The Provost's House — 1837

History

This Greek Revival house was built around 1837 for Mrs. Mary Prichard and her three daughters. Today, it is the home of the University Provost. Architect A.J. Davis, whose work includes the nearby Skinner-Trowbridge House, designed this building with brick clad in stucco, a technique used to create the look of smooth stone. A main feature of the house is its two-story porch, anchored by two Corinthian columns with ornately carved capitals. In 1850, David Collins bought the property. Although he died in 1861, the house remained in his family until his wife’s death in 1914 at 100 years old. Henry H. Townsend then purchased the house and lived there until 1953. Under his stewardship, the home was remodeled, the main roof parapet and the antiflexes at the porch roof were removed. Townsend also added a wing and several bay windows to the house.  When the University acquired the property, became graduate student housing before being converted to its current use as offices for Yale administrators, most notably deans and provosts.

Did You Know?

One Prichard daughter married Theodore Dwight Woolsey, president of Yale from 1846-1871.