Walter Lowrie House (Princeton, New Jersey)
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The Walter Lowrie House is located at 83 Stockton Street in
Princeton, New Jersey Princeton is a municipality with a borough form of government in Mercer County, in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It was established on January 1, 2013, through the consolidation of the Borough of Princeton and Princeton Township, both of whi ...
, United States, and is the
official residence An official residence is the House, residence of a head of state, head of government, governor, Clergy, religious leader, leaders of international organizations, or other senior figure. It may be the same place where they conduct their work-relate ...
of the president of
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
. The mansion was built in 1845 by Commodore
Robert F. Stockton Robert Field Stockton (August 20, 1795 – October 7, 1866) was a United States Navy commodore, notable in the capture of California during the Mexican–American War. He was a naval innovator and an early advocate for a propeller-driven, steam-p ...
for his son
John P. Stockton John Potter Stockton (August 2, 1826January 22, 1900) was a New Jersey politician who served in the United States Senate as a Democratic Party (United States), Democrat. He was New Jersey Attorney General for twenty years (1877 to 1897), and ser ...
, both senators from
New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...
. Prior to being a senator the younger Stockton had served as the Attorney General of New Jersey and later as ambassador to Italy. Commodore Stockton was the son of Richard Stockton, another New Jersey Senator, and grandson of Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. The latter Richard Stockton built
Morven Morven, or Mhoirbheinn, is a given name and may also refer to: Places Australia * Morven, Queensland, a town and locality in the Shire of Murweh * Morven, New South Wales * Electoral district of Morven, Tasmania Canada * Morven, community in Loyal ...
in the 18th century, which sits a short distance up Stockton Street. His grandfather's home, known as the "Barracks" is found at 32 Edgehill Street, the street which fronts the gate to the Walter Lowrie House property. It was built in the 17th century and gained its name from having served as a barracks in either the
French and Indian War The French and Indian War (1754–1763) was a theater of the Seven Years' War, which pitted the North American colonies of the British Empire against those of the French, each side being supported by various Native American tribes. At the ...
or the
American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revolut ...
. The Walter Lowrie House was the work of architect
John Notman John Notman (22 July 18103 March 1865) was a Scottish-born American architect, who settled in Philadelphia. He is remembered for his churches, and for popularizing the Italianate style and the use of brownstone. Career Notman was born on 22 Jul ...
, who designed a number of mansions for the Stockton family including nearby Guernsey Hall and Prospect House. Notman popularized the Italianate revival architecture in the United States and his Princeton homes are prime examples of that style. The home was purchased from John P Stockton by
Paul Tulane Paul Tulane (May 10, 1801 – March 27, 1887) was an American philanthropist and donor. Born in Sherry Valley, near Princeton, New Jersey to a prominent French merchant family, Tulane made his fortune from a retail and dry goods company. Late ...
, best known for endowing
Tulane University Tulane University, officially the Tulane University of Louisiana, is a private university, private research university in New Orleans, Louisiana. Founded as the Medical College of Louisiana in 1834 by seven young medical doctors, it turned into ...
in
New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans
Merriam-Webster.
; french: La Nouvelle-Orléans , es, Nuev ...
. In 1895 it was acquired by George Allison Armour, whose daughter Barbara would take up the residence in 1930 along with her husband, Walter Lowrie. Walter Lowrie had served for many years as the
Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United State ...
rector of St Paul's Within the Walls, sometimes known as the American Church in Rome. Lowrie was a noted Kierkegaardian theologian and translator, spending his retirement in Princeton publishing academic works, including twelve volumes of Kierkegaard translations. After his death in 1959, his wife donated the home to
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private research university in Princeton, New Jersey. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial Colleges, fourth-oldest ins ...
in memory of her husband, who had been a member of the Princeton class of 1890. It was used as a guest house by the university from 1960 to 1968 and subsequently became the official residence of the president of the university. The official residence had originally been
Maclean House MacLean, also spelt Maclean and McLean, is a Gaelic surname Mac Gille Eathain, or, Mac Giolla Eóin in Irish Gaelic), Eóin being a Gaelic form of Johannes (John). The clan surname is an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic "Mac Gille Eathain" ...
, built 1756. From 1878-1968, it had been Prospect House but was moved to Walter Lowrie House, which is off campus grounds. Prospect House then became the site of a faculty club.


References

{{Princeton Presidents Houses in Princeton, New Jersey Princeton University buildings Official residences in the United States Historic district contributing properties in Mercer County, New Jersey