the destruction or removal of the old State House building, until the session of
this court, to which said action is returnable and the further order of the court
thereon, and its appearing that this injunction will work no damage to the defend-
ants, it is ordered that this injunction issue without any bonds.
" And 7f is fitrt/wr ordered, 'VhTit notice hereof be given to said citv, and said
J(;hn W. Lake, City Auditor, bv some proper officer, by leaving a true and
attested copy of this order and of the original complaint and jirocess in said
action, as soon as may be, with the clerk of said city, or at his usual place of
abode."
THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE. I4I
The paper was served by ^^'illianl E. Higgins, a deputy sheriff.
The complaiiU was lenglhy and recited numerous facts, mingled with
arguments, some of which are here given. The plaintiffs repre-
sented $2,100,000 worth of propertv. The building was substantially
built". It was well proportioned, and contained handsome rooms for
any public use. The city and county had contributed toward the
expense of building, and therefore tiie county liad an equitable
interest in it. The State, July 8, 1874, relinquished all its interest
in the building to the city of New Haven, and the title was vested in
the city after the first Wednesday of May, 1876. The Young Men's
Institute, the New Haven Colony Historical Society, the United
Workers, the Museum of Industrial Art, the Grand Army of the
Republic, and other organizations of a public or charitable character,
had from time to time occupied part of the rooms, and the city had
used a part of the building for storage purposes. In 1885, a commit-
tee of the Connnon Council had reported that necessary repairs
would cost $23,000, the report being accepted and a])proved July 14,
1885. A joint special connnittee reported October 31, 1887, that
whether the building should be repaired or removed, could expedi-
ently be submitted to a vote of the freemen. This report was signed
on behalf of the Aldermen, by J. Rice \\'inchell, Owen A. Groark
and Andrew J. Clerkin, and on behalf of the Councilmen, by Sher-
wood S. Thompson, T. W. Sucher, William Keane and James N.
Coe. Provision was made for submitting the vote to the people on
December 6, 1887, these being the two adverse propositions :
"Proposition First. — The State House building shall be removed from the
Green or Public Square, at the expense of the city, as soon as may be practicable.
"Proposition Second. — The State House building shall be repaired by the city
at an expense not to exceed thirty thousand dollars, as soon as practicable and
shall be put to such uses, under the " [etc., etc.].
In case of the adoption of the first proposition (for removal), it
was made the duty of the Board of Public Works, to advertise for
bids, and award the contract for removal to the lowest and best
142 THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE,
bidder. If the vote was to repair, the Common Council, Mayor and
Auditor were authorized to contract for the repair, and the Common
Council must lay a special tax to raise money for the cost. The
election resulted in a majority vote for repair, of over 1,250, the total
number of ballots cast being 8,689, December, 1887, the Common
Council passed the following :
'â– 'Ordered, By the Court of Common Council of the city of New Haven, that
the building known as the ' old State House,' situate upon the Public Square
of this city, be repaired in accordance with the terms and conditions of said
second proposition."
A State House Commission was created with the mayor as presi-
dent ex officio,, to carry out the work as ordered. The commission
made no repairs, but went out of existence December 31, 1888 ; the
whole matter was referred to a committee, but it held no public hear-
ing, and June 3, 1889, four of the members recommended that the
auditor be empowered to advertise for bids to take away the build-
ing. The point made in the application for the injunction was, that
this report had been made, without the formality of first giving a
hearing to the citizens, as though the whole matter had not been dis-
cussed by citizens and newspapers until every thread of fact and
argument was nearly worn out. The petitioners for the injunction
also made the point that an order^ submitted by the committee,
ordering the auditor to advertise for bids and contract for taking
away the State House, had not been referred to a committee by the
Common Council — that the jDrder to repair at a cost not to exceed
$30,000 had not been repealed, but that without these formalities,
vital to a proper conduct of business, the order was inconsiderately
passed by the aldermen and June 7, 1889, by the councilmen also.
