COLLECTION 095 · SGC-95
New Haven · Connecticut
Drill halls and public gathering places: three armories and the civic life of Goffe Street.
The Connecticut Military Department lists service periods for each address. These armories are distinct from Eli Whitney’s arms factory.
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2021-06-13
New Haven Armory
EXPLORE THE ORIGINAL GALLERIES
Follow these links to photographs held by their creators and collections.
Explore the Goffe Street Armory project’s photographs and account of the building. These contemporary views complement the dated exterior photograph in this gallery.
New Haven Armory community projectView photographs at sourceCOLLECTION HISTORY
New Haven has had several armories, and their addresses matter. The Military Department’s register dates Meadow Street service from 1883, Orange Street from 1906 and Goffe Street from 1930. These were National Guard facilities; they should not be confused with the Whitney arms-manufacturing complex. [SGC95-S1]
The Goffe Street building became much more than a place to drill. Its large spaces accommodated trade conventions, emergency shelter and performances. The community advisory committee’s history recalls gatherings including the Black Expo and appearances by Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra. The scale that served military assembly also made room for public life on a scale ordinary neighborhood halls could not offer. [SGC95-S2]
The building’s later recognition reflects those overlapping histories. It entered the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 and the Connecticut Freedom Trail in 2023 for its significance to Black history and the Civil Rights Movement. Photographs of the exterior show the military architecture; the linked community archive supplies memories and event material that give those walls a wider meaning. [SGC95-S2]
The Connecticut Military Department lists service periods for each address. These armories are distinct from Eli Whitney’s arms factory.
THE SEARCHABLE CATALOG
Search includes catalog notes and the OCR text included with this edition. OCR may misread names or dates; use the original scan to verify a match.
SGC95-S1 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
New Haven Armories
Meadow Street 1883–1930; 869 Orange Street 1906–1980; 270 Goffe Street 1930–2009.
Read item & source notesSGC95-S2 · Historical sources · Source dates described in record
New Haven Armories
History of the Goffe Street building, public events and civic significance.
Read item & source notesPHOTO-106540391 · Photographs · 2021-06-13
New Haven Armories
New Haven Armory
Read item & source notesSGC-PHOTO-LINK-006 · Photograph collections · Dates stated by source
New Haven Armories
Explore the Goffe Street Armory project’s photographs and account of the building. These contemporary views complement the dated exterior photograph in this gallery.
Read item & source notesExtract the ZIP and open START_HERE.html. It includes the catalog, selected images, acquired source text, credits and a searchable SQLite database. New photo additions are hosted in the SGC media library and require an internet connection; original bundled images remain available offline.
