Morven (Princeton, New Jersey) facts for kids
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Morven
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U.S. Historic district
Contributing property |
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Morven in 2006
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 Location in Mercer County, New Jersey
Location in New Jersey
Location in the United States
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| Location | 55 Stockton Street, Princeton, New Jersey, United States |
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| Built | 1730 |
| Architectural style | Georgian |
| Part of | Princeton Historic District (ID75001143) |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000503 |
Quick facts for kids Significant dates |
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| Added to NRHP | January 25, 1971 |
| Designated NHL | July 17, 1971 |
Morven, also known as Morven Museum & Garden, is a very old house in Princeton, New Jersey. It was built in the 1700s. This historic home is special because it was once the official home for New Jersey's governors for almost 40 years. It is also famous for its connection to Richard Stockton. He was one of the people who signed the United States Declaration of Independence, a very important document that declared America's freedom. Morven is now a National Historic Landmark, which means it's recognized as a significant place in American history.
Morven's History
The story of Morven began in 1701. That year, a man named Richard Stockton received a huge piece of land, about 5,500 acres, from William Penn. The land where Morven now stands was part of this gift.
Years later, in the 1750s, Richard Stockton's grandson, also named Richard Stockton, built the house we know today. He built it on about 150 acres of the family's land. His wife, Annis Boudinot Stockton, gave the house its name, "Morven." She named it after a legendary kingdom from old Irish stories.
Many important people lived in Morven over the years. One was Commodore Robert Stockton, who lived there in the 1800s. Later, in the 1930s, Robert Wood Johnson II, the head of the company Johnson & Johnson, rented the house.
The Stockton family owned Morven until 1944. That's when New Jersey Governor Walter E. Edge bought it. He had a special agreement: Morven would be given to the state of New Jersey after he passed away. However, Governor Edge decided to give the house to the state even earlier, in 1954.
From 1944 to 1981, Morven served as New Jersey's very first governor's mansion. This means it was the official home for the state's governors. In 1981, Morven was given to the New Jersey Historical Society. A year later, in 1982, a different house called Drumthwacket became the new official residence for New Jersey's governors. Morven then went through a lot of research and careful restoration work. Finally, in 2004, it opened its doors as a museum for everyone to visit.
Who Lived at Morven?
Many important people owned or lived in Morven throughout its history:
- Richard Stockton (c.1665-1709): He was the first Stockton to own the land, from 1701 to 1709.
- Honorable John Stockton (1701-1758): He owned the land from 1709 to 1758.
- Richard Stockton (1730–1781): Known as "The Signer," he built the house and lived there from 1758 to 1781. He signed the Declaration of Independence.
- Richard Stockton (1764-1828): He was a U.S. Senator and owned Morven from 1781 to 1828.
- Commodore Robert Field Stockton (1795–1866): A famous naval officer, he lived in the house from 1828 to 1866.
- Major Samuel Witham Stockton (1834-1899): Another member of the Stockton family.
- Walter E. Edge: He was the Governor of New Jersey and owned Morven from 1944 to 1954.
- New Jersey Governor's Mansion: The house served as the official governor's home from 1954 to 1981.
- Museum: Since 1982, Morven has been a museum, sharing its history with visitors.
Morven's Architecture
Morven is a two-and-a-half-story building made of brick. It has a gabled roof, which means the roof slopes down on two sides, forming a triangle shape at the ends. There are also chimneys on the ends of the house.
On each side of the main part of the house, there are two-story sections called wings. The front of the house has a porch that looks like ancient Greek buildings, a style known as Greek Revival. This porch covers the middle three sections of the house's front.
Inside, Morven has a unique layout. Most houses with a "central hall plan" have the main staircase in the middle hallway. But at Morven, the staircase is in a hallway at the back of the house. This back hallway also leads to the wings.
To the right of the main central hall is a fancy room called the Gold Room, which was used as a parlor (a sitting room). To the left is the main dining room. The left wing of the house used to have the servants' rooms and the kitchen. The right wing held the library and a family room. The way the inside of the house is decorated matches the popular styles from the late 1700s and early 1800s.
See also
- National Register of Historic Places listings in Mercer County, New Jersey
- Westland Mansion, patterned after Morven
