The house sale just closed, it’s someone else’s now! I wanted to thank the house for being there and being ours for so many years.
Originally built in 1865 (ish), the house was built by the Home Insurance Corporation for factory management staff. It likely supported many families over the years, especially during the active economy up through World War II where the industrial landscape in the city was buzzing. As the city emptied in the 50s, it became a ‘skid row,’ but undoubtedly provided those living there with some community context due to its compact nature. The era of Urban Renewal brought many an urban ‘experiment’ to New Haven, decimating part of the City’s fabric in some places, but in the case of Court Street, renewing life on the block for another 50 years, and more. The block was repurposed by the City, renovated, and made available to families at a very low price. A unique new contemporary landscape installed on the street created the beautiful garden-laden pedestrian way that knits the street together. New generations grew up on the block, and increasingly the block became popular again. With a short 7 minute walk to the middle of the historic Green, a bit further to Yale and professional offices downtown, and very convenient to roadways and rail, this was a desirable spot.
Ed and I found the house when we were first looking for an apartment together. We’d been living in the East Rock neighborhood for a year, and were looking to upgrade to a slightly larger place. We found the ‘listing’ through a friend who made a point to walk down the street on her way home from work. Despite the fact that the apartment was advertised at a rent higher than our budget, we were always interested, so we decided to visit, knowing that we couldn’t possibly live there. Ken and Dana Skidmore had been living there for about 5 years, but were moving temporarily out of the City. We loved the apartment, and felt right at home. At the end of the conversation, when we identified that the rent was too high, the Skidmores lowered their price , in part, because they knew how much we would love and take care of the house.
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We moved in as renters, right after our wedding, and then within 2 years were able to purchase the house from the Skidmores when they realized they would not return to New Haven. After buying the house, we found Charlie. Knowing that we had wanted a dog, especially in such a dog-friendly neighborhood, we had waited till we owned the home. The neighbors were wonderful, and delightful mix of Yale affiliated and other young professionals, with a few kids. Over time the neighbors would change on a regular basis, but everyone joined the street with a common love of the street, and desire to build community. Sunday soup nights, sunset cocktails, weekend gardening days, the creation of the farmers market with a neighbor, halloween and other block parties, and political campaigns were all hatched on the block.
We had discussed renovations to the house for years, but suddenly (without being ready with final drawings!) we started work in the summer of 2006. Most of the work was finished a year later, but small details (like picking light fixtures and a final paint color for the stairway) seemed to go on forever. The last step was a carpet for the stairs–as charlie became older, it was harder for him on the stair, requiring us to find a suitable carpet. We loved the kitchen every time we used it (I especially loved the 18″ dishwasher!), the light in the main floor delightful on a sunny or cloudy day. We used our large table, hand fabricated by our friend Rob, for every function–from reading the paper, collecting random objects as we moved things around the house, and great dinner parties (like the one for 1999-2000 new years eve,, and for our annual christmas eve valigia).
Charlie loved the house. As the ‘person’ who spent the most time there, it was his to own. He adored the different spots where he could watch out the window and keep an eye on the street, and he was happy knowing that everything in the house was within earshot so he could keep alert. He was great about sharing the house with other visiting dogs, and really enjoyed when others came to visit, especially Maribel.
As life opportunities change, so did our paths, and we both left the house over the course of a few years. It was hard to move out of the house, but hardest to take away the house from the dog… Realizing that although we loved the house, we may not return, and it was time to let others enjoy the opportunity, we decided to let go. It sold yesterday, and hopefully will house another generation of Court Streeters….. We will be inspired forever by the house….THANK YOU!