Betts House — 1868

History

The original Davies Mansion, known today as Betts House, was built in 1868 for John M. Davies, a partner at the New Haven-based Winchester Repeating Rifle Company. The house stayed in the Davies family until around 1911 when it changed hands, remaining a private residence until 1947. In that year, the Culinary Institute of America acquired the property and made it their headquarters, a role it served until 1972 when the organization moved to New York. Yale then purchased the mansion, which was damaged by fire in 1990 while the University was still debating on its future use.  A major renovation and restoration of the building took place in 2000, repairing and rehabilitating the 140-year-old facility inside and out. Much of the building’s original layout has been maintained as well as some of the ceilings. In addition to restoring the home, the renovation project also updated the mansion to fit the needs and requirements of modern building standards, with the addition of an elevator, air conditioning and wireless internet. Today, the mansion, rededicated Betts House, is home to the Yale Center for the Study of Globalization, the Yale Office of International Affairs and the Yale World Fellows Program.

Did You Know?

Before it was renovated, the producers of the Addams Family movie considered using the Davies mansion as their set.