HISTORY OF HHS

ARTICLE 1: Hamden High School included in National Record of Historic Places

Below is the link to the U.S. Dep't of the Interior National Park Service. This registration form was approved in 1964 allowing Hamden High School to be included in The National Register of Historic Places. 

http://pdfhost.focus.nps.gov/docs/NRHP/Text/94001378.pdf

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARTICLE 2: Details on the murals in the lobby

Salvatore DeMaio, shown here at work on the murals for the Hamden High School Lobby.

At work on mural for high school, Hamden, view 1

DeMaio, Salvatore (1908-1960)

Salvatore DeMaio was born in New Haven, Connecticut in 1908. He attended the city’s public schools. He entered the Yale School of Fine Arts, and in 1930, his senior year, won the Prix de Rome which granted him a free residence in Rome and an $8,000 scholarship for three years to study there and in other European cities. When DeMaio returned to the United States, he played the trumpet in Rudy Vallee’s and Artie Shaw’s bands in order to make ends meet. He worked for the WPA Federal Arts Project from 1935-1939, painting 21 easel paintings and five murals. Four of the murals were at the Teachers College in New Haven, the 2nd Regiment Armory in New Haven, Hamden High School, the Governor’s Foot Guard Hall in New Haven. The fifth was of the Battle of Santiago and was brought aboard the U.S.S. Phelps. DeMaio owned and operated the Weathervane Restaurant in Hamden and stored many of his paintings there. Unfortunately they were destroyed in a fire. He died in 1960.

To view early photos of the murals in the high school lobby, copy and paste the following into your browser window:

https://flickr.com/photos/ctarchives/sets/72157624614838557/

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ARTICLE 3: Hamden High School Newspaper

First Year of "THE DIAL"

March 17, 1936 issue

[Editorials]

MURALS DECORATE LOBBY

    Worthy of the careful scrutinty of each student are the murals which decorate our foyer. We believe that possibly no other high school in the country has a more artistically adorned lobby then we have at Hamden High School. The project of designing these eleven murals which portray the devlopment of Hamden from its early days until the erection of our high school, was begun a year ago. The murals were first painted on canvas at the Newhall Street School and later placed on the walls by the artists. The work is rapidly nearing completion.

    Salvatore DeMaio is in charge of the work, and his assistants are Joseph Scherk and Frank Rukoski. Mr. DeMaio is a graduate of the Yale Art School and the winner of the coveted Prix de Rome in 1930. Since his return from abroad, he has painted the murals in the children's room of the New Haven Public Library, and a large mural for the Naval Acadamy at Annapolis as well.

    Through the generosity of Uncle Sam the only expense that the town will incur is the costs of the materials. The artists will be paid by the government for their services. The history of our town is depicted by the murals in the following order: Forging and Casting Metal Products, The Farming Industry, Building the First Town Truss Bridge, The Whitney Dam under Construction, Making Carriage Parts at Mt. Carmel, Early Social Life, Molding and Burning Brick, Cutting Ice on Lake Whitney, and The Completion of the High School. 



UA-78232780-1