- Ward Homestead
Infobox Historic building
name= Ward Homestead
location_town=Maplewood, New Jersey
location_country=United States
architect=John Russell Pope
client=Marcus L. Ward Home
construction_start_date= 1926
completion_date= 1927
date_demolished=
cost= $1.5 millionWard Homestead is a notable landmark because it is the combined work of three great 20th century figures, architectJohn Russell Pope and landscape designers, theOlmsted Brothers . [John R. Hardin. The Marcus L. Ward Home at Maplewood, N.J. Newark: Osbourne Company, 1928. ]Marcus L. Ward Home
Ward Homestead, now known as Winchester Gardens, was established as the The Marcus L. Ward Home for Aged and Respectable Bachelors and Widowers in 1922 upon the death of Marcus L. Ward. Son of
Marcus Lawrence Ward , one time New Jersey Senator and Governor, Ward died with a substantial fortune of over $4,887,517.40 of which the vast majority went to the newly created home.John Russell Pope
After a site was selected in
Maplewood, New Jersey ,John Russell Pope was selected as the architect. The original three interconnected structures were built in a rusticated gothic style of stone and slate. Through careful investment of the original bequeathment, the Ward Home was constructed for $1,750,000 with over $5,000,000 still remaining in the bank. The home opened on August 31, 1927.Ward Home Today
The Ward Home foundation still exists in its original form, however the marketing name has changed to Winchester Gardens. In the 1980s, women were finally admitted to the home. In the 1990s, a large expansion added numerous apartments an villa in an incongruous style to what were vast lawns, putting greens, and ancient trees. The original Pope-designed portion of the home still features prominently in Winchester Gardens advertising.
References
External links
* [http://www.winchestergardens.com Winchester Gardens (official site)]
* [http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=980CE4D61731EF33A25753C3A9619C946095D6CF&oref=slogin New York Times Article regarding $5M donation]
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.
