Breuer New Haven Brutalist Building to Become Hotel
Celebrated architect Marcel Breuer (1902-1981) was well known for his Brutalist, Modernist, and International Style designs. The Hungarian-born architect was recently honored posthumously by the Metropolitan Museum of Art when they acquired the building that had previously been home to the Whitney Museum. Noting the building’s original designer, the Met named its new acquisition the…
An Interview with Architect William D. Earls
Recently, I had the honor of interviewing William Earls, an architect based in Wilton, Connecticut that specializes in custom residential, commercial, and municipal architecture. Earls has worked towards architectural preservation, something which awarded him a Preservation Award from the Connecticut Trust for Historic Preservation. In 2018, he completed his two-year-long partnership with the New Canaan…
The Fontainebleau – Miami Modernist Architecture and Architect Morris Lapidus
Happy Town Tuesday everyone! For this week’s post, I thought I would highlight a notable architectural style, figure, and site from my own hometown of Miami, Florida. A distinct offshoot of the Mid-Century Modern architectural style, Miami Modernist architecture (coined MiMo) developed in South Florida during the post-war period. Architect Morris Lapidus (1902-2001) greatly influenced…
The History of Stony Creek’s Thimble Islands
Happy Town Tuesday everyone! We hope you are all well and staying safe. This week, we are discussing Stony Creek’s Thimble Islands! The Thimbles are an archipelago of 365 small islands off the coast of Branford, Connecticut. Did you know they were originally called the “Hundred Islands”? The size of the islands vary greatly, the…
New Haven’s Union Station Celebrates 100-Year Anniversary
New Haven’s Union Station celebrated its 100-year anniversary on April 5th. Opened to the public in 1920, the station was designed by architect Cass Gilbert in the beaux-arts style. The building’s features include its ornate ceilings, elegant chandeliers, high arched windows, and a grand clock suspended from the ceiling. The station underwent significant restoration efforts…
Architect: Theodate Pope Riddle
(February 2, 1867 – August 30, 1946) Theodate Pope Riddle was truly a pioneer of her time, fighting the odds to become one of the first American female architects. From a young age, she displayed a strong desire to take control of her own destiny. At 19, she changed her birth name of Effie to…
Redding and the Revolutionary War
Hello everyone! Happy Town Tuesday! Did you know that Redding was home to three encampments during the Revolutionary War? General Israel Putnam held a strategic position there during the winter of 1778–79, where he was joined by three Continental brigades. Prior to the establishment of these encampments, Redding had been playing its part in the…