Spaces & Places in New Haven

OWL TERRITORY

THEY COME LOOKING FOR ANSWERS. A California man who believed his Black father, now deceased, had owned a shoe store on New Haven’s Dixwell Avenue. A contingent of social studies teachers developing lesson plans, perhaps, a children’s scavenger hunt for historical artifacts. Exchange students from Amalfi, Italy, seeking information on their “Sister City” of New Haven.

For these and countless others, all roads lead to the Ethnic Heritage Center of Greater New Haven. Located at 270 Fitch Street on the edge of Southern’s campus, the center is dedicated to preserving the history and culture of five ethnic societies with focuses on African Americans, Irish-Americans, Italian-Americans, Jews, and Ukrainian-Americans.

Several of the five societies are based at other locations. But they maintain a presence at the Ethnic Heritage Center, which can be visited by appointment. Offerings include archives, artifacts, exhibits, community events (film series, speakers, and more), and the Walk New Haven: Cultural Heritage Tours.

The latter are guides of five New Haven neighborhoods complete with historical highlights — everything from the Lafayette Mendel House (Mendel was a pioneering physiologist, one of the first tenured Jewish professors at Yale) to the Amistad Memorial (commemorating the history of illegally kidnapped Africans jailed at the site in 1893 while awaiting trial). The Ethnic Heritage Center sells detailed guidebooks of each of the New Haven neighborhoods; tour pamphlets also are available for free through the center and are viewable online.

The tours unite the community in countless ways. Several Southern students conducted research for the Grand Avenue neighborhood guide, and students from New Haven Public Schools are trained to lead tours.

“Much of our mission centers on education as well as promoting social justice, which ties in so closely with learning about each other,” says Gloria Horbaty, president of the Ethnic Heritage Center. “You see the differences, but you also see so many commonalities. It builds understanding.”

Open by appointment • EthnicHeritageCenter.org • WalkNewHaven.org • (203) 392-6126 or (203) 269-5909

First held in New Haven on March 17, 1842, the city’s St. Patrick’s Day Parade is one of the oldest of its kind in New England — an achievement celebrated in this 150th anniversary guide from 1992, written by Neil Hogan and designed by Marylou Conley, ’83, the coordinator of graphic services at Southern Connecticut State University.

CONNECTICUT IRISH-AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

Students from Troup Junior High School’s Class of 1940

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GREATER NEW HAVEN

Students from Troup Junior High School’s Class of 1940

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GREATER NEW HAVEN

A print of a young woman shows powerful emotions.

GREATER NEW HAVEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY

The society has numerous artifacts from the 20th Century Club, a women’s organization that supported people who moved from the South to Connecticut.

GREATER NEW HAVEN AFRICAN-AMERICAN SOCIETY

Marzullo’s Pastry Shop, founded in 1906, used these hand-hammered, copper bowls as well as a tool to make torrone, a traditional Italian candy crafted from egg whites.

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT

In early 1900, this trunk accompanied a family coming to the U.S. from Italy. Among the treasures it held were two nightgowns, bed sheets, and pillowcases.

ITALIAN-AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF CONNECTICUT

Ukrainian holiday traditions are highlighted in a display. Wheat figures prominently in Christian Christmas celebrations, placed under the table to symbolize the manger. Kutia or Kutya, is a traditional Christmas dish, usually prepared from wheat, raisons, poppy seeds, and honey. A small bit is thrown at the ceiling. If it sticks, the family is promised good luck all year.

CONNECTICUT UKRAINIAN-AMERICAN HISTORICAL SOCIETY

New Haven resident Joe Isicoff founded a seltzer company before moving to New Jersey.

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GREATER NEW HAVEN

Following a fire, the B. Shoninger Organ Company moved to New Haven. This organ is from the 1880s.

JEWISH HISTORICAL SOCIETY OF GREATER NEW HAVEN