Blairsden (house)

Blairsden is a historic 62,000 square foot, 38-room mansion located in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey.[2] Set high on a hilltop overlooking Ravine Lake, the mansion is part of what was originally an estate of 550 acres (2,200,000 m2).[3] In addition to its 38 rooms, the mansion has 25 fireplaces and 19 bathrooms.[1]

Blairsden
View of front of house, ca. 1903
General information
Architectural styleFrench Renaissance
Address30 Blair Drive
Town or cityPeapack-Gladstone, New Jersey
Coordinates40°42′51.29″N 74°38′12.26″W
Construction started1897
Completed1903
ClientClinton Ledyard Blair
OwnerBlairsden Hall, LLC
(T. Eric Galloway)[1]
Technical details
Floor area62,000 square feet
Design and construction
ArchitectCarrère and Hastings
Other information
Number of rooms38

History
View of house past terrace gardens, ca. 1903.
The home's enclosed garden in 1903

Blairsden was built between 1897 and 1903 for Clinton Ledyard Blair (1867–1949), an American investment banker. It was designed by the prominent architectural firm of Carrère and Hastings.[4] Blair spared no expense in building Blairsden, including leveling off the mountain, building a funicular to shuttle building materials and later guests up and down the terraced mountain and purchasing trees and shrubs aged 25-50 years old, as he did not wish "to wait for things to grow."[5] Blairsden also included a 300-ft reflecting pool decorated with a surround of busts of the Roman Emperors. The household employed a large staff of over 70 to support the household and grounds.[5]

Sisters of St. John the Baptist

After Blair's death in 1949, the mansion was sold to the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, who operated the house as a religious retreat.[6] In 2002, the Sisters of St. John the Baptist sold the property to the Foundation for Classical Architecture, owned by Victor Shafferman.[7][8]

Present day

The mansion was subsequently listed for sale and sold in 2012 for $4.5 million to a holding company named Blairsden Hall, LLC.[9] Local officials identified the new owner as T. Eric Galloway, a New York developer and president of the Galvan Foundation and the Lantern Organization.[1]

In May 2014, Blairsden was the site of the 2014 "Mansion in May" charity fundraiser designer show house and Gardens.[10] This designer show house was presented by the Women's Association of Morristown Medical Center, and it attracted over 33,000 visitors.[11]

See also

References
  1. Perry, W. Jacob (September 20, 2013). "Tour request for Blairsden in Peapack-Gladstone ensnared in traffic debate". The Bernardsville News. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  2. DiIonno, Mark (September 29, 2013). "Blairsden estate's mystique soon to be unveiled". The Star-Ledger. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  3. Zavalick, Charlie (September 26, 2013). "Peapack-Gladstone OK's tours of historic Blairsden estate". The Bernardsville News. Retrieved 2013-11-05.
  4. "The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills". Archived from the original on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  5. Schleicher, William A. and Winter, Susan J. (1997). Images of America In The Somerset Hills The Landed Gentry. Dover, New Hampshire: Acadia Publishing. pp. 34–37. ISBN 0-7524-0899-2.CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  6. "The Historical Society of the Somerset Hills". Archived from the original on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2014-03-13.
  7. "Blairsden History Video Series". Archived from the original on 2014-05-13. Retrieved 2014-05-12.
  8. "Mystery of the man". Retrieved 30 September 2017.
  9. Data on 30 Blair Drive, Peapack-Gladstone Boro
  10. A Guide to Blairsden Mansion in May Archived May 17, 2014, at the Wayback Machine
  11. Mansion in May - Designer Showhouse and Gardens
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