Courtland Wilson’s Legacy: A New Beacon in the Hill

For the first time in 20 years, people in the Hill, like these kids, have their own library. Click here and here to listen to some of the initial reaction to the state-of-the-art building named after a late civil-rights leader. And read on for a tour.

City officials, members of the arts community, and donors to the new public library branch got a peek at the new building and the books inside at a reception Thursday night.

The Courtland Seymour Wilson branch library on Washington Avenue is a 21st century building with resources to match. An open area on the lower level will accommodate public functions and classes, while the heart of the library —” its books and other resources —” are on the upper level.

Nancy Moscoso Guzm√ɬ°n is the Hispanic services coordinator for the library system. Her office will be at the new library. Click here to listen to what she says about the new building, the first library to serve the Hill in more than 20 years, and the first new library construction in more than 40 years.

The library is named in honor of a long-time community activist who died in 2000. His widow, Ruth, and son Jon were on hand for the reception.

Courtland Wilson was born in 1918 and lived in New Haven, except for a stint in the military in World War II. He helped bring in the machinists union at the Winchester firearms plant; he served as president of the local NAACP; and was instrumental in the 1960s in founding both the Hill Parents Association and the New Haven Black Coalition. He worked as assistant dean of student affairs at Yale Medical School, then went to Yale-New Haven Hospital in the Office of Government and Community Relations. Later he worked for many years at the Hill Development Corporation, especially on housing issues, serving as executive director until his death.

The new library’s architects, Pozzi Associates, made up of father and son, both named Paul, were on hand for the reception, too. The elder Pozzi described his vision for the building, which he hopes will be a landmark like other buildings he designed in the Hill. Click here to listen to his comments.

Flowers bedecked the tables upstairs, like these beauties, behind which a discerning viewer might be able to glimpse Hill Alderman Jorge Perez.

Lots of aldermen were present, including Hill representatives Dolores Col√ɬ≥n, Andrea Jackson-Brooks, and Jackie James.

Dick Grossi, former chairman and CEO of United Illuminating, dropped by. He lived in the Hill for his first few years, back when it was heavily Italian. ​“I have some pleasant memories of this area,” he said while perusing the books in the young adult section.

The public is invited to the official opening on Saturday with a celebration from 1 to 5 p.m. The new branch will be open the same hours as the other libraries: Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday, Noon to 8 p.m., and Saturdays, 1 to 5 p.m. It will be closed on Friday and Sunday.