Drumthwacket ( ) is the
official residence of the
governor of New Jersey. The
mansion sits at 354 Stockton Street in
Princeton
Princeton University is a private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States and one of the nin ...
, near the state capital of
Trenton. It is one of only four official
governor's residences in the country not located within their respective state capitals; the others are in
Wisconsin,
Ohio, and
Tennessee.
Built in 1835 and expanded in 1893 and 1900, Drumthwacket was sold with its surrounding land to the state in 1966. Drumthwacket was added to the
National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1975, for its significance in agriculture, architecture, commerce, landscape architecture, and politics.
[ With ] It was designated the governor's mansion in 1982.
The estate is administered by the
New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. In addition to being an executive residence, the house is also a
historic house museum
A historic house museum is a house of historic significance that has been transformed into a museum. Historic furnishings may be displayed in a way that reflects their original placement and usage in a home. Historic house museums are held to a ...
.
History
The Colonial era mansion of the governors of New Jersey,
Proprietary House
Proprietary House in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, United States, is the only proprietary governor's mansion of the original Thirteen Colonies still standing. Overseen by architect and builder John Edward Pryor, construction began in 1762 and was com ...
, is located in
Perth Amboy.
The land that it is built upon was once owned by
William Penn
William Penn ( – ) was an English writer and religious thinker belonging to the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers), and founder of the Province of Pennsylvania, a North American colony of England. He was an early advocate of democracy a ...
, the
Quaker proprietor of the
Province of Pennsylvania and founder of
Philadelphia. William Olden acquired the property in 1696, and a small white homestead by Stockton Street called Olden House was later built on it.
In 1799
Charles Smith Olden
Charles Smith Olden (February 19, 1799April 7, 1876) was an American merchant, banker, and politician who served as the 19th governor of New Jersey from 1860 to 1863 during the first part of the American Civil War. As Governor, Olden supported P ...
was born there. Olden gained wealth working at a
mercantile firm in
Philadelphia and later
New Orleans before returning to Princeton, where in 1835 he began to build Drumthwacket, taking its name from two
Scottish Gaelic words meaning "wooded hill".
[The History]
." Drumthwacket Foundation. Olden began his involvement in politics as a gentleman farmer and businessman, as treasurer and Trustee of the
College of New Jersey (now
Princeton University), as a
state Senator
A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature.
Description
A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of ...
, and finally in 1860 as governor, the first to live at Drumthwacket. The original structure consisted of a center hall with two rooms on each side, including the -story center section and large
portico with six
Ionic columns
The Ionic order is one of the three canonic orders of classical architecture, the other two being the Doric and the Corinthian. There are two lesser orders: the Tuscan (a plainer Doric), and the rich variant of Corinthian called the composite o ...
, which remains today.
In 1893, financier, industrialist, and Princeton University benefactor
Moses Taylor Pyne
Moses Taylor Pyne (December 21, 1855 – April 22, 1921), was an American financier and philanthropist, and one of Princeton University's greatest benefactors and its most influential trustee.
Biography
The son of Percy Rivington Pyne (182 ...
purchased Drumthwacket for the sum of $15,000 from Olden's widow. Pyne was responsible for major expansions of the home, turning it into a magnificent
estate, "surpassing anything previously built in Princeton".
Pyne's huge wealth allowed him to add two wings on each side of the house, in 1893 and 1900, both designed by Raleigh C. Gildersleeve (who also designed many Princeton University buildings) and including a
paneled library. Pyne also added park-like landscaping,
greenhouse
A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse, or, if with sufficient heating, a hothouse) is a structure with walls and roof made chiefly of transparent material, such as glass, in which plants requiring regulated climatic conditions are grown.These ...
s,
bridle path
A bridle path, also bridleway, equestrian trail, horse riding path, ride, bridle road, or horse trail, is a trail or a thoroughfare that is used by people riding on horses. Trails originally created for use by horses often now serve a wider r ...
s, a
dairy farm, and formal Italian
gardens.
Pyne died in 1921; the property, including the house and twelve surrounding acres, was sold by Pyne's one grandchild Agnes Pyne in 1941 to Abram Nathaniel Spanel.
Spanel was an industrialist and inventor who had
immigrated
Immigration is the international movement of people to a destination country of which they are not natives or where they do not possess citizenship in order to settle as Permanent residency, permanent residents or Naturalization, naturalize ...
from
Russia
Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eight ...
as a child. He founded the
International Latex Corporation, which later became the International Playtex Corporation. Many of Spanel's engineers staff lived at Drumthwacket, and many of his
patented inventions were conceived in what later became known as the Music Room.