The meeting, it was claimed, of the councilmen, was not legally
called for acting upon the order. John W. Lake, immediately after
the signing of the order by the mayor, advertised for bids, and it
was averred that the passage of the order was a gross breach of
trust, directing the destruction of valuable city property, in disregard
THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE. I43
of the voie of the freemen and a violation of section twenty-eight of
the city charter, which makes it the duty of the authorities to pro-
tect from injury or defacement all public buildings. It was also
claimed that the members of the Common Council were not owners
of much property and were assessed on the grand list of taxable
property only $142,000. The order to pull down was not within the
power of the Common Council to make, for it delegated its power to
Auditor Lake. The applicants further said that it would cost from
live thousand to fifteen thousand dollars to take down the building-
and that no appropriation had been made for the expenditure as
required by the city charter, and that any such order must be exe-
cuted by the board of public works and not by the auditor. The old
State House was needed for a public library, and to build a build-
ing as good as the State House would cause an outlay of not less
than two hundred thousand dollars and the pulling down of the State
House and erection of another building would cost taxpayers a
quarter of a million dollars.
Thomas R. Trowbridge made oath that these representations were
true, but after the matter was given a hearing, this injunction was
dissolved and Auditor Lake, after taking the opinion of the corpora-
tion counsel, Prof. William K. Townsend, of the Yale Law School,
made the contract with Mr. Montgomery. Citizen Benjamin Noyes,
after the work of demolition was commenced, said he believed the
building could yet be saved, before it should be damaged beyond
repair. So he, together with Ransom Hills and a few other citizens
went to Hartford and persuaded Judge Carpenter of the Superior
Court, to grant another temporary injunction. Corporation Counsel
Townsend being out of the city, Lawyer George D. Watrous acted in
behalf of the Common Council, P^x-Governor Charles R. Ingersoll
being associated with him. Ex-Judge L. E. Monson was attorney
for Mr, Noves and his friends. Judge Carpenter came to New
Haven and after hearing the parties all around, decided that there
was no new matter in this second application for an injunction and
s~aid that he had been too hasty in making the restraining order,
144 ^^^ HISTORY OF THE STAIE HOUSE.
He therefore dissolved the second injunction, and Mr. Montgomery,
who had been compelled for a day or two, to remain idle, resumed
operations.
One point made by the applicants for the second injunction, was
that inasmuch as the county had been taxed to pay part of the cost
of building the State House, therefore, the ciiy had no exclusive
ownership in it, but a record was shown the judge, of a meeting of
county representatives, in which they declared that the county had
no property ownership in it. It appears that the county had no
title of record or any deed from either the State or city.
The work of destruction, after being commenced at the northwest
corner of the steps of the building, was continued by the stripping
off of the tin roofing, large sheets of which were lowered to the plat-
form of the porch. In a few days preparation was made to have the
six columns at the north end of the building, fall at once. Part of
the roof timbers had been removed. Timbers connecting the roof
of the portico with the main building, were sawed through. Holes
were made above the tops of the columns at the east and west
corners. Through these were passed heavy iron cables, attached to
a long piece of strong, thick cordage, one end of which was attached
to a windlass or capstan, anchored to the ground and worked by
seven men. A gathering of people, estimated by some to be three
thousand in number, assembled on the Green to see the columns
fall. Photographers were on hand with their instruments. The
contractor, aided by policemen, kept the large crowd of men, women
and children present, outside of a line of ropes stretched at some
distance from the building. Around and around walked the wind-
lass-men, and as the rope began to strain, and the big pulley-blocks
to creak, a great silence prevailed among the people, who watched
everything with breathless interest, and eyes and generally mouths,
wide open. Presently was heard an ominous sound of the cracking
of the lower part of the columns, which had previously been cut
about half way through, at their foundation. Bits of plaster were
seen to fall and a moment afterward came the grand crash, all the
THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE.
145
pillars falling with majestic effect. The one towaitl the west leaned
first, the others immediately following the motion, so that all ap-
peared to strike the ground at nearly the same moment. Clouds
of lime-dust, like a thick smoke filled the air. A great shout went
up from the people and ev^erybody said that the whole show was a
perfect success. \\'hen the columns struck the eaith. ihe neighbor-
ing buildings felt the jar, and to the spectators was brought vividly
to mind the accounts of famous earthquakes in past times when
whole cities tumbled into ruins. Equally a success was the pulling
down of the columns of the south end of the building, and it was
more interesting because all the superstructure of the front of the
portico was brought down with them. ' Two or three days afterward,
a large piece of the front wall of the south end was pulled down.
