The New Haven Armory (also known as the Goffe Street Armory) is a historic building at 270–290 Goffe Street in the Dixwell neighborhood of New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Developed between 1928 and 1930, the armory served the Connecticut National Guard and the Second Company Governor's Foot Guard. It has also served as a venue for concerts, events and other civic functions in the community.

Description and history

The building was designed by Payne and Keefe. It is a fortress-like structure with a red brick exterior in a Romanesque revival style. The building consists of three main parts: a vast vaulted drill hall, a surrounding U-shaped head house, and an extending wing on the west. The four-story entry tower of the headhouse dominates the facade, with "state armory" engraved near the top. The building features basket-weave brickwork, arches, corbelling, and a molded

cornice In architecture, a cornice (from the Italian ''cornice'' meaning "ledge") is generally any horizontal decorative moulding that crowns a building or furniture element—for example, the cornice over a door or window, around the top edge of a ...

. The enormous interior space has meeting rooms, offices, lounges and a lobby area. The drill hall is of unobstructed space and features a web of steel trusses spanning the ceiling. The building has served as a venue for dog, antique and boat shows, as well as exhibitions and concerts, with artists including

Frank Sinatra Francis Albert Sinatra (; December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998) was an American singer and actor. Nicknamed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Chairman of the Board" and later called "Ol' Blue Eyes", Sinatra was one of the most popular ...

and the

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. A home show held at the armory in the 1940s included a full-sized

Cape Cod house A Cape Cod house is a low, broad, single or double-story frame building with a moderately-steep-pitched gabled roof, a large central chimney, and very little ornamentation. Originating in New England in the 17th century, the simple symmetrical de ...

. It played a role during the New Haven Black Panther trials in 1970 as the staging ground for the National Guard response to protests. Annual "Black Expos" were held at the armory in the 1970s to promote and discuss economic, political, and social concerns important to the African-American community. Ownership was transferred to the City of New Haven in 2009 when both guard units moved to other facilities and the armory was deemed surplus. Efforts to secure funds so that the building can be renovated to serve the community are ongoing. The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2021.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Buildings and structures in New Haven, Connecticut National Register of Historic Places in New Haven, Connecticut Armories on the National Register of Historic Places in Connecticut Romanesque Revival architecture in Connecticut Buildings and structures completed in 1930

Description and history

See also

References