Reviving History
Reimagining Community
Following years of community planning, the City of New Haven is embarking on a planning effort for the historic Goffe Street Armory.
The website is a clearinghouse for information about the Goffe Street Armory, its architecture and social history, and the ongoing public efforts to reinvigorate this invaluable public asset. It is also a collector of information about the Armory. Please contribute your memories and ideas in the comments sections found on each page and join our mailing list.
What is the Goffe Street Armory?
The Goffe Street Armory, built in 1930, is a key historic landmark for the city of New Haven. Designed as a military building, the Armory, since its inception, has served as a multipurpose civic hub, hosting events from large-scale gatherings like the Black Expo to performances including Stevie Wonder and Frank Sinatra to trade conventions to emergency shelter. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 and the CT Freedom Trail in 2023 for its significance to the Civil Rights Movement and Connecticut's Black history.
What is happening at the Armory?
Since 2010, when the City of New Haven assumed ownership of the Armory, hundreds of New Haveners have participated in events to reimagine this structure, ranging from art exhibitions to community forums to outdoor workshops. Organized by the Armory Community Advisory Committee, these voices have come together to demand that the Armory be saved, preserved, and transformed into a new civic hub.
“How do we make this space welcoming, ensuring people are actually invited in the space, ensuring the doors are always open?”
Armory Community Meeting Participant, 2023
How can I get involved at the Armory?
Community Garden
Since 2017, community members have maintained a community garden on the east side of the Armory. Led by Nadine Horton, you’ll find the group on site on Saturday mornings from spring to fall. Click the link below to visit the Armory Community Garden Instagram to stay up to date on the latest happenings and join us for Saturday workdays.
Future Vision
During Fall 2025 and Spring 2026, the City of New Haven will be launching into the next phase of the Armory’s development with an Adaptive Reuse and Market Feasibility Study. Following years of grassroots community planning, a team of architects, designers, and financial planners are working with community stakeholders to develop a plan for the redevelopment of the Armory. Join us for upcoming community meetings.
Share your Voice
Share your ideas on the future of the armory and your opinions about its future use by adding your voice to the Armory Poll.
Have a memory of the Armory you can share?
FAQs
All about the Armory
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The Goffe Street Armory, built in 1930, is a key historic landmark in the Dixwell neighborhood. The building features a unique architectural design and has long served as an important civic asset. It is approximately 160,000 square feet across three floors and a basement and is owned by the City of New Haven. The building was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2021 and the CT Freedom Trail in 2023 for its significance to the Civil Rights Movement and Connecticut's Black history. Its adaptive reuse is central to efforts to revitalize the surrounding area and create a vibrant community hub. The building’s location and scale make it a prime candidate for redevelopment that could serve a variety of community needs while respecting its historical significance.
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The Armory has been owned by the City of New Haven since 2009.
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Following years of grassroots community planning, the City of New Haven is now leading an effort to create an adaptive reuse and market feasibility study for the building’s redevelopment.