Princeton in Mercer County, New Jersey — The American Northeast (Mid-Atlantic)
The Great Lawn / Morven Museum & Garden
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 15, 2022
The Great Lawn
By the time Commodore Robert F. Stockton (1795-1866) began to improve Morven in the 1850s, a picturesque, "natural" landscape style was the mode. The Commodore's landscaping therefore featured a front lawn with irregularly placed trees and a small hillock in front of the house. The flowers and shrubs planted here now are based on 19th-century descriptions and photographs, including the memory of one Stockton cousin who recalled a footpath divided from the carriage drive by a grass strip and "round beds of daylilies planted at intervals…[which] made the front of the house more interesting by affording one the chance to jump over them all in succession instead of walking on the path."
Morven Museum & Garden
Morven Construction Timeline:
Original structure built c. 1757, burned 1758, rebuilt 1760s. Major additions and alterations in 1788, 1790s, 1850s, and 1947. Built as a home for Richard Stockton, signer of the Declaration of Independence, who resided here until 1781. Served as the New Jersey Governor's Mansion from 1954-1982.
Designated a National Historic Landmark: July 17, 1971
Erected 2020 by New Jersey Historic Trust.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Architecture • Colonial Era • Landmarks • War, US Revolutionary. In addition, it is included in the National Historic Landmarks, and the Signers of the Declaration of Independence series lists. A significant historical date for this entry is January 25, 1971.
Location. 40° 20.848′ N, 74° 40.022′ W. Marker is in Princeton, New Jersey, in Mercer County. Marker is on Stockton Street (U.S. 206) just east of Library Place, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 55 Stockton St, Princeton NJ 08540, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. The West Wing (within shouting distance of this marker); The Commodore's Greenhouse (within shouting distance of this marker); The Ice House (within shouting distance of this marker); The Colonial Revival Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Horse Chestnut Walk (within shouting distance of this marker); The Gardens (within
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 15, 2022
Additional keywords. landscape architecture
Photographed By Devry Becker Jones (CC0), October 15, 2022
Credits. This page was last revised on October 17, 2022. It was originally submitted on October 17, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 60 times since then and 7 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 17, 2022, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.