The Green, as drawn in 1879 by Bailey & Hazen. Note the state house on the Upper Green, behind the Center Church, built in 1831 and demolished in 1889.
And the view from 1824, as engraved by Doolittle.
From a “market place” to a burial ground to a venue for government and education and worship, the Green has seen many different uses over the years.
“However, the one constant over four centuries there is also that the space has been for the public good.”
Contributed photo
City historian Mike Morand.
So counsels Michael Morand, who was appointed by the mayor last year to serve as city historian. That’s just one of the many, many civic-leader hats Morand wears in town. He’s also on the board of the Community Foundation for Greater New Haven, the chair of the Friends of Grove Street Cemetery, and the director of community engagement at Yale’s Beinecke Library.
As the city contemplates big changes for the Green — including, potentially, kiosks, rinks, fountains, a café with seating and bathrooms, a playground, and a closing off to cars of Temple Street between Chapel and Elm — the Independent asked Morand to reflect on the significance of the Green in city history and what guidance that history may offer.
See the bottom of this article for a series of maps Morand provided that chart the Green’s history and changes over time, and click here, here, and here for recent Independent articles about the Green.
Independent: As a local history buff and a seminary drop-out, I’ve always loved hearing the religious tales of the Green. One is that the Puritan founders read their Ezekiel and his vision of how the tribes of Israel will array themselves on returning to their land after the Babylonian exile, thus the neat squares arrangement with the Green at the center. Another story has it that colonial planners were fashioning a symbolic launching pad, laying the Green out based on a measure of the Biblical cubit, calculating precisely if they stood shoulder to shoulder how to fit 144,000 of the righteous chosen to ascend to heaven after the Second Coming.
Any evidence these are true, and what’s your take on the origin story?
Morand: Myths are fun but shouldn’t keep us from considering history. In reading and re-reading the authoritative sources, there’s no exact consensus for the Nine Squares. When we think about Scriptural things, it’s definitely true the Puritan founders were seriously religious. But they were also a very wealthy commercial party, and [Theophilus] Eaton and all of them quite interested in commerce. So it was not only the hereafter they were thinking about.
Actually the first reference to it as it’s laid out in 1638 is as a “market place.” The first known reference to a “green” is 1759. So [from the beginning,] commerce was a very active part.
What past uses of the Green is it worth being aware of as the city and Proprietors plan new uses and re-configurations?
One of the lessons of the sources is that the Green has always been a place of many uses. And more so than other places like a Boston Common. There’s been an incredible variety of stuff over time. Commerce was a very active part, as was governance, as was worship and burial, as was punishment, and education. Some uses have been discontinued, like burial, Yale commencement, commencement balls, the active market place.
Had you looked out on the Green in 1849 there would be 900 oxen competing in an agricultural fair. Historically there were more buildings on the Green in the past than now, and more have been removed than are standing. So, yes, something like a cafe could be in consonance with the dynamic history of the Green. In olden days, the lower Green was swampy, frozen over, and used for skating. But that’s not a metaphor because the Green has never been frozen in time.
How unique is the Green? Some city critics ask, “What’s New Haven without Yale?” Is it fair to ask: What would New Haven be without the New Haven Green?
The Green defines and differentiates our great city in ways nothing else does or could. It is a National Historic Landmark for good reason, among the earliest and most essential urban designs in America — and one of the longest persisting public spaces of its kind in the nation. There is no New Haven as we know it, past, present, or future, without the Green. It is the key civic space which unites all of us who live here.
Again, that is why planning, design and decision-making needs to be deliberate and done with transparency, openness, and deep engagement of a broad set of stakeholders. The Green makes New Haven New Haven, so its future needs to be considered carefully and with lots of collective input, with history as a guide.
What are your thoughts about initially announced plans for Temple Street?
