Daemons Discover New Haven: Gallowglass’ Condo

“You’re welcome to stay with us on Court Street,” I offered. “There’s a spare bedroom on the third floor. You’d have privacy.”
“Thanks, but I’m around the corner. At Gallowglass’s condo,” Miriam replied.
“What condo?” Matthew frowned.
“The one he bought on Wooster Square. Some converted church. It’s very nice—a bit too Danish in decor, but far preferable to Marcus’s dark-and-gloomy period.” Miriam looked at Matthew sharply. ”
~ The Book of Life

As Deb has frequently said, if she doesn’t have to make up things, she doesn’t!  … And so she didn’t … in the case of Gallowglass’ living quarters he calls home in New Haven.  The inspiration for his condo is The Gables at Wooster Square, the former St. Casimir’s Church on Greene Street.

The Gables at Wooster Square

From the outside it appears to be very church-like, and it is easy to picture parishioners once assembling there.  As you can see above, like an imprint of a sacred structure, the outside has a small steeple, one large round church window with light tracery, several lancet windows, a pointed archway with a vaulted ceiling at the entrance, a quatrefoil wood carving above the entrance door, and is adorned with a cross or two on the brick facade.

☞ Side note:  While you may know the term “quatrefoil,” let us indulge in its rich history:  Popular in both the Gothic and Renaissance periods, it was often seen as tracery on a ceiling.   It has strong symbolic roots.  The quatrefoil is an ancient symbol of good luck, and since it is readily dividable into equal portions, it is said to also symbolize harmony, symmetry and proportion.  In Christianity, the four leaves represent the four gospel authors in the Bible: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. (cite: Décor Arts)

Gables entrance with quatrefoil wood carving

These elements above are very typical of an ecclesiastical structure, but let’s get to the inside.  Was it Danish in décor?  Based on the two units we saw, the Daemons say yes - very Danish - mostly!

"Inside the house pools of lamplight cast a warm glow over a few personal belongings. Otherwise it was sparsely decorated with Danish Modern furniture made from blond wood accented with occasional antiques and splashes of bold color."
~ The Book of Life

Danish décor is known for its neutral colors, wood flooring, light wood, and an abundance of light on the aesthetic end, as well as its minimalist design and functionality on the practicality end.

Interior of condo

Interior of condo – complete with a Yale chest ;)

However, because this was a former church, the architects and builders preserved some of the adornments from St. Casimir’s and incorporated them into the units.  These are some of the original but refurbished pieces:

As they say in real estate, location is everything, and thus the name – The Gables at Wooster Square - as it is across the street from the historic Wooster Square. (Kind of a no-brainer on the name, right?)

Exit these beautiful doors….

Gables exit with a church-like stained glass replica holdover

And outside is Wooster Square!

Wooster Square

Unfortunately, we did not have a Gallowglass or Miriam sighting, but that doesn’t mean we didn’t look or think we were among some genius daemons, breathtaking vampires, or crafty witches while strolling this historic district!  In fact, there was a talented sketch artist standing outside of the Gables feverishly and brilliantly drawing its likeness.  Perhaps, she was doing intel and was associated with a certain other “congregation” not of the church type… ;)

We grabbed a couple of copies of the real estate flyers!  See/download the flyers for each of the units that we toured:
Unit 3
Unit 10

To see our full gallery of photos from The Gables at Wooster Square (aka Gallowglass’ condo), visit us on Flickr - here!

Until next time friends, #FeedYourDaemons…



^{Post by A. Hutter
Follow us on Facebook - Twitter - Pinterest - Tumblr - Instagram - Subscribe - Podcast}