The historic 13,500 sf Downey House was part of Wesleyan University’s master-planned renovation of the Humanities Department’s buildings.  The building was built in 1841-42 and designed in the Italian Villa style.

The renovation repurposed the building to include classrooms, offices, and seminar spaces that are now ADA-compliant.  The cupola area (third-floor mezzanine), which had not been used, now serves as a reading room finished with built-in bookshelves and informal seating.