Temple Street was not named or present until 1784 when there was a burst of street making. New Haven became one of the first modern cities incorporated after the Revolution. For modern governance New Haven was a pioneer, so the laying out and naming was part of that. So as the earlier Green was more unified than now, from an historic standpoint it’s right to think about how to knit together the two sides and think about better pedestrian crossings … there’s nothing a‑historic about it.
What are your thoughts about the Proprietors and their continuing role in the life of the Green?
Governance of the Green has evolved over time. The Proprietors came about around 1810. Before that it was only the actual property owners [of the plantations immediately surrounding the Green] together.
The Proprietors are not an eternal group. It’s clear from the charters and history that there’s a symbiotic relationship with the city. They are not omnipotent, nor does the city have unbridled rights, and that’s something to note in the current moment. They are working and talking together and that’s in keeping with the best of our tradition.
As I’ve said to City Hall and to the Proprietors, as long as it’s done with transparency, openness, inclusion, thoughtfulness, it will be done with respect to tradition and history. I’m cheered by the Proprietors and city government committed to working together in a thoughtful way for the best interest of the common good. The recent meeting was a good step. What the Indy is doing is good in having many voices and encouraging conversation. Decisions shouldn’t be made in secret or be driven by private interests.
You’ve said that thoughtful change through time is a constant in the history of the Green over the centuries, but also that the varying uses have generally been in the interest of “the common good” and that that is another important through line. Could you elaborate a bit?
[The Green] has been from the beginning of European settlement “the common and undivided lands” held for the public good. Yes, that’s a constant over four centuries that there be a space for the public good. That needs to continue. It’s also important to remember the reason there are “common and undivided” stems from European settlement and marking out lands for private ownership.
The first people, the Quinnipiac, like the Algonquin, held property in common, so all the lands were common and undivided. So in the vast scale of human history, given that the Quinnipiac were here as much as 8,000 years ago, the present-day Green is a relatively new place and private property is likewise a relatively new thing in the long history of human presence.
While I’ve always liked the larger historical marker describing Green history that you encounter entering the space across from City Hall, I’ve also thought that insufficient, given how much has occurred on the Green. Would you like to see more or different kinds of signage?
I’m with you. It would be great to enhance and increase the markings around the place to define and describe the space, and that’s true on both parts of the Green. But given the number of uses, historic people and stories, activating it [with] guides is a great idea. Center Church with its crypt and its guides and tours is a precedent. So great to further activate.
As the nation marks its 250th anniversary in 2026, lots more people are going to be thinking about local history, and it’s great that the Proprietors are doing it now. I liken it to the eclipse. Six months before few were thinking on it, but on the day of everyone had glasses. By 2026 it will be all history all the time. And it’s a great moment for inclusive, honest, local history, and New Haven is well poised to be a part of that.
How can study of the Green be a part of teaching in the public schools?
There’s a lot of good energy and growing interest in teaching local history within the New Haven Public Schools, with enthusiasm and support from partners like the New Haven Museum and Yale Library. New Haven has a really long, dynamic, and connected history, so teaching local history is also a portal for teaching national and world history.
The Green can serve as a really great classroom for guided tours for students, a wonderful site for experiential learning. So much has happened on and around the Green, and so many people have come through over the centuries, so it’s effectively a living library, an encyclopedia of New Haven and American history. Plus the actual main library, with its great local history room, is right there, a great resource for students and for lifelong learners.
Thank you so much and, in conclusion, can you recommend some books, videos, other resources for those who want to dive deeper into Green history?
Key resources include:
Chronicles of New Haven Green from 1638 to 1862, Henry T. Blake. New Haven: The Tuttle, Morehouse & Taylor Press, 1898. Found online here and here.
Nine Squares in a “Wilderness”: The Mysteries of Early New Haven — an important and compelling contemporary presentation on the religious and commercial roots of New Haven, including theological facets of the early town plan. Presented by Mark Peterson, Edmund S. Morgan Professor of History at Yale, on Youtube.
Historic maps of New Haven are here.
