Morning journal and courier., 1882-08-03
The Old State House.

The Old State House.
Shall 1T be Demoiished-A Plea for It's |
Iaetention--Its Demolition Character |
inent Citizen. |
Owing to the marked public interest in the
State House question, we obtained yesterday
an interview with Mr.. Thomas Il. Trow
bridge, ir., whose views in answer to several
inquiries on the subject were as follows:
Mr.. Trowbridge said: I entirely OPP
posed, citizen and taxpayer, to the re-
moval of the old State House and for several
reasons. The first is that the building is too
good property to take down ana be wasted.
When it was built it was very strongly built.
The walls, outside and the parti-walls, are of
solid stone, about two feet in thickness. The
outside finish is cheap on account of the
paucity of the appropriation by the Legisa-
ture for the building. There is no man in
New Haven who if he owned that building
would entertain for moment the idea of de-
Eolishing it, but on the contrary would re-
pair it and put it in complete order, and get
handsome income from it by it's use for bust
ness purposes. The basement is a dark,
damp place, because nothing has ever been
done towards properly draining it, and it
now receives all the water that falls on the
west side of the building, it finding it's way
into the basement and rendering the lower
part of it damp. Of course this can be rem
edied and by very small outlay,
as Major Maher said ct the
meeting last Thursday evening. The second
story of the building is as dry and free from
damp as any dwelling house in New Haven.
Fine pieces of polished iron work which have
been in the building for several years are free
from any sign of rust or blur. Books print
ed on fine, delicate paper are free from any
sign of mold or damp. The rooms are
slightly dark at present, which is owing to
the unsightly, tasteless maple trees that are
set out on either side, and which ought to be
removed, whether the State House is Or not
By their removal the would all be
light and cheerful.
should like to say here that the building,
as it stands now, lis in better repair than many
public buildings chat are to be seen in differ
emit parts of Europe. In England, when q
public building reaches the state in which
the State House now is, instead of demolish
ing it and getting it out of sight. great inter
est is taken in raising funds for its restora-
ton, and scarcely month goes by but what
in the London Illustrated Neaos we see repre-
! sensations of buildings thus restored, and an
account of the services in honor of the
/ restoration. In my opinion if the citizens of
New Haven should allow that building to be
removed, we should be Justly called reckless
and extravagant, and taxpayer I most
| strenuously protest against it.
There is no one in the city but what would
be glad to have handsome, enduring memo
| rial to Connecticut soldiers who fell in the
| war of the rebellion erected in prominent
place on the New Haven Green, but to de-
molish the State h ouse for the contamination
| of this purpose would be poor piece of
| business. There are far better sites on the
| Green for soldiers monument than that COW
cred by the old State House-for instance, in
the rear of Trinity church, nearly opposite
the New Haven House corner. At such a
point monument would be far more slightly
| and imposing than that on the old State House
site, and it would be there visited by thou
| sands where, if it stood where the State
| House stands, visitors would be numbered
only by hundreds.
One of the principal objections to the build
| ing isthat the sides succeed, but SO are
| the Sheffield Scientific school building on
Grove street. corner of Prospect, the origi-
| nal State hospital building, the New Ha-
ven orphan asylum and many of the private
! residences of New Haven. No one of these
| buildings, if neglected and abused for twenty
| years and over, but would be in the same
| oondision as that in which the old State House
| now is. And the principal reason that the
| building is in the condition that it now is is
because it has been shamefully neglected.
Another of the objections raised is that the
| north and south porticoes are used for i'm
moral purposes. This is not SO, because the
gentleman and lady who have resided in thu
building for the past five years say that tn
steps are only used by respectable
| peouIe to sit down upon during Dleasan
evenings of the summer, and for playing
and and g iGG D snd t games charge 3Is
was urged at the meeting two weeks ago in
paper read at the time is mistake.
Major Maher tells me that for $40, 900 b.
would repair the building and make it al
ornament to the city and make it building
of which our citizens would be proud
There has been another offer from
respectable builder to repair it prop
erly at still less sum than that
If the building should be removed at an
time we should be called upon to erect
building that would not be as good buildin
as this, and would cost from $780, t.
100000.
Notwithstanding all that has been sal
about it's not being the place for public Ii
brary, in my opinion it is just the place fs
it, No person in want of book would hesi
| tate to walk across our pleasant Green to tn
State House to visit the library. In Ne,
| York young men and women come from VII
liamsburg, Brooklyn and Jersey City to visi
the public libraries in New York city. Thi
I have ascertained from personal inspection
and SO it would be here. The distance
nothing to those who wish to consult book
or magazines and the spot being in the hear
of the city it is equally accessible to our Cit
| zens from all quarters. The State House ha
been open for a day or two and those of GU
| citizens who are anxious to demolish it shout
visit it and see if the charges are we'll ground
ed about its alleged dampness and geners
dilapidation.
AS to the safety of the building. of who
some doubts were expressed at the meetin
last Thursday evening, the building has nc
settled nearly as much as is the in man
| private residences in New Haven that wer
| built at much later period.
The mere fact that the old citizens of Ne'
Haven who have lived here all their lifetim
, and have grown up with the building ar
anxious to save it should be received with re
! spect. have conversed With good man
} | men of note in the city and I have foun
| with but few exceptions that those who ar
burdened with the taxes of the city are or
| posed to the demolition plan, and are in favo
| of preserving the building, on account of it
antiquity. 1t is not an old building at all. i
the sense of decay Or uselessness. 1t is
| we'll built, modern building. Many of tn
private residences of New Haven were oil
before the State House was erected. ven
| lure TO say CQdG TIC Du1lAluR can De put i
| order-drained in the cellar, steps repaired
holes and gaps in the stuoco filed and painted
new windows put in, and the dismal mapl
trees which surround it cut down, new ash
| lers of brick or stone made, and the result b
| a building the city can take pride in, an,
cause wonder on the part of our citizens tina
the thought of demolition was ever enter
| tanned for one moment.
think the suggestions made by Mr.. Whit
ney with regard to the basement and tn
uses it might be put to excellent and wei
worthy of consideration.
Many of the cities of the United State
would rejoice to be presented with such
| we should see to what admirable uses it coul,
be put to. I am sure they would not want i
| to be destroyed.
Our city was visited few days ago by
gentleman from Copenhagen who was wei
| versed in architecture-in fact, had made it
study. He considered the State House tn
finest building in New Haven, both for styI
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