Whale Oil Row

Whale Oil Row
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
U.S. Historic district
Whale Oil Row
Location	105-119 Huntington St., New London, Connecticut
Coordinates	41°21′22″N 72°6′0″W
Area	3 acres (1.2 ha)
Built	1835
Built by	Charles Henry Boebe
Architectural style	Greek Revival
NRHP reference No.	70000714
Added to NRHP	December 29, 1970

Whale Oil Row is a collection of four similar, high-quality Greek Revival houses standing side by side at 105–119 Huntington Street in New London, Connecticut. All were built for developer Ezra Chappel between 1835 and 1845 by Charles Henry Boebe, and exemplify the wealth and taste of New London's whaling-funded upper class. They were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1970.

Description and history

Whale Oil Row is located in downtown New London on the east side of Huntington Street between Federal Street and Governor Winthrop Boulevard. All four buildings are 2½ story wood framed structures with gable roofs and mostly clapboarded exterior. All four are distinguished by their two-story gabled Greek Temple porticos, with fluted Ionic columns supporting entablatures with dentillated cornices. The gables above are fully pedimented with a semicircular window at the center. The first one (105 Huntington) is slightly wider than the others, extending on either side of the front portico. The other three have three-bay, flush-boarded facades with the main entrance in the left bay.

This assembly of high-quality Greek temple-front houses may be unique in the United States. All four were built between 1835 and 1845; three were owned by men directly involved in New London's whaling industry, while the fourth was owned by a dry goods merchant. They remained in residential use until about the mid-20th century, when they were all converted to commercial office space.

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in New London County, Connecticut