Some of the west wall had already fallen and at this point in the
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REAL ESTATE AGENCY,
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2Q2 G- T?, ^^ nsr ID ^A^^V^EDSTTTDE
iii;iiiiiiiii:ii:;iiiii;(«i,iiiiii,iiiHi!|i(i
148 THE IIISIVRY OF THE STATE HOUSE.
work, the south steps having been taken awav, a photograph was
taken of the ruins, of which the picture here siiown is a true copy.
The photograph was taken by Bundy & Filley, 838 Chapel street,
who make a specialty of this branch of the art.
To the extreme right is seen a window and part of the rear of the
Center Church. Looking past that, appears the building, once the
residence of Joseph E. Sheffield, and occupied by the Misses
Edwards, whose school for young ladies has been very successful
for many years. The arched ceiling over the Hall of the Represent-
atives is shown, as well as the tiat ceiling hung under it, to improve
the acoustic advantages of the hall. There can also be seen the
pilasters of the north wall of the hall. Also the main entrance
to the building, and to the right of the centre, a piece of one of the
fallen columns. Tht rooms on the west side of the building were
occupied with objects of interest of the Historical Society. From
the front can be seen a little of the brick arches which supported
the platform of the porch. The trees on the Green are seen in full
foliage. The contractor levelled the southwest corner of the struct-
ure by exploding twenty-five pounds of gunpowder, on which about
eight cart loads of earth were deposited, in order to give effect to the
charge at the lowest part of the basement. Other attempts to bring
down parts of the building by use of gunpowder were not so suc-
cessful. The contractor sold the building-stone as fast as it could
l)e furnished to the buyers, who used it in building cellar walls in
various pans of the city. Much of the old mortar was utilized in
filling depressions in some of the roadways of the city.
In the City Year Book for 1888 will be found an interesting
paper furnished by J. Birney Tuttle, giving a brief historical account
of New Haven, together with a few statistics showing the general
conditions of the city as regards improvements, manufacturing
interests, and other things which go toward a complete statement of
municipal affairs. From this is here made a syllabus which in
connection with facts and dates from other sources, will be worth\
of preservation.
THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE. 1 49
Goffe, Whailey and Dixwell, the judges who assisted in condemn-
ing King Charles I. to death, arrived in New Haven, 1660.
The last victim of the whipping post on the Green, was in 1831.
The town was invaded by the British under General Tryon and
2,500 troops, June 5, 1779.
Termination of the war celebrated on the Green, the last Thurs-
day in April, 1783.
Population of the ciiy in 1787 numbered 3,540 souls, and in 1801,
it had increased to 4,000.
Grove Street Cemetery founded in 1796.
Roger Sherman, the first ma3'or, died in 1793. He had signed the
address of the American colonists to the King of England, the
Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation and
the Constitution.
Declaration of peace made known February 13, 1815.
Large fire on Long Wharf, destroyed twenty-six stores, October
28, 1820.
First steamboat to navigate Long Lsland Sound, the Fulton,
Captain Bunker, arrived at New Haven from New York, March 12,
1815.
Farmington canal completed 1825.
Hartford and New Haven railroad finished 1840.
Railroad connection with New London accomplished 1852.
Fight between Yale students and town boys, and stabbing of a
man by a student, on Chapel near Church street, 1854.
Excitement at news of the beginning of the war between North
and South, April, 1861.
Death of Rear-Admiral Andrew Hull Foote in New York, June
26, 1863 ; buried in Grove Street Cemetery.
First Connecticut regiment leaves for the scene of war for the
Union, May 9, 1861.
First 'New Haven officer killed in battle. Major Theodore Win-
throp : buried in Grove Street Cemetery.
New Haven Grays organized 18 16.
1^0 THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE.
Gen. Alfred H. Terry, honored by Congress for his part in the
capture of Fort Fisher, 1865.
New Haven's losses of men in the war for the Union, numbered
497-
New Haven contributed to the war in money, $29,681,409.
New Haven's centennial celebrated, Fourth of July, 1884, in
commemoration of the incorporation of the city. Governor Waller
present.
Soldiers' and sailors' monument on East Rock Park, dedicated
June 17, 1887.
Founders' Day celebrated, April 25, 1888, the old Lancasterian
school bovs being in the procession with their teacher, John E.
