[4][5] In 1867, Davies acquired seven acres to its south and commissioned Austin to design a second mansion at the highest point on the hill.

[3] An 1885 home was then completed to the mansion's south, later occupied by William Howard Taft after his term as President of the United States.

[10] When the institute departed for larger facilities in Hyde Park, New York, Yale acquired the building and grounds through right of first refusal.

[3] In order to house international initiatives announced in its tercentennial year, Yale began a US$13.5 million renovation of the building in 2000.

[2][15] In 2009, a conference center connected to Betts House via an enclosed arcade was completed, designed by the firm of Robert A. M.

Its massing was substantially similar to Austin's adjoining mansion for Oliver Winchester, though the buildings' interiors and ornamentation differed.