The Murry Guggenheim House, also known as the Guggenheim Library, is a historic building located at Cedar and Norwood Avenues in

West Long Branch, New Jersey West Long Branch is a borough in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the borough's population was 8,097, This Beaux-Arts mansion, designed by

Carrère and Hastings Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère ( ; November 9, 1858 – March 1, 1911) and Thomas Hastings (architect), Thomas Hastings (March 11, 1860 – October 22, 1929), was one of the outstanding American Beaux-Arts architecture, Be ...

in 1903 as a summer residence, is now the

Monmouth University Monmouth University is a private university in West Long Branch, New Jersey. Founded in 1933 as Monmouth Junior College, it became Monmouth College in 1956 and Monmouth University in 1995 after receiving its charter. There are about 4,400 full- ...

library. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

on March 28, 1978.

History

In 1903, Murry Guggenheim (1858–1939), son of

Meyer Guggenheim Meyer Guggenheim ( , ; February 1, 1828 – March 15, 1905) was the patriarch of what became known as the Guggenheim family in the United States, which became one of the world's wealthiest families during the 19th century, and remained so during t ...

, bought property in West Long Branch to build a summer residence for himself and his wife, Leonie. The Beaux-Arts architecture firm of

was hired to design the building. The firm had achieved prominence with the design for the

New York Public Library The New York Public Library (NYPL) is a public library system in New York City. With nearly 53 million items and 92 locations, the New York Public Library is the second largest public library in the United States (behind the Library of Congress ...

in 1897. The mansion was started in 1903 and completed in 1905. An addition was built in 1967 on the north side that doubled the available space for the library. In 2003, the library underwent a second expansion, for $14 million, which increased its capacity by 100,000 books.

Description

The building is a two-story Beaux-Arts style mansion with curved side wings and Palladian arcades. The exterior is covered with white

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

. The interior features a grand corridor with

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 or ...

. The design by Carrère and Hastings was honored with a Gold Medal by the New York Chapter of the

American Institute of Architects The American Institute of Architects (AIA) is a professional organization for architects in the United States. Headquartered in Washington, D.C., the AIA offers education, government advocacy, community redevelopment, and public outreach to su ...

in 1903. It was styled after the

Grand Trianon The Grand Trianon () is a French Baroque style château situated in the northwestern part of the Domain of Versailles in Versailles, France. It was built at the request of King Louis XIV of France as a retreat for himself and his ''maîtresse-en ...

Versailles The Palace of Versailles ( ; french: Château de Versailles ) is a former royal residence built by King Louis XIV located in Versailles, about west of Paris, France. The palace is owned by the French Republic and since 1995 has been managed, u ...

Legacy

After the deaths of Murry and Leonie, the property transferred to the Murry and Leonie Guggenheim Foundation in 1959. The Foundation then transferred it to Monmouth College, now

, in September 1960. After a year of modifications to convert the building into a college library, it was dedicated as the Murry and Leonie Guggenheim Memorial Library on September 24, 1961. The estate also included a nearby stable and carriage house at Cedar Avenue, which was donated to the college in 1961. It is now the Lauren K. Woods Theater.

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Guggenheim, Murry, House National Register of Historic Places in Monmouth County, New Jersey Libraries on the National Register of Historic Places in New Jersey Beaux-Arts architecture in New Jersey Houses completed in 1905 West Long Branch, New Jersey Monmouth University New Jersey Register of Historic Places 1905 establishments in New Jersey Historic American Buildings Survey in New Jersey