People strolling down Hillhouse Avenue sometimes stop and ponder the historic buildings that line the by-way, as if imagining the rooms behind those elegant facades. On Saturday, May 18, the curious-minded will have the opportunity to see how the fantasy matches the reality.
On that day, three Yale-owned buildings that are not usually open to the public will be putting out the welcome mat 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. as part of "Hillhouse Avenue: A Walking Tour," an event sponsored by the New Haven Preservation Trust and the New Haven Colony Historical Society.
Trained guides will lead half-hour guided walking tours of Hillhouse Avenue, which -- legend has it -- author Charles Dickens once described as "the most beautiful street in America." Food vendors will be in the neighborhood on the day of the tours, and free parking will be available in the Yale parking lot located on Whitney Avenue opposite Humphrey Street.
In addition, Judith Schiff, chief research archivist in manuscripts and archives at the Yale Library, will present an illustrated lecture outlining the neighborhood's history at noon in Davies Auditorium, Becton Center, 15 Prospect St.
Hillhouse Avenue is "more than just an architectural laboratory or a place of tranquil beauty," says Ms. Schiff. "A lot of exciting New Haven history happened there." In her talk, she will discuss the neighborhood's noted residents and business people -- many of whom played major roles in shaping the early history of Yale and New Haven. She will also look at the changes in the area, which once encompassed a city park and which has been used at various times for military drills and parades.
Admission to a tour and the lecture is $15 per person; admission to a tour alone or to the lecture alone is $10 per person. Tickets will be available on the day of the event at the corner of Hillhouse Avenue and Sachem Street.
The three Yale houses being featured on the tour are:
The Yale President's House -- a.k.a. the Henry Farnam House -- 43 Hillhouse Ave.. Built it as a private residence in 1871, this house was bequeathed to the University in 1883. The original High Victorian Gothic structure by architect Russell Sturgis Jr. was remodeled in 1937 into a Georgian Revival building by architects Kimball & Husted.
The Yale Provost's House -- Mary Prichard House -- 35 Hillhouse Ave. This Greek Revival house was built in 1837, architect: A.J. Davis, and was a private residence before it was acquired by Yale in 1953. Henry H. Townshend Jr., whose family resided in the house 1916 to 1953, will lead the 4 p.m. walking tour.
Horchow Hall -- Peletiah Perit Hous, 55 Hillhouse Ave. This Renaissance Revival House was built in 1859, architect: Sidney Mason Stone, and acquired by Yale in 1931. It served as an annex to the Peabody Museum of Natural History and for Bingham Oceanographic Laboratory, and is now part of the School of Management.