About Walk New Haven

This WALK NEW HAVEN: Cultural Heritage Tours website is part of a multi-media project that has been created by the Ethnic Heritage Center (EHC). Although some of the buildings described are no longer standing, their stories remain. This self-guided walking / biking / driving tour tells the pre-1970 stories of the experiences, contributions and hardships faced in New Haven by five of the cultural and ethnic groups that have enriched our community. A major goal of the EHC is to stimulate an interest among the many additional cultural groups in New Haven to form historical societies to preserve and share their histories. This project is the start of that process. We plan to include sites important to additional cultural groups in our community in the future.

The EHC was founded in 1988 and has five member historical societies:

Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven, founded in 1976
Italian-American Historical Society of Connecticut, founded in 1979
Connecticut Ukrainian-American Historical Society, founded in 1983
Connecticut Irish-American Historical Society, founded in 1988
Greater New Haven African American Historical Society, founded in 2003

Acknowledgments

This project was initially made possible through the enthusiastic support of New Haven Mayor Toni Harp and a generous matching grant from the Jewish Foundation and Jewish Federation, with special thanks to Sydney Perry and Lisa Stanger. We appreciate the support of Dr. Mary A. Papazian, former President of Southern Connecticut State University which has provided a home to the Ethnic Heritage Center since 1992. Patrick Cardon of The Museum in the Streets was very encouraging and generous with his time in our initial planning. We thank Jason Bischoff-Wurstle (Photo Archivist) and Margaret Ann Tockarshewsky (Director) of the New Haven Museum, Anne Ostendarp of the Knights of Columbus Multimedia Archive and local historians Joe Taylor and Colin Caplan for sharing their historic pictures and insights. We also thank Martha Sullivan for help with proofreading, and Angel Diggs from the New Haven Register and Seth Godfrey and Allison Botelho from the New Haven Free Public Library for research assistance. Special thanks to Allen Samuel for his ongoing technical and moral support.

Project Committee

Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven: Rhoda Sachs Zahler Samuel (Project Coordinator), Robert Pierce Forbes, Ph.D. (Historian and Copy Editor), Marvin Bargar (JHS Archivist), Michael Berson (Student Intern), Albert Harary (President), Aaron Goode, Judith Schiff (City of New Haven Historian and Chief Research Archivist at Yale’s Sterling Library), Judith Janette, Edith Goodmaster
Greater New Haven African American Historical Society: Margery Mills, Valerie Bertrand (President), Diane Petaway, Edward Cherry, FAIA, Tarah Cherry, Sheila Jewell
Italian-American Historical Society of Connecticut: Joanne Iuteri Ludwig (Vice President), Jane Scarpellino, Jo-Anne Giammattei, Maria Villecco, Patricia Esposito, Frances Calzetta
Connecticut Irish-American Historical Society: Patricia Heslin, Tom Geirin, Paul Keroack, Susan Brosnan, George Waldron (President)
Connecticut Ukrainian-American Historical Society: Gloria Horbaty, Donald Horbaty
Ethnic Heritage Center: Frank James Andriulli III (SCSU Student Intern)
Design and Project Consultant: Jeanne Criscola, Criscola Design

About the Ethnic Heritage Center

The Ethnic Heritage Center (EHC) is a non-profit ethnic heritage archives, museum, and research center, arising out of the two-decades-long association of five New Haven, Connecticut-based ethnic historical societies. We are based on the campus of Southern Connecticut State University and registered as a 501(c)3 charitable organization. To learn more about EHC, visit our website.

Ethnic Heritage Center

Gloria Horbaty, President
Patricia Heslin, First Vice President
Robert P. Forbes, PhD, Second Vice President
Laura Parisi, Third Vice President
Donald Horbaty, Treasurer
Diane Petaway, Secretary
Rhoda Zahler Samuel, Walk New Haven Coordinator
Aaron Goode, Walk New Haven Technology Consultant

Areas Served

The EHC is open to visitors and responds to requests for information from all over the world.

Our Sponsors

Platinum Sponsors | $10,000+

Jewish Foundation and Jewish Federation of Greater New Haven

Gold Sponsors | $2,000 – $9,999

Italian American Historical Society of Connecticut
Knights of Columbus
Jewish Historical Society of Greater New Haven
Irish History Round Table
Rosa DeLauro
Rita A. Landino

Silver Sponsors | $200 – $1,999

Connecticut Irish American Historical Society
Connecticut Ukrainian American Historical Society
Greater New Haven African American Historical Society
Laura and Robert Parisi
St. Patrick’s Alumni
Harold Miller
Rhoda Sachs-Zahler Samuel
Carole Brown
Robert Larkin
Carol Burke
Rosemary Barrett
Patricia Heslin