The restoration of this historic Colonial Revival home, designed by Reginald Johnson and built in 1904, was slated for demolition along with many other historic homes owned by The California Institute of Technology to make room for parking structures and new dormitories. Fortunately, the granddaughter of the Steele legacy who built the home was notified of the Institute’s plans and stepped in and donated the funds needed to restore the home thereby saving it.

The process of removing many layers of bad renovations made room for a new kitchen and bathrooms. The upstairs sleeping porch and downstairs sunrooms were restored. A soft sky of clouds was hand-painted on the library ceiling in the library inspired by the color palette created in soft hues of blues and grays. The new Colonial-style light fixtures were hand-crafted in the same way that musical instruments are fabricated. The house is now repurposed as a meeting space for members of the Division of Engineering and Applied Science faculty.