In 1966, the Spanels sold the estate to New Jersey with the intent that it be used as the governor's official residence, to replace
Morven, the old governor's mansion. However, it took 15 years for the estate to be used as an official residence, with the New Jersey Historical Society in 1981 finally raising enough funds. In 1982, the Drumthwacket Foundation was formed.
The conversion of the mansion into the state executive residence was spearheaded by then-New Jersey First Lady
Deborah Kean, who also established the Drumthwacket Foundation, a
non-profit organization responsible for
preserving,
restoring, and
curating the house and its grounds.
Use by recent governors
*
Thomas Kean (1982–1990) lived in his private home in
Livingston
Livingston may refer to:
Businesses
* Livingston Energy Flight, an Italian airline (2003–2010)
* Livingston Compagnia Aerea, an Italian airline (2011–2014), also known as Livingston Airline
* Livingston International, a North American customs ...
.
*
James Florio
James Joseph Florio (August 29, 1937 – September 25, 2022) was an American politician who served as the 49th governor of New Jersey from 1990 to 1994. He was previously the U.S. Representative for New Jersey's 1st congressional district from 1 ...
(1990–1994) lived full-time in the mansion.
*
Christine Todd Whitman
Christine Temple Whitman (née Todd; born September 26, 1946) is an American politician and author who served as the 50th governor of New Jersey from 1994 to 2001 and as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency in the administration o ...
(1994–2001) lived part-time in the mansion.
*
Donald DiFrancesco
Donald Thomas DiFrancesco (born November 20, 1944) is a retired American politician who served as the 51st governor of New Jersey from 2001 to 2002. He succeeded Christine Todd Whitman after her resignation to become Administrator of the Environm ...
(2001–2002) lived part-time in the mansion.
*
John O. Bennett
John Orus Bennett III (born August 6, 1948) is an American former politician from New Jersey. A member of the Republican Party, he served as a state senator, and between 2002 and 2004, as president of the state senate. Bennett served as acting ...
(2002) lived in the mansion for his 3½ days as Acting Governor.
*
James McGreevey
James Edward McGreevey (born August 6, 1957) is an American politician and member of the Democratic Party who served as the 52nd governor of New Jersey from 2002 until his resignation in 2004 following the revelation of his extramarital affair w ...
(2002–2004) lived full-time in the mansion.
*
Richard Codey (2004–2006) lived part-time in the mansion.
*
Jon Corzine
Jon Stevens Corzine ( ; born January 1, 1947) is an American financial executive and retired politician who served as a United States Senator from New Jersey from 2001 to 2006 and the 54th governor of New Jersey from 2006 to 2010. Corzine ran fo ...
(2006–2010) lived part-time in the mansion. Drumthwacket became his full-time residence while he was recovering from injuries sustained in a severe automobile accident.
*
Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, Lobbying in the United States, lobbyist, and former United States Attorney, federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New J ...
(2010–2018) only used the mansion for Sunday dinners and official functions, while living in his private home in
Mendham.
*
Phil Murphy (2018-) lives in his private home in
Middletown and uses the mansion for official functions and meetings.
Building details and tours
There are 12 private rooms upstairs used by the first family and six public rooms on the main floor that are the site of many official functions. An annual Garden Club holiday display is a tradition at the property.
Drumthwacket is open for guided tours on most Wednesdays, except for August, the day before
Thanksgiving, and several other dates. The tour includes the six public rooms used by the governor for meetings and receptions, as well as the
solarium
Solarium may refer to:
* A sunroom, a room built largely of glass to afford exposure to the sun
* A terrace (building) or flat housetop
* The ''Solarium Augusti'', a monumental meridian line (or perhaps a sundial) erected in Rome by Emperor August ...
, center hall,
dining room,
parlor, music room,
library, and governor's
study
Study or studies may refer to:
General
* Education
** Higher education
* Clinical trial
* Experiment
* Observational study
* Research
* Study skills, abilities and approaches applied to learning
Other
* Study (art), a drawing or series of ...
. Guided tours are conducted by
volunteer docents. Visitors can walk through the gardens and visit the Olden House, the restored farmhouse on the property that houses a gift shop and the Drumthwacket Foundation.
[Visit Drumthwacket]
." Drumthwacket Foundation.
See also
*
Governor’s Ocean Residence - Official ocean front NJ Governor's residence at
Island Beach State Park, NJ
Notes
External links
Drumthwacket Foundationofficial website
*
{{NRHP in Mercer County, New Jersey
Houses completed in 1835
New Jersey
Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey
Historic house museums in New Jersey
Museums in Princeton, New Jersey
Government buildings in New Jersey
Houses in Princeton, New Jersey
National Register of Historic Places in Mercer County, New Jersey
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey
Governor of New Jersey