New Haven Museum's major new exhibit, Beyond the New Township: Wooster Square, covers the neighborhood's beginnings as The New Township, the evolution of industry and arrival of immigrants, the effect of urban renewal, and the impact of historic preservation, a showcase for the impressive results of rehabilitating deteriorating historic structures rather than demolishing them. It is scheduled to open in late May.
As part of the run-up to the opening, the Saving Wooster Square Symposium on Saturday, May 4 was held at the Museum.
Through two special panel discussions attendees:
• explore Wooster Square’s role in New Haven history, especially during urban renewal in the 1960s
• learned about tax credits for rehabilitating historic structures and
• learned of potential opportunities for future preservation projects.
There were two panel discussions:
“ Wooster Square Then”
Panelists: Frank Chapman, Former Deputy Director, City Plan Department, New Haven; Alan Plattus, Professor of Architecture & Urbanism, Yale University; Deb Townshend, Former Chair, Historic District Commission, New Haven
Moderator: John W. Shanahan, Former CT State Preservation Officer & Former Director, CT Historical Commission
“ Wooster Square Now”
Panelists: Beverly Carbonella, longtime Wooster Square resident; Mary Dunne,
Coordinator, Certified Local Government & Historic Tax Credits, CT; George Knight, Principal, Knight Architecture LLC; Stacey Vairo, Coordinator, State and National Register, CT
Moderator: Pedro Soto, President, The New Haven Preservation Trust
The symposium was a collaboration of New Haven Museum, New Haven Preservation Trust and Historic Wooster Square Association. Additional support for Saving Wooster Square Symposium was provided by Connecticut Humanities and The Woman’s Seamen’s Friend Society of Connecticut, Inc.
