The old campus façade, with Brownell Hall on the right. Photo Credit: Trinity College Archives

Brownell Hall was the final building added to the Trinity College original campus in 1845 and was named for Thomas Church Brownell, Trinity's first president and the third Episcopal Bishop in Connecticut.

Though it was not constructed for 20 years, images of Trinity with three buildings appeared as early as 1824, including in a survey of Hartford done in 1824 and in a woodcut on the title page of a journal called the Episcopal Watchman from 1827.

Brownell Hall was possibly designed by Solomon Willard; it was in exterior a replica of the "College," and built in the ionic style in brownstone by Messrs. Campbell with woodwork by a Mr. Rowell.

The Brownell Hall cornerstone, mounted in Downes Clock Tower. Photo credit: Amanda Matava

Within the structure were thirty-eight student rooms, a recitation hall, and an apartment to be occupied by a Professor and his family. Although similar in external appearance to Jarvis Hall, the new building's interior was notably different from Jarvis. An arrangement of rooms around “entries” - rather than the long halls of Jarvis - provided better light and also precluded the boisterous log-rolling contests which had caused so much trouble for the faculty committee on student discipline. ¹⁾

Upon its construction, the other two buildings were named, and the imposing 450-foot long vision of the “College on the Hill” was complete.

In 1872, the City of Hartford offered Trinity a generous sum for the desirable College Hill, which it believed would make an ideal location for a new State Capitol building. The Trustees agreed, and ground was broken in early 1873 for the new Capitol building.

At the same time, the north section of Brownell Hall was vacated in anticipation for its destruction, and students were moved to Jarvis Hall or rented rooms in Hartford. The building was completely emptied in 1877, and students were moved across the street to temporary housing rented by the College; Brownell was demolished the same summer.

Unbeknownst to the community until 2008, the cornerstone of Brownell Hall traveled with the College to Summit Street, where it was forgotten in the basement of one of the Long Walk buildings. Today, it is mounted inside Downes Memorial Clock Tower.

History of Trinity College (1967) by Glenn Weaver, pp. 82, 180, 184.

Plan of the city of Hartford from a survey made in 1824 (1824), surveyed and published by Daniel St. John and N. Goodwin ; engraved by Asaph Willard (1786-1880). Held by Boston Public Library.