Lyndhurst, Wadsworth Athenium, towers at rear of Skull & Bones, Prichard House #35 Hillhouse Henry Austin, 1804-1891: Grove St Cemetery Gates, Dana House, Davies Mansion (Betts House), Norton House (w/A.J. Downing; based on Upjohn), New Haven City Hall Andrew Jackson Downing 1815-1852; influential writer and publisher of the Horticulturalist; promoted the ‘gardenesque’ and landscape styles; influenced street design if not individual properties; emulated J.C. Loudon 1783-1843; corresponded with A.J. Davis, influenced Norton House. Beatrix Farrand 1872-1959; landscape design for grounds of Yale president’s residence, #43; was University Landscape Architect, 1922 – 1940 with profound influence on campus. Marion Coffin 1876-1957; early 20th c. landscape renovations of Dana House and Skinner/Trowbridge House

Based in part on research by Towers|Golde, Landscape Architects, New Haven, CT. 6/2010 Hillhouse Avenue in 1892 Hillhouse Avenue at Trumbull Street Intersection in 1892 Sachem’s Wood Skinner Trowbridge House Skinner Trowbridge House