The People's Place: Four Centuries of Gathering on the New Haven Green

As the original colonial "commons", the Green has long served the needs of citizens through a variety of uses. These have included civic buildings, houses of worship, lands for grazing, and even as a final resting place for the dead. Over the years, the Green has been the stage for parades, protests, road races, recitals, military musters, mattress derbies, speeches, and the Special Olympics. Some of this history, such as the auctions of enslaved people, challenge our perceptions of the Green as a place for civic good.

As a cultural landscape, New Haveners have shaped the Green as much as it has shaped them. This program will explore why these changes matter — and why this history is relevant to the future of the Green. This dialogue will be hosted by the New Haven Preservation Trust, the New Haven Museum, and the New Haven Free Public Library using a variety of archival materials.