Drumthwacket facts for kids
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Drumthwacket
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 Location in Mercer County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | 354 Stockton Street Princeton, New Jersey 08540 |
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| Built | 1835 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival Colonial Georgian |
| NRHP reference No. | 75001142 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | June 10, 1975 |
Drumthwacket (/ˈdrʌmˌθwækɪt/ drum-THWAK-it) is the official home of the Governor of New Jersey. It is located at 354 Stockton Street in Princeton, New Jersey. This historic mansion is close to Trenton, the state capital.
The main part of the house was built in 1835. Later, it was made much bigger in 1893 and again in 1900. In 1966, the state of New Jersey bought Drumthwacket and the land around it. Because of its importance in history, building style, and politics, Drumthwacket was added to the National Register of Historic Places on June 10, 1975. It officially became the governor's home in 1982.
Today, the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection takes care of the estate. It serves as the governor's residence. It is also a historic house museum, which means people can visit and learn about its past.
Contents
History of Drumthwacket
The land where Drumthwacket stands today was once owned by William Penn. He was a Quaker leader and the founder of Philadelphia. In 1696, a man named William Olden bought this land. He built a small white house there, which was called Olden House.
Charles Smith Olden's Home
Charles Smith Olden was born in the Olden House in 1799. He became very wealthy by working in business in Philadelphia and New Orleans. Later, he came back to Princeton. In 1835, he started building Drumthwacket.
The name Drumthwacket might come from a book by Sir Walter Scott. It could also be from two Scottish Gaelic words. These words mean "wooded hill." Charles Smith Olden was a farmer and businessman. He also served as a state Senator. In 1860, he became the governor of New Jersey. He was the first governor to live at Drumthwacket. The original house had a main hall with two rooms on each side. It also had a large front porch with six tall columns.
Moses Taylor Pyne's Expansions
In 1893, a rich businessman named Moses Taylor Pyne bought Drumthwacket. He was a big supporter of Princeton University. Pyne made huge changes to the house. He turned it into a grand estate, much bigger and fancier than anything built in Princeton before.
Pyne added two new sections to the house in 1893 and 1900. These were designed by an architect named Raleigh C. Gildersleeve. They included a beautiful library with wood panels. Pyne also created amazing outdoor spaces. He added park-like gardens, greenhouses, and paths for riding horses. He even had a dairy farm on the property.
Later Owners and Becoming the Governor's Home
Moses Taylor Pyne passed away in 1921. In 1941, his granddaughter, Agnes Pyne, sold Drumthwacket. The new owner was Abram Nathaniel Spanel. He was an inventor and industrialist who came from Russia as a child. Spanel started a company called the International Latex Corporation, which later became International Playtex Corporation.
Many of Spanel's workers lived at Drumthwacket. He even came up with many of his inventions in the Music Room of the house. In 1966, the Spanels sold the estate to New Jersey. They wanted it to become the official home for the governor. The previous governor's mansion was Morven.
It took 15 years for Drumthwacket to be used as the governor's residence. In 1981, the New Jersey Historical Society raised enough money to help make it ready.
The Drumthwacket Foundation
In 1982, the Drumthwacket Foundation was created. This group helps take care of the house and its grounds. New Jersey First Lady Deborah Kean started this foundation. She also helped turn the mansion into the state's official executive home.
Deborah Kean updated many of the public rooms in the mansion. Before her work, much of the furniture was old and not very fancy. She replaced it with nicer, antique furniture and decorations. This made the home suitable for formal events. Even with all her work, Governor Thomas Kean and Deborah Kean chose to live in their own home.
Governor Jim Florio and First Lady Lucinda Florio were the first governor's family to live at Drumthwacket. They moved in from 1990 to 1994. Lucinda Florio also made many important changes. She focused on the private living areas, which had not been updated much before.
Lucinda Florio and the Drumthwacket Foundation fixed the old heating system. They also put in new plumbing and drinking water systems. Uneven hardwood floors were repaired. They added closets and storage spaces to bedrooms, which were not common in old homes. Florio also got new curtains and window coverings for many windows.
Starting in 1990, Lucinda Florio also restored the beautiful Italianate gardens. These gardens were first created in 1905 by Moses Taylor Pyne. But by the 1990s, they were not in good shape. Private donations helped pay for their restoration. In 1990, Lucinda Florio even hosted a small wedding party for her father at the home.
How Recent Governors Have Used Drumthwacket
Many governors have used Drumthwacket in different ways:
- Thomas Kean (1982–1990) lived in his private home.
- James Florio (1990–1994) lived in the mansion full-time.
- Christine Todd Whitman (1994–2001) lived in the mansion part-time.
- Donald DiFrancesco (2001–2002) lived in the mansion part-time.
- John O. Bennett (2002) lived there for a few days as Acting Governor.
- James McGreevey (2002–2004) lived in the mansion full-time.
- Richard Codey (2004–2006) lived in the mansion part-time.
- Jon Corzine (2006–2010) lived part-time. He stayed there full-time when he was recovering from a car accident.
- Chris Christie (2010–2018) used it for dinners and official events. He lived in his private home.
- Phil Murphy (2018-) lives in his private home. He uses Drumthwacket for official events and meetings.
Visiting Drumthwacket
Drumthwacket has 12 private rooms upstairs for the governor's family. On the main floor, there are six public rooms. These rooms are used for many official events. Every year, a Garden Club creates a special holiday display at the property.
You can take guided tours of Drumthwacket on most Wednesdays. The tours usually don't happen in August or the day before Thanksgiving. The tour includes the six public rooms where the governor holds meetings and receptions. You can also see the solarium, the main hall, the dining room, the parlor, the music room, the library, and the governor's study.
Volunteer guides called docents lead these tours. Visitors can also walk through the beautiful gardens. You can also visit the Olden House, which is a restored farmhouse on the property. It has a gift shop and is home to the Drumthwacket Foundation.
See also
- Governor’s Ocean Residence - Another official residence for the NJ Governor at Island Beach State Park, New Jersey.
