Both Headley House and Headley Cottage were built by Leal Headley ( ’07), Carleton Professor of Philosophy, Psychology and Education from 1911 to 1952. The house was built in 1917, based on the design of the home of Harriet Marston Headley, Leal’s wife. That home, the Marston House, was built on 10 acres in San Diego, CA. and is currently on the historic register there.

Designed by Minneapolis architect Bert Van Dyke, the house is an example of the Arts & Crafts style popular in that era. It copied the orange tile roof that had been installed on Carleton’s Burton Hall dormitory several years earlier and used a stucco and brick exterior that reflected the craftsman style’s concern for natural, durable and low-maintenance materials. The house sits atop a hill overlooking Carleton’s Bell Athletic field, originally the pasture for the Carleton farm. Leal was an enthusiastic gardener and created a beautiful yard which has been maintained and included in several of Northfield’s Garden Tours.

The Headley House was always a center where friends of the college and community gathered for lively discussion and activities. After Leal’s death, his son Marston and wife Dorothy occupied the house until 1988. They were both very active members of the Northfield Community, and their involvement in various projects such as the establishment of the Community Action Center, the Meals on Wheels program and the Northfield Historical Society is widely recognized and appreciated by the citizens of Northfield.

The house was given to the college as a gift from the class of ’38, the year of Marston’s graduation from Carleton. That same year, the college acquired the adjacent property, known as “the cottage”, which Leal had built shortly after completing Headley House. Both buildings have housed Carleton faculty and staff since that time.