WHO WE ARE:
Board of Directors
Al Gorman
Barbara Hogan
Sam Becker
Martha Becker
Committee Chairs
Louise Brundage
Lois Casey
Betsy Gorman
Stella Johnson
Ken Minkema
Joe Pepe
Virginia Zukunft
The above streamlined list does not do justice to the Board members who wear more than one hat serving on many committees, assuming a variety of roles and contributing in numerous ways, making our Society an active and responsible community organization.
Help us, help Hamden.
THE HAMDEN HISTORICAL SOCIETY NEWSLETTER
FALL 2003
IN THIS ISSUE: Thank you to members, Dennis H. Harris House, Congratulations to All, Into the Past, Hamden Historical Society Library, Wine and Cheese Celebration for members.
..to all Society members who returned their dues in a timely fashion. A special note of appreciation to those of you who sent the Society an extra donation about your membership dues; fourteen of you donated a total of $270. Our Treasurer is more than pleased since our insurance premium for the Jonathan Dickerman House increased 36% over last year.
Dennis H. Harris House, c. 1881
This unique Victorian Gothic style house (Hamden: Our Architectural Heritage, p. 102) at 2022 Whitney Avenue was lost this summer in August, to the demolition by the owner. Having been empty for the last several years and neglected, it became a danger and the Town ordered it boarded up and the power cut off. Apparently there was no one able to step forward with an idea and the finance necessary to adapt it to commercial use. As a home, it did not sit in a neighborhood any longer; it had been isolated and forgotten. And now it is gone.
|
|
|
photographs courtesy of Al and Betsy Gorman
Early this summer the owners of the Hamden Plaza announced the removal of the "Ghost Parking Lot". In response to the New Haven Register's "Sound Off" column about scrapping Hamden's "Ghost Parking Lot", nine residents wrote a variety of comments from "Good riddance" to "It is time for it to go". None of the comments were positive, although some writers expressed hopes that it would be replaced by flowers and plantings. Certainly not always a popular piece of local sculpture, it did continually cause controversy and debate to the end.
The proposed new construction at the Plaza of two buildings, one on each of the Dixwell Avenue facing ends, do not require more parking than already exists for their needs. The Plaza owner simply does not want to care and maintain the sculpture any longer. He had been very patient over the last couple of years providing time, so that efforts to save the "Ghost Parking Lot" could be developed. Alas, they were unsuccessful. The space will remain empty as long as Marshall's leases space at the Plaza; when it expires, another building could be constructed along the Dixwell Avenue border.
Created by James Wines in 1978, the original 20 cars have deteriorated over the years exposing the rusted skeletons of the remaining fifteen. As a work of art, the site-specific outdoor sculpture made a statement concerning American culture. It gained notoriety in the art world illustrating how public art can be incorporated into a retail setting. The "Ghost Parking Lot" did not received the acclaim locally that it did outside Hamden. Yet, it became a Hamden landmark for 25 years.
A curiosity to some, a reminder of America's relationship with their automobiles or just a series of asphalt lumps, the "Ghost Parking Lot" served to challenge our visual senses, raise our interests and spur our imaginations in the world around us.
 |
You are invited to join members and friends of the Hamden Historical Society for wine and cheese Sunday, October 19 3:00-5:00 PM Jonathan Dickerman House Museum
|
This year marks the 211th birthday (or is it anniversary?) of the Jonathan Dickerman House! The Historical Society did not plan a party. It seems that as time passes we tend to celebrate major benchmarks, pausing to reflect at only the 25th or centennial or tercentennial or so forth. Yet, the 211 year old house was not neglected this year.
Part of the Society's mission is to care for the Dickerman House and open it for public visitations and education tours. In the Spring, Lois Casey and her team ushered hundreds of Hamden school children through, as part of their study of local history. In June, our volunteer clean up crew descended upon the "old red house" to wash its floors and windows, dust and polish, and hange the new curtains. Outdoor activities included bush trimming, resetting the driveway entrance posts, drip-hose laying and gutter installation on the Cider Barn; all this to make ready for the first July weekend summer opening. Members of the Spring Glen Garden Club made a number of trips to tend the herb garden-replanting, pruning, fertilizing and installing new plant identification signs. Our property manager, Joe Pepe, visits regularly to inspect the house and water the gardens.
So maybe we did not have a cake with candles, but we did fulfill our responsibilities and worked to "dress up" our Jonathan Dickerman House for its proud Two Hundred and Eleventh Year.
|
|
|
| The Inside Team: Lois Casey, Connie Whalen, Virginia Zukunft, Barbara Hogan (rear) and Betsy Gorman, missing from photo. | The Outside Team: Joe Pepe, Bob Zoni, Bill Doheny and Al Gorman. |
Hamden Historical Society Library
The Hamden Historical Society Library announces its hours for the year 2003-2004. The Library will open for the public on Tuesdays, 10-Noon, Thursdays 1-4 pm, and Sundays 1:00-3:30 pm. Appointments can be scheduled. Please contact Joe Pepe at: hhs@hamdenlibrary.org or jsphpep@aol.com.