Hamden Bank & Trust Building facts for kids

Hamden Bank & Trust Building
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
Location in Connecticut Show map of Connecticut Location in the United States Show map of the United States
Location	1 Circular Ave., Hamden, Connecticut
Area	0.3 acres (0.12 ha)
Built	1927 (1927)
Built by	National Construction Co.
Architect	Townsend, C. Frederick
Architectural style	Classical Revival
NRHP reference No.	90000148
Added to NRHP	March 1, 1990

The Hamden Bank & Trust Building is a historic building in Hamden, Connecticut. It was built in 1927. This building is a great example of a style called Classical Revival architecture. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1990. For many years, it was a bank. Today, it holds different offices.

What is the Hamden Bank & Trust Building?

The Hamden Bank & Trust Building is in a busy area of southern Hamden. It sits on a unique piece of land. This land is shaped like a triangle. It is where Circular Avenue and Dixwell Avenue (Connecticut Route 10) meet.

What Does the Building Look Like?

The building itself is mostly shaped like a trapezoid. This means it has four sides, but they are not all the same length. The front of the building is narrow. It faces the street corner. The longer sides run along the two roads.

The building is made from special cast stone. This stone looks like cut blocks. It comes in different colors. The main entrance is at the corner. It has tall, decorated columns on each side. There are also more columns near the corners. Each of the long sides has three big, round-arch windows. A decorative top section runs around all three sides that face the street.

A Look Back in Time: The Bank's Story

The Hamden Bank & Trust company started in 1925. A group of local business people created it. At first, the bank rented space in another building. This special building was finished in 1928. It was designed by C. Frederick Townsend from New Haven, Connecticut.

The town's post office was located in the back of this building. The bank also rented out office space. Professionals could use the upper level. Sadly, the bank closed in 1931. This happened because of the Great Depression. The Great Depression was a very difficult time. Many businesses and banks closed across the country.

From 1937 to 1983, a different bank used the building. It was the Hamden branch of the Union & New Haven Trust Company. Because of this, many people started calling it the Union Trust building.