James W. Marshall House
Encyclopedia
The James W. Marshall House, located at 60 Bridge Street in Lambertville, New Jersey
, was the boyhood home of James W. Marshall
. Marshall's discovery of gold
in the American River
in California
in January 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush
. It is currently the headquarters of the Lambertville Historical Society.
to nearby Lambertville. He purchased 44 perches (approximately five acre
s) of land from Joseph Lambert for $300 and built a Federal
-style brick home. The Marshall family resided in the house until 1834, when Philip died and his wife could no longer afford to live in it.
In 1882, the property was sold to nearby St. John's Roman Catholic Church for use as a convent
for the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters lived in the house and taught in a school that had been built as an addition. In 1964, the congregation of St. John's decided to build a new convent and school, and plans were made to demolish the house.
In an effort to save the house, Lambertville resident Alice Narducci reached an agreement with St. John's to deed the building to the New Jersey Department of Conservation and Economic Development. The state, in turn, leased the property to the Lambertville Historical Society. The kitchen and schoolhouse addition were removed, and a major restoration followed. The entire back wall of the house was rebuilt using material that matched the original as closely as possible. A similar restoration occurred within the house's interior. The house is decorated in the same time period as when the Marshalls resided in it.
The Marshall House was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on September 11, 1970, and to the National Register of Historic Places
on December 18, 1970. It now serves as the headquarters for the Lambertville Historical Society, and is open to the public as an historic house museum.
Lambertville, New Jersey
Lambertville is a city in Hunterdon County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the city population was 3,906.Lambertville was originally incorporated as a town by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on March 1, 1849, from portions of West Amwell Township...
, was the boyhood home of James W. Marshall
James W. Marshall
James Wilson Marshall was an American carpenter and sawmill operator, whose discovery of gold in the American River in California on January 24, 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush. The mill property was owned by Johan Sutter who employed Marshall to build his mill...
. Marshall's discovery of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
in the American River
American River
The American River is a California watercourse noted as the site of Sutter's Mill, northwest of Placerville, California, where gold was found in 1848, leading to the California Gold Rush...
in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
in January 1848 set the stage for the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
. It is currently the headquarters of the Lambertville Historical Society.
History
In 1816, Philip Marshall (James's father) moved his family from Hopewell, New JerseyHopewell, New Jersey
Hopewell is a Borough in Mercer County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2010 Census, the borough population was 1,922.Hopewell was incorporated as a borough by an Act of the New Jersey Legislature on April 14, 1891, from portions of Hopewell Township, based on the results of a...
to nearby Lambertville. He purchased 44 perches (approximately five acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s) of land from Joseph Lambert for $300 and built a Federal
Federal architecture
Federal-style architecture is the name for the classicizing architecture built in the United States between c. 1780 and 1830, and particularly from 1785 to 1815. This style shares its name with its era, the Federal Period. The name Federal style is also used in association with furniture design...
-style brick home. The Marshall family resided in the house until 1834, when Philip died and his wife could no longer afford to live in it.
In 1882, the property was sold to nearby St. John's Roman Catholic Church for use as a convent
Convent
A convent is either a community of priests, religious brothers, religious sisters, or nuns, or the building used by the community, particularly in the Roman Catholic Church and in the Anglican Communion...
for the Sisters of Mercy. The Sisters lived in the house and taught in a school that had been built as an addition. In 1964, the congregation of St. John's decided to build a new convent and school, and plans were made to demolish the house.
In an effort to save the house, Lambertville resident Alice Narducci reached an agreement with St. John's to deed the building to the New Jersey Department of Conservation and Economic Development. The state, in turn, leased the property to the Lambertville Historical Society. The kitchen and schoolhouse addition were removed, and a major restoration followed. The entire back wall of the house was rebuilt using material that matched the original as closely as possible. A similar restoration occurred within the house's interior. The house is decorated in the same time period as when the Marshalls resided in it.
The Marshall House was added to the New Jersey Register of Historic Places on September 11, 1970, and to the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
on December 18, 1970. It now serves as the headquarters for the Lambertville Historical Society, and is open to the public as an historic house museum.