Built in 1868/1869, the Clark M. Loomis House is an Italianate residence at 535-537 Orange Street in New Haven. Clark Merrick Loomis (1829-1880) was born in Oswego, New York. At age 16 he went to Springfield, Mass., where he worked at carriage-making. He later continued to work in the carriage business in New Haven. He then served in the Sixth Connecticut Regiment in the Civil War. A detailed analysis of Clark M. Loomis appears in The Phrenological Journal and Life Illustrated, Vol. L, No. 2 (February, 1870), which explains that, after the Civil War,
he returned to New Haven, and being desirous of engaging in some mercantile pursuit, he purchased a small music store, which was but the embryo of his present extensive business. Honorable dealing, judicious advertising, combined with the boldest enterprise, have marked his career and been the elements of his success. Although not a practical musician, Mr. Loomis is an ardent lover of “the art divine,” and has neither been sparing of time or expense in efforts to secure its advancement. Several publications of a musical character owe their existence to his munificence, among which is Loomis’ Musical Journal—an able advocate of the highest style of music as an art—and which is fast gaining a high position among periodicals of its class. Perhaps no journal of this kind has done so great and so apparent a work in the improvement of musical taste and sentiment as Loomis’ Musical Journal has accomplished in New Haven.
By Mr. Loomis’ system of conducting business, many families enjoy the refining influences of a first-class musical instrument, who otherwise could not have afforded the luxury. He is deserving of much credit for his able advocacy of the cause of esthetic taste, and admiration for his energetic and business-like qualities.
Loomis founded the Loomis Temple of Music in 1865, after purchasing the store owned by C.E. Dudley. In addition to selling instruments, Loomis published sheet music and, starting in 1867, Loomis’ Musical Journal, which was later expanded to cover a variety of topics and was known as Loomis’ Musical, Masonic, and Ladies’ Fashion Journal.
I’ve always wondered about this house. The regular gabled Italianate with the oddly placed tower, the two entrances are very strange. It does make sense that he was from upstate; the oriole window over the door is a classic feature of upstate NY architecture.