Drive-By
Exterior architectural visit
View the Cross and Cross facade and the cupola that intentionally echoes the three churches on the New Haven Green directly across the street.
- Duration:
- 15 min
Other Dark Tourism Site
Union and New Haven Trust Building
1927 Colonial Revival skyscraper by Cross and Cross at Church and Elm Streets — its cupola mirrors the New Haven Green churches — and the site of an unusual 2004 multi-agency police search for reported paranormal activity.
205 Church Street, New Haven, CT 06510
Wheelchair Accessible
Research-Backed · 3 sources
Research updated May 2026
Age
All Ages
Cost
Free
Public-bank ground floor; upper floors are private offices.
Access
Wheelchair OK
Modern accessible bank entrance.
Equipment
Photos OK
Est. 1927 · 13-story Cross and Cross Colonial Revival skyscraper (completed 1928) · Cupola designed to mirror the United Church on the Green · Headquarters of Union and New Haven Trust until 1981; now houses Wells Fargo
The Union and New Haven Trust Building was designed by the New York firm Cross and Cross (architects of New York's General Electric Building) and completed in 1928. The bank had been organized through the merger of the Union Trust and New Haven Trust companies and needed a new headquarters worthy of the merger; it commissioned a 13-story Colonial Revival skyscraper at the northeast corner of Church and Elm Streets, directly facing the three churches on the New Haven Green.
The building's massing and detailing — red brick, limestone trim, classical fenestration — were deliberately chosen to harmonize with the colonial-period churches across the street. Its most distinctive feature is the cupola, designed to mirror the cupola of the United Church on the Green. Inside, the banking hall on the ground floor preserved the formal civic presence typical of 1920s trust-bank architecture.
Union Trust Company maintained its headquarters here until 1981, when it relocated to Stamford and left a branch operation in the building. Through successive corporate acquisitions the ground-floor branch eventually became a Wells Fargo location, which remains in operation. The building was restored in the late 2000s and is documented by Historic Buildings of Connecticut.
Sources
- https://historicbuildingsct.com/union-and-new-haven-trust-building-1927/
- https://anomalien.com/the-union-trust-building-haunting/
- https://ghostsofnewhaven.com/blog/the-most-haunted-sky-scraper-in-the-world/
Disembodied voices calling guards by nameThree loud 'palm slams' on basement wallsFootsteps and shadows in vacant corridorsOlfactory anomalies (per ghost-tour accounts)
According to Anomalien.com and Ghosts of New Haven, security guards, building maintenance staff, and occasional tenants have reported a wide range of phenomena across virtually every floor of the Union Trust Building since at least the late 20th century: disembodied voices calling guards by name, three loud 'palm slams' against basement walls, footsteps in vacant corridors, and other auditory, visual, and olfactory phenomena. The aggregated count cited by these sources is over one hundred individual reports, though the underlying log is not publicly published.
The most concrete single event is dated November 19, 2004, when a joint detail of more than twenty personnel drawn from the Connecticut State Police, the New Haven Police Department, and the New Haven Fire Department — along with two K-9 units and private building security — searched the entire building floor-by-floor through the night in response to reports of activity. According to Ghosts of New Haven and Anomalien's account of the incident, the dogs reacted at several locations but no human or natural cause was found.
Because the underlying paranormal documentation is concentrated in ghost-tour and aggregator sources rather than primary newspaper reporting, individual claims are framed here as 'according to' those sources. The building itself is a privately operated office tower; upper floors are not publicly accessible.
Notable Entities
Bank-clerk-vault-suffocation legend (apocryphal Eli Wilson story repeated across ghost sources)
Media Appearances
- Anomalien.com — The Union Trust Building Haunting
- Ghosts of New Haven — The Most Haunted Sky Scraper In The World
- Haunted.net — New Haven, Connecticut: The Haunted Skyscraper
Plan Your Visit
1 way to experienceSources & Further Reading
Every HauntBound history is researched from documented sources. We clearly separate verified historical fact from paranormal folklore.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Is Union and New Haven Trust Building family-friendly?
Working office and bank building; exterior is fully family-friendly. Interior beyond the bank lobby is not open to the public. Overall family fit: High.
How much does it cost to visit Union and New Haven Trust Building?
Public-bank ground floor; upper floors are private offices. This location is free to visit.
Do I need to book in advance?
No advance booking is required, but checking availability is recommended.
Is Union and New Haven Trust Building wheelchair accessible?
Yes, Union and New Haven Trust Building is wheelchair accessible. Terrain: Modern accessible bank entrance..