Behind the Bricks of 756 Chapel St.

Recently, artist Colin Caplan took a few minutes out of his busy schedule to detail the fascinating history of 756 Chapel St., home of Project Storefronts and the Ripple Effect.  Colin, known around town for his amazing Taste of New Haven Food & Drink Tours, is the founder of Magrisso Forte LLC., a historical building preservation and design firm.  Here’s what he had to share:

P & Q Clothes and James Carroll Dental Center, 1925.

The bearing brick building was built around 1877 in the Italianate Victorian style for Paul Weil, a German Jewish immigrant who ran a tobacco shop and saloon there. He was born in Germany in 1830 and was heavily involved in New Haven’s Jewish community. His sons joined him in his business, and in 1883, he expanded his business to include a restaurant. Weil bottled soda on site and specialized in cigars, Milwaukee lager beers and wine. The upper floors of the building housed over various periods of time barbers, a scene painter, an architect and dentists. By World War I saloon converted over to clothing stores, which occupied the building up to the early 1960s. In 1966, Salvatore Libero and William Goldfarb started the Goldie Libro Music Center which was enjoyed by many a New Haveners for almost 40 years, until they closed in 2003.

An advertisement from the 1877 New Haven City Directory featuring Paul Weil’s business.