Ward Homestead
Encyclopedia
Ward Homestead is a notable landmark because it is the combined work of three great 20th century figures, architect John Russell Pope
John Russell Pope
John Russell Pope was an architect most known for his designs of the National Archives and Records Administration building , the Jefferson Memorial and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.-Biography:Pope was born in New York in 1874, the son of a successful...

 and landscape designers, the Olmsted Brothers
Olmsted Brothers
The Olmsted Brothers company was an influential landscape design firm in the United States, formed in 1898 by stepbrothers John Charles Olmsted and Frederick Law Olmsted, Jr. .-History:...

.

Marcus L. Ward Home

Ward Homestead, now known as Winchester Gardens, was established as 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
Marcus Lawrence Ward
Marcus Lawrence Ward was an American Republican Party politician, who served as the 21st Governor of New Jersey from 1866–1869, and represented the state in Congress for one term, from 1873-1875....

, 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
Maplewood, New Jersey
Maplewood is a township in Essex County, New Jersey, United States. As of the 2010 United States Census, the township population was 23,867.-History:...

, John Russell Pope
John Russell Pope
John Russell Pope was an architect most known for his designs of the National Archives and Records Administration building , the Jefferson Memorial and the West Building of the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.-Biography:Pope was born in New York in 1874, the son of a successful...

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.

External links

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