ASHER JOSEPH PHOTOS
Michael Waters explains different styles of columns at Monday night's Preservation Trust event at Make Haven.
Fifty homeowners and architecture enthusiasts sat stumped by the house’s sloping turret, asymmetrical facade, and spindly woodwork.
Then New Haven newcomer Madeline Altman put the pieces together: “It’s a Queen Anne.”
Altman drew that conclusion during a New Haven Preservation Trust (NHPT) event Monday night held at Make Haven’s headquarters in the basement of 770 Chapel St. It was part of a new series of events hosted by the NHPT to promote architectural literacy and the importance of preserving historical homes.
The presentation was led by NHPT Vice President and Assistant Professor of Art History and Archaeology at Columbia University Michael Waters, who immersed attendees in the chronology and characteristics of New Haven’s diverse array of architectural styles.
After a brief introduction, Waters probed the audience’s initial perception of New Haven architecture with a simple question: “What comes to mind when I say the word ‘design?’”
Attendees were quick to chime in with words such as “colors,” “materials,” and “personality,” which later became the focus of an exercise in which the group compared the iconic Greek Parthenon and France’s Notre Dame in France.
“The Parthenon has a very logical appearance, whereas the Notre Dame looks to be reaching up to God,” noted one attendee among observations of detail, geometry, and verticality.
An attendee makes an observation about the Notre Dame's structure.
Waters launched into the educational portion of the presentation with a New York Times analysis of the latest home architectural trend that goes back to basics: “the Chip and Joanna Gaines” modern farmhouse, a style that employs light colors and a simple structure reminiscent of houses found in the countryside.
“New Haven’s architecture is far more historical,” Waters said before delving into the foundational Georgian Colonial and Federal styles. Characterized by Grecian pillars and uniform windows and doorways, the styles populated New Haven in the early 18th Century and reflected the rapid expansion of New Haven’s wealth.
Waters then introduced Greek Revivalist houses, noted for triangular gables, called pediments, and prominent entryway columns, which dominated New Haven in the 19th century, similar to the revival of Gothic architecture that featured extravagant detailing, spires, pillars, and towers.
Italianate housing also emerged in the mid-19th century, its towers, ornate paneling, cupolas, and palladian windows complementing other popular styles of the time. Second Empire architecture, bearing semblance to French buildings, as well as Queen Anne architecture, identified by spindly woodwork, wraparound porches, and turrets have also stood the test of time and now occupy much of New Haven.
NEW HAVEN PRESERVATION TRUST
The Colin M. Ingersoll House at 475 Whitney Ave, a popular New Haven house built in the Chateauesque style containing elements of Queen Anne architecture.
Altman and her husband, Caleb Jackson, found the event especially helpful in their quest to date their renovated, pre-census home, which Jackson has spearheaded in his free time this summer as a high school physics teacher.
“I’ll peel back floorboards and rummage through the basement only to find wallpaper that hasn’t been touched since the 1870s, so each artifact is a clue to our home’s history,” Jackson said.
Waters was excited to hear about the couple’s interest in their home.
“People take pride in their neighborhood’s identity, which is often defined by the buildings that act as its foundation, so many feel motivated to care for and celebrate their neighborhood’s architecture,” he said.
According to Waters, “It takes a lifetime to learn the architectural vocabulary,” but with his guidance, New Haven is now home to a population of budding architectural connoisseurs.