State Welfare Office

In New Haven, like in other cities, there is a building committed to help families with children, elders, people with disabilities, and people with H.I.V. -- the State Welfare Office. When walking by you may see lots of windows and glass doors. When looking inside you may see lots of chairs for all the people waiting. When passing by you also see people on their phones.

The State Welfare Office provides assistance to needy families so that children may be cared for in their own homes or in the homes of relatives. Elders receive assistance with caregiving, cash, food, and housing, as well as medical. If you are living with a disability, you can get help with medical care, food, cash, and employment, as well as social work services. Those living with H.I.V/AIDS are assisted with medical, food, and cash, as well as housing.

Newhall Street

When you down Newhall Street all you see are houses -- two and three family buildings, constructed in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Though it may not look like it, there is some important history behind this street. It all goes back to George Newhall. In 1855 George Newhall first started out working on steam driven equipment but, he soon noticed that a lot of people weren’t in favor of it. He was a business man so he started looking for other fields of work. Newhall taught himself the art of carriage making at a factory called Hooker and Osborne which was located on Park Street at the time. Even though he a was young man, he opened up his own business and continued trade for more than forty years. In 1860 he moved his business by the old railroad which runs parallel to Dixwell Avenue. As time went on Newhall purchased large tracts of land in the neighborhood from Henry and Joseph Munson as well as Ives Estate. He opened streets, built a number of houses and generally improved the property. Today Newhall Street is named in memory of this prominent businessman.

Albertus Magnus College

In 1924, the Dominican Congregation of Saint Mary of the Springs purchased an estate in New Haven, Connecticut, in an effort to found a women's college. The mansion on the property was named Rosary Hall and a charter was signed on July 13, 1925. The very first classes at Albertus Magnus College were held on September 24, 1925 in Rosary Hall. Since 1926, the College has acquired several mansions, which are now used for student housing and administration. Rosary Hall has become the College library. Albertus Magnus College became co-educational in all its programs in 1985, and has continued to expand. Today, Albertus Magnus has 2400 students, including many adult students and graduate students.

Winchester Gun Factory

The Winchester story is a long one, and plays an important role in the history of New Haven as a city. The Winchester Factory started in 1854 as the Volcanic Repeating Arms Company, and moved to New Haven in 1856, changing its name to the New Haven Arms Company. Shortly thereafter, Oliver Winchester bought the company, and its name changed once more. As the United States went to war, Winchester flourished, and grew into one of New Haven's largest employers. But as factories all over New Haven closed -- due to cheaper wages in other places -- Winchester struggled too. Eventually, Winchester was bought by the Olin Corporation, and the workforce was cut dramatically. Today, Winchester's many buildings are mostly empty, or converted to other uses, and the city is trying to find a buyer to keep Winchester in New Haven.