Lovell, in the ninety-fourth year of his age.
Population in 1889, estimated 85,000.
Annual cost of police department about $120,000.
Assessed value of taxable property in 1888, $50,000,000.
City Hall called " Hall of Record," technically, built 1861.
Real estate owned by the city and school district valued at
$2,000,000 in 1889.
Annual cost of fire department, about $80,000.
The police patrol 131 miles of streets.
Elm tree, corner of Chapel and Church streets, planted April 17,
1790.
First hospital building completed 1832.
New Haven Dispensary for free advice and medicine for the poor,
established 1872.
Orphan Asylum (Protestant) established 1833.
Saint Francis Orphan Asylum, supported by Roman Catholics,
managed "by Sisters of Mercy, organized 1884.
Home for the Friendless, incorporated 1869. Cares for unfor-
tunate girls and women.
First newspaper published in New Haven, 1755.
Number of manufacturing enterprises about one thousand, repre-
senting a capital of $25,000,000.
fBE HISTORY OF THE STA TE HOUSE. \ 5 {
Number of banking institutions, sixteen. Seven national banks
with an aggregate capital stock of $4,764,800 and a surplus of
$1,200,000. Four savings banks with local deposits of $11,526,954.41
and a surplus of $390,284.58.
Vakie of carriages manufactured each year, $2,000,000 ; hardware,
$2,500,000. Total annual product of manufactures, $30,000,000.
Number of horse railroad companies operating, six.
Board of Health, organized 1872.
Average daily consumption of city water, about nine hundred
million gallons.
Yale College founded 1701 at Branford, Conn. Located at Kil-
lingworth till 1707. First commencement, at Saybrook, 1702.
Located in New Haven, 17 17.
Number of Yale graduates and under-graduates in service, in the
War for the Union, 758, of whom 640 held commissions.
New Haven's graded school system begun 1853.
Number of mutual benefit societies or branches of large organiza-
tions, 52.
Number of temperance societies or divisions, 25.
Number of churches, 60, beside missions.
New Haven Colony, absorbed by Connecticut under the charter
granted to Governor Winthrop by Charles U., 1662, New Haven
acquiescing, December 14, 1664.
Stephen Goodyear, deputy governor of the New Haven Colony,
died in London, 1658. Matthew Gilbert, a deputy governor, died
1680. His grave-stone is to be seen outside of the iron railing, in
the rear of Center Church. It is but a few inches out of the
ground.
-David Yale, father of Elihu Yale, after whom the University is
named, removed to Boston, 1645.
David Wooster, after whom is named Wooster square, died at
Danbur}', May, 1777, from wounds received in battle, at Ridge-
field.
152 THE HISTORY OF THE STA/E HOUSE.
Noah Webster, author of Webster's dictionary, died in New Haven,
1843-
Eli Whitney, inventor of the cotton gin, died 1825. Buried in
Grove Street Cemetery.
First Episcopal Church built in New Haven, 1753.
First Methodist Church building erected 1807. First Baptist
Church built 1822. First Roman Catholic Church built 1834. First
LIniversalist Church built 187 1.
New Ha\en bought the town of Greenwich, 1640.
A ship sailed from New Haven, January, 1647, ''^ which were Mr.
Gregson and other gentlemen, bound for London, but nothing was
ever afterward heard of her.
The Dutch seized a ship in New Haven harboi, 1648.
Fifty men of New Haven and Branford, altempling to settle in
Delaware, were imprisoned by the Dutch, 165 1.
First public "commencement '' of Vale College in New Haven,
September 10, 17 18.
Rev. George Whitefield arrived, 1740. All the people worried
about religion. In 1745, Mr. Whitefield preached to the people
gathered on the Green.
First book printed in New Haven, 1755.
]Margaret, wife of Benedict Arnold, died 1775.
Yellow fever in New Haven, 1794.
Blue meeting house occupied for the last lime, 1815.
Speech by Red Jacket, Indian Chief, at the Tontine, March 12,
1829.
Death of Rev. Claudius Herrick, 183 1.
Harbor frozen over, six weeks, in the winter of 1835-6.
Cars commenced to run between New Haven and Meriden, 1839.
Canal railroad opened to Plainville, 1848. Same year, Catholic
Church burned, corner York street and Davenport avenue.
