WATCH THE TOUR ABOVE!
The Spaceship is a copper-clad 13-unit condo building on concrete stilts designed by Wilfred Armster — Guilford‘s most iconic residence, because it is shaped like a spaceship. And Apt C can be yours for only $779,000.
446 Whitfield Street sits in downtown Guilford, Connecticut — a town otherwise filled with Colonial and Victorian homes — and looks like absolutely nothing else around it. That is exactly the point. We got to tour it ourselves, and it did not disappoint.
📍 446 Whitfield St, Apt C, Guilford, CT 06437
💰 $699,000
📐 1,672 sq ft
🛏 1 bedroom | 2 bathrooms
📅 Built 1986 | Designed by Wilfred Armster
🛰 Copper-clad, rhombus-shaped, raised on concrete stilts
🌊 Front-facing unit with Long Island Sound views
🚗 Oversized 2-car garage
🔥 Fireplace in the great room
Once Controversial, Now Beloved
In 1984, a local businessman purchased the site of a former restaurant called Berenice’s and asked architect Wilfred Armster to design something “really wild” for the property. Armster delivered — a futuristic, copper-clad, rhombus-shaped condo building elevated on concrete stilts, with 13 light-filled units inside. The businessman loved it. The town of Guilford, filled almost entirely with Colonial and Victorian architecture, did not feel the same way at first. The proposal led to a heated public hearing before it was ultimately approved, with Armster himself serving as general contractor.
The building earned the nickname “The Spaceship” almost immediately — a name a 2009 New York Times profile noted was originally derogatory and has since become a term of genuine local affection. Today it stands as one of downtown Guilford’s most photographed and beloved landmarks. Public opinion, it turns out, eventually comes around to a good spaceship.
Apartment C: Front Row to Long Island Sound
This 1,672 square foot, one-bedroom, two-bathroom unit is positioned to capture sweeping, unobstructed views of Long Island Sound from one of the building’s premier front-facing positions. You enter through an oversized two-car garage with extra room for a home gym, workshop, or storage. Inside, the home opens into a dramatic great room where walls of glass flood the space with natural light and frame those stunning water views, anchored by a fireplace. The room flows effortlessly into the dining area and an open kitchen with a large breakfast bar, abundant cabinetry, and new appliances.
The unit also has a new furnace, water heater, and AC system. The listing puts it simply: watch the moon rise and the sun set from your one-of-a-kind home. It is hard to imagine a more fitting description for a home shaped like a UFO perched above the Connecticut shoreline.
A Truly One-of-a-Kind Piece of Architecture
We have toured a lot of homes, but very few of them required us to walk underneath the building before walking inside it. The Spaceship is genuinely unlike anything else on the Connecticut shoreline — much like the Wallace Neff dome house in Pasadena, this is a piece of architecture that was once seen as radical and is now recognized as a landmark. At $699,000 for an ideal weekend escape from NYC or a full-time residence with Long Island Sound views, this is one of the more accessible truly unique listings we have featured.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is “The Spaceship” in Guilford, Connecticut?
The Spaceship is the nickname for a copper-clad, rhombus-shaped 13-unit condo building at 446 Whitfield Street in Guilford, CT. Built in 1986 and designed by architect Wilfred Armster, it is elevated on concrete stilts and is considered one of downtown Guilford’s most iconic and controversial buildings.
Who designed The Spaceship building in Guilford?
The Spaceship was designed by architect Wilfred J.O. Armster, who was asked by the building’s developer to create something “really wild” for the site of a former restaurant called Berenice’s.
How much is Apt C at The Spaceship listed for?
Apartment C at The Spaceship is listed for $699,000.
Why is the building in Guilford called The Spaceship?
The building earned its nickname due to its futuristic, copper-clad, rhombus-shaped design elevated on concrete stilts — a stark contrast to the Colonial and Victorian homes that otherwise populate the historic town of Guilford.
Was The Spaceship building controversial when it was built?
Yes. When the building was proposed in 1984, it led to a heated public hearing in Guilford, with many townspeople feeling it wasn’t “Colonial” enough for the area. It was ultimately approved and built in 1986, and has since become a beloved local landmark.
Who is the listing agent for The Spaceship Apt C?
The unit is listed by Susan Santoro of The Susan Santoro Team at William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty.
Photos: Dan DeMayo
Listed by:
The Susan Santoro Team
Susan Santoro | 📞 (203) 605-5297
William Pitt Sotheby’s International Realty | 📞 203-453-2533
👉 See the full listing on Zillow
Filed under:
Wild Homes
Architectural Homes
Zillow Gone Wild
Affordable Homes
Guilford
Connecticut
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