The Elam Ives House is a historic house at 95 Ives Street in
Hamden, Connecticut
Hamden is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States. The town's nickname is "The Land of the Sleeping Giant". The population was 61,169 at the 2020 census.
History
The peaceful tribe of Quinnipiacs were the first residents of the ...
. Built in 1790, it is one of Hamden's oldest houses, and was home to the economically important Ives family, from whom the Ivesville area takes its name. It was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...
in 2010.
Description and history
The Elam Ives House is located in central eastern Hamden, on the south side of Ives Street (
Connecticut Route 22
Route 22 is a secondary state route within the U.S. state of Connecticut. Route 22 is an L-shaped road that is signed east–west from Hamden to the western junction of Route 80 in North Branford, and north–south to its east ...
) just west of the Mill River. It is a -story wood-frame structure, with a gabled roof, central chimney, and shingled exterior. Its main facade is three bays wide, with sash windows on either side of the central entrance. The entrance is simply framed, with a four-light transom window above. The interior is said to be relatively unaltered from its period of construction about 1790.
The house was built in 1790 by Elam Ives Sr., who farmed the land and engaged in other business pursuits. Ives' sons became active in industrializing the area, taking advantage of the failure of the
Farmington Canal
The Farmington Canal, also known as the New Haven and Northampton Canal, was a major private canal built in the early 19th century to provide water transportation from New Haven into the interior of Connecticut, Massachusetts and beyond. Its Mass ...
to convert its water power to productive business uses. The area became known as Ivesville through the extensive business activities of James Ives; other sons were also involved in the carriage making industry that became important in Hamden and
New Haven
New Haven is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut. It is located on New Haven Harbor on the northern shore of Long Island Sound in New Haven County, Connecticut and is part of the New York City metropolitan area. With a population of 134,02 ...
.
The house was acquired in 1912 by the local water authority, due to its location in a sensitive watershed area. It has owned the property since, occasionally renting it out.
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See also
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References
{{National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places in New Haven County, Connecticut
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut
Colonial architecture in the United States
Houses completed in 1790
Hamden, Connecticut