Sam Hadelman photo
Tour guide Elihu Rubin.
With the abandoned Bigelow Company building and unrelenting rain as the backdrop, Yale School of Architecture Associate Professor of Urbanism Elihu Rubin posed a simple question to his eager tour group: “Is this building worth saving?”
This was a fair question to pose during a International Festival of Arts and Ideas-run tour Rubin led on June 18 in the Mill River District. The tour was entitled, “New Haven Industrial Heritage Tour: Ghost Town.” It touched on a debate still happening at spots around town.
SpecifiIn the instance of this former industrial boiler and pressure parts factory, the answer is not so simple. On one end, it is one of the only buildings of its kind, with structural integrity and historical significance.
On the other, the cost of upkeep and renovation would be quite substantial, though through these renovations the owners of these buildings could be saving thousands of dollars in the future, according to Rubin.
Another argument against preservation is a trend familiar for many New Haveners: gentrification. There was a light discussion on this tour from students and civic participants alike about the link between gentrification and preservation, with examples of what is happening in historic parts of Brooklyn as a comparison.
The last point brought up against preservation during this tour was the looming effects of global warming to the region. What would be the point of preserving such a structure if in fact it would be under water within 25 to 50 years?
The tour started on the corner of Hamilton Street and Chapel Street, which Rubin referred to as the “Carriage District” of post-War New Haven.
Certain window structures were instituted for better working conditions within post-war factories, while others were simply made to have a transformative usage, ranging from store fronts to future apartment complexes.
Rubin described how the soundscape of New Haven must have been so different than today, with streetcars and carriages on the road rather than buses and cars.
The tour started down Chapel, examining the Armstrong Building. Though from its appearance it looked rundown and decrepit, with boarded-up windows and worn brick, Rubin also saw it as a cultural landmark.
We continued up Chapel Street, reaching Euro’s Auto Services, originally a service station that predates the 1930s, with enamel surfaces on the outside and itsmodern and flashy exterior.
We then continued up Chapel and arrived at Rubin’s favorite building, the office of administration for the New Haven Gaslight company with a pitched roof, arched windows and ivy covering. Rubin said that though he would love to see this preserved and made a historical landmark, he does not believe it’s in the cities financial means to maintain this property.
At the historic buildings on River Street, where the tour eventually ended up going, the idea of preservation was more complex than meets the eye. There are many complex factors here at play.
First, there is the contamination of the land these buildings occupy, as well as the fact that they are directly in a flood plain. Why would the city spend money out of its stretched budget on restoring classic buildings if in 50 to 75 years they would be 10 feet underwater? On the other hand, they represent potential for jobs or other urban uses.
Rubin argued that these landmarks are too important to New Haven’s landscape and their uniqueness is part of the DNA of this city. He argued that preserving these buildings, while expensivew, actually costs less than letting them remain vacant and continue to decay.