Davenport College is one of the twelve residential colleges of Yale University. Its buildings were completed in 1933 mainly in the Georgian style but with a gothic façade along York Street. The college was named for John Davenport, who founded Yale's home city of New Haven, Connecticut. An extensive renovation of the college's buildings occurred during the 2004–2005 academic year as part of Yale's comprehensive building renovation project. Davenport College has an unofficial rivalry with adjoining Pierson College.NamesakeJohn Davenport was born in 1597 to draper and Mayor of Coventry Henry Davenport and Winifred Barnaby. He attended Oxford University for three years starting in 1613 before leaving without a degree. He returned to Oxford to finish his MA and Bachelor of Divinity after serving as the chaplain of Hilton Castle and vicar of St. Stephen's Church in London. In 1633 he resigned from the Church of England after several disputes with the senior clergy.In 1638 he sailed to North America with his congregation and a patent for a colony in Massachusetts. One year later he co-founded the city of New Haven with Theophilus Eaton and served as its burgess until his departure to Boston 30 years later. Beginning in the 1640s, Davenport advocated for the creation of a college near the New Haven Green, a vision realized by Yale College some fifty years after his death. He is also credited with co-founding the nearby Hopkins School.
