Henry Farnam House

Built from 1871, for Henry Farnam (1803-1883) and his wife, Ann Sophia Whitman (1816-1904). Theirs was originally a Gothic-Revival mansion, but the house was completely remodelled in 1934 giving it its present day Colonial-Revival/Queen Anne-style appearance. Farnam was the engineer behind the Farmington Canal and later became President of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. He employed the architect Russell Sturgis to design his mansion resulting in an eclectic Gothic masterpiece with turrets, gables and lancet windows. In 1934, the house became the property of Yale University and they remodelled it entirely, giving it a refined, aged Colonial appearance. Since 1937, it has served as the official residence of the Presidents of Yale University.