Yale's Shrine to the Age of Reason

(4 of 4)

Gothic Mansion. The real center of this project is a rambling, 18th century colonial house in Farmington, Conn. Named Strawberry Hill after Walpole's Gothic mansion, it is the home of Wilmarth ("Lefty") Lewis, 81, Yale class of '18, who has been editing Walpole letters since 1926. There the snowy-haired Lewis has recreated Walpole's library. Portraits of Walpole's family adorn the walls, and a converted squash court houses Lewis' huge holding of 18th century satirical prints. The collection is cross-referenced on 60,000 cards, so detailed that Lewis can easily answer a random question on the length of curtains in Georgian homes. Would Walpole approve? "Oh, yes, terribly," Lewis smiles. The richly furnished estate, plus the collection, will become, on Lewis' death, Yale at Farmington. It is meant, says Lewis, for "the tip-top people in the period. I want wizards."

The wizards will not include Kingman Brewster, soon off to London, but he is being given another kind of salutation—a new T shirt with his portrait on it. At $6.50, it is selling fast at the Yale Coop. Its inscription: "The King."

1. Sarah Palin's Breakout Night
2. Searching for Palin's 'Hot Photos'
3. The Man Behind Palin's Speech
4. Why Disasters Are Getting Worse
5. Mayor Palin: A Rough Record
6. Can Palin Escape the Parent Trap?
7. Call Of the Wild
8. In Wasilla, Pregnancy Was No Secret
9. Understanding John McCain
10. McCain's Prickly TIME Interview