History of 46 Hillhouse Avenue - Trowbridge Mansion

The historic mansion housing the International Center for Finance at 46 Hillhouse Avenue was designed in the mid- nineteenth century by architect Alexander Jackson Davis, who modeled it on a house he greatly admired in Regents Park, London. Built as a residence for Yale alumnus and New Haven Mayor Aaron Skinner, it was also used as an exclusive boys' school. In 1858, Judge W.W. Boardman remodeled the house with an addition attributed to Henry Austin. Rutherford Trowbridge, the house's third owner, was the scion of a prominent New Haven shipping family.

Newly restored in 1999, the house has regained much of its original elegance. New period-style chandeliers illuminate features such as the high (12'7") ceilings and elaborate crown moldings. The 1907 leaded glass bay windows in one of the Center's largest rooms, now a seminar lounge, provide a striking backdrop to faculty gatherings. The grand staircase, another 1907 addition, has been fully restored, and ADA compliance has been met with the addition of a ground floor entrance, an elevator, and a fire stairwell. The grounds of the Center include period plantings and a knot garden, restored according to the wishes of the building's donor.