Gibbons Mansion, currently known as Mead Hall, is a historical mansion on Drew University campus in Madison, Morris County, New Jersey, United States. It houses the university's administrative offices today.
Mead Hall | |
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Location | 36 Madison Avenue, Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, U.S. |
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Coordinates | 40°45′40″N 74°25′31″W / 40.76125°N 74.42526°W |
Built | 1836 |
Architectural style | Greek revival |
NRHP reference No. | 77000897[1] |
NJRHP No. | 4433[2] |
Significant dates | |
Added to NRHP | August 10, 1977 |
Designated NJRHP | December 1, 1976 |
History
editThe mansion was built by William Gibbons beginning in 1833 in the heart of his 96-acre property; it was first occupied in 1836.[3] Gibbons was the son of Thomas Gibbons, a prominent politician, lawyer and steamboat operator originally from the South.
In 1867, Gibbons’ only son, William Heyward Gibbons,[4] sold the vacant mansion and estate to Daniel Drew for $140,000. Drew, in turn, the Drew Theological Seminary, named in his honor. The Gibbons mansion was renamed Mead Hall, in honor of Drew's wife, Roxanna Mead.[5] The sister of William Heyward Gibbons, Sarah Taintor Gibbons, was Mrs. Ward McAllister.
1989 fire
editMead Hall was devastated by a fire in 1989, reopened in 1993, and despite the damage, is still “considered the finest example of Greek Revival architecture north of the Mason–Dixon line."[6]
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
- ^ "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Morris County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. March 1, 2011. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
- ^ Cunningham, John T. (1998). Images of America: Madison. Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 19, 31. ISBN 9780738567792.
- ^ Joyce, William L. (1988). Archives Accessions Annual. Meckler. p. 44. ISBN 9780887364204. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
- ^ "A brief history of Mead Hall". Drew University. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
- ^ "Campus map, Mead Hall". Drew University. Retrieved September 1, 2012.