New Haven Green

The New Haven Green is an outdoor area of 16 acres which is privately owned recreation space in downtown New Haven. The area is made up of the central square of the original nine-square settlement plan of the Puritans who settled New Haven. The area was surveyed by John Brockett. The Green is surrounded by Church, Chapel, College and Elm Streets. The Green was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1970. The Green was originally called the marketplace and is similar to many of the town greens of its time. The Green was also home to a school, a prison and a watch house, as well as the First Methodist Church. The church was moved in 1848 when a new church was built in the area. There is a crypt at the Green and served as the main burial grounds for people in the area for the first 150 years of the town. There is still a small portion of the crypt preserved in the area. Today, the Green features university buildings, as well as municipal and commercial structures. The Wachovia Bank Building is located on the eastern corner of the lower Green and the New Haven Free Public Library is located on the northeast side of the lower Green.