When it was completed, on Prospect Street in New Haven in 1868, the John M. Davies House was the largest house in the city. It was designed by Henry Austin (with David R. Brown) for Davies, who owned a shirt-manufacturing company with Oliver Winchester, before the latter became famous for manufacturing firearms. The irregularly laid-out French Second Empire-style house lies on rising ground fronted by a wide lawn, creating a dramatic composition. In 1947, the house was purchased by a New Haven cooking school that would become the Culinary Institute of America. In 1964, while still owned by the Institute, it was the subject of a HABS study. In 1972, the house (now renamed the Betts House) was purchased by Yale University and remained unused for many years. Damaged by a fire in 1990, the house was restored in 2000-2002 and now serves as the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization.
I always dreamed of living in a house like this, only with a high tower with no windows and a spiral staircase that took you to a one windowed room at the top. It might be a little creepy, but creeping is my specialty.
I was looking for the Winchester mansion here in Ct. My grandmother once rented it more than 50 years ago. I was a small child then but did witness some ghostly goings on. Then there are the stories that she told me.
Would love to see the house as an adult.
Yale behaved shamefully in their custody of this house. The Victorian interiors in this home were stunning. Yale intended to destroy it, so they made the decision to leave it open to vandals and architectural ornament thieves. Perhaps they hoped for a fire. Certainly is was set ablaze in 1990, which completed the interior destruction.
On the verge of actual demolition, the New York Times and other major newspapers publicized the University’s shameful behavior, and described the University in terms that would have embarrassed vandals.
Publicly ridiculed, the University relented, but the remarkable interiors had been destroyed. To my knowledge, the only original woodwork that is actually known to exist, as opposed to stolen woodwork lurking anonymously in some new installation, is a pocket door closing off a private meeting room at the Culinary Institute’s American Bounty Restaurant, at their headquarters in Hyde Park, New York. It is magnificent.
If Yale really possessed a soul, they would spend the money required to recreate these well documented interiors. Remember, the ugly, bare bricks and garden variety interiors in the house now, were created by one of the WEALTHEST UNIVERSITIES IN THE WORLD. Period. They brag about their contributions to American culture, but this is a stain of indifference and greed they cannot shake.
Whole heartedly agree!!!
I’m still trying to figure out where the Winchester mansion in Ct is. My grandmother lived there for a while. The home is seriously haunted. Recall occurrences as a small child. Just would like to see it again.
You will search in vain for the Winchester Mansion. It was right next to the Davies Mansion (“Betts House”), because Davies and Winchester were friends and business partners. But Yale tore the Winchester Mansion down some years ago to build their Divinity Quad on the site. Because why would anyone be interested in the home of one of the most famous gun manufacturers in history?
OH FREAKING GROAN!!!!
My grandmother rented it for a while. I recall being in that house. I really wanted to see it again.
Place was haunted to the freaking hilt!!!
Maybe that’s the reason……