First railroad cars to New York, December, 1848.
A party of New Ha\-eners started for the gold fields of California,
March 12, 1849.
THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOCST. I 53
Execution of Foote and McCaffrey, at New Haven county jail,
October 2, 1850.
Prebident James Monroe visited New Haven, 181 7. He was
received by the military and citizens and given a dinner. Sunday
morning he attended at the Center Church and in the afternoon at
Trinity.
Wonderful exhibition of shooting stars in the morning of November
13' 1833.
Rev. Edwin Harwood elected rector of Trinity Church, 1859.
Rev. Harry P. Nichols elected assistant minister, 1883.
First rector of St. Paul's Church, Rev. Samuel Cooke, elected July
22, 1845.
St. Thomas' Episcopal Church organized in 1848. Christ Church,
now in Broadway, organized 1856. First service in the present
building, January 6, i860.
Grace Church, Blatchley avenue, organized April 10, 187 1
The Howard Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church, organized
1872.
St. John Street Methodist Episcopal Church, organized 1840
First Baptist Church organized October 30, 18 16. A second
Baptist Church formed 1842.
The Grand Avenue Baptist Church organized October 24, 1871.
Rev. S. M. Whiting, first regular pastor.
The First Universalist Society erected a church in 1850, on the
corner of State and Court streets. Afterward they built a church on
Orange, above Elm street, called the Church of the Messiah.
St. Patrick's Roman Catholic parish organized 1850. Their
church building, corner of Grand and Wallace streets, completed
and consecrated, 1853.
Corner stone of St. Francis Roman Catholic Church, Ferry street,
laid May, 1868.
Charles Goodyear, inventor and discoverer of uses for India
rubber, born in New Haven, December 29, 1800 , died in New York,
July I, i860.
154 ^^^ HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE.
Leila Day Nursery founded 1883.
Young Women's Christian Association, incorporated 1882.
Board of Associated Cliarities organized 1878.
A memorable evening was that of the 5th of September, 1887,
when the Board of Aldermen passed a resolution, in which the
councilmen concurred, on the 12th of the same month. It was this:
" Resolved, That a special committee, to consist of three aldermen and four
councilmen, be appointed to consider the expediency of submitting to a vote of
the people, at the next December election, the propositions whether the old State
House shall be repaired, or whether it shall be removed, and if removed, what use,
if any, shall be made of the site ; such committee to submit their report to the
Court of Common Council on or before the first Mondav in November next."
The committee was able and conscientious, and November 7 their
report was read, amended and accepted by the aldermen, and cer-
tain orders providing for submitting the matter to a vote of the
people, were passed. The councilmen concurred with the alder-
men, November 14. Both chambers also accepted the supplemental
report. The text of both follows :
Report.
*' To the Honorable Court of Covwwii Council :
"Your joint special committee, to whom was referred a resolution,
charging them with the duty of considering the expediency of sub-
mitting to a vote of the people, at the approaching December elec-
tion, certain propositions, to wit: whether the old State House sliall
be removed from the Green, or whether it shall be repaired ; and if
removed, what use, if any, shall be made of the site now occupied by
it — beg leave to report that they have attended to the business
assigned to them, and have to report as follows :
" Upon a careful examination of the records of the Court of
Common Council, during the past five or six years, we find that
the question of repairing or removing the ' old State House '
has been one involving much feeling, and one which has given
THE HISTORY OF THE STATE HOUSE. 155
rise to more heated discussions and exciting wrangles than any
other subject ever brought to the consideration of a Common
Council in this city. The community itself has been aroused and
led into unwonted discord, and is divided into parties, each equally
earnest with the other in its belief. Committees have been repeat-
edly appointed by various common councils ; numerous public hear-
ings, with many heated debates, have followed ; majority and
minority reports have been submitted to the several appointing
bodies, all of which have been finally disposed of, either by rejection,
tabling or indefinite postponement, still leaving the vexed question
of, What shall be done with the State House .'' apparently as far
from determination as ever,
" Meanwhile, the building itself has been growing more and more
dilapidated and unsightly, and the demand for some definite and
positive action by the city has necessarily become more imperative.
In its present condition the property is not only a blot upon the fair
face of our beautiful Green, but is a ruinous-lookino- disjjrace to the