The first owner of the land upon which "Drumthwacket", the mansion of the New Jersey governor, now stands was William Penn, founder of Pennsylvania colony and leading Quaker of his time. The lush, rolling acres owned by Penn was acquired in 1696 by William Olden. Thus, began the path to Drumthwacket's history.
Source: Colliers Encyclopedia
The Revolutionary War - The Battle of Princeton
Land in Princeton, New Jersey is burnished in history. William Olden's property would transfer to his progeny who experienced the now famous Battle of Princeton that took place on January 3, 1777. Troops of George Washington, joined by reinforcements, defeated a British regiment advancing to join British General Charles Cornwallis. Cornwallis, seeing his troops outnumbered, retreated to nearby New Brunswick, thus preventing the British from entering Philadelphia.
The defeat of the British at the Battles of Princeton and Trenton buoyed American spirit and helped win the Revolutionary War. In the future, several owners would add to the early history of the future Governors Mansion known as "Drumthwacket".
Source: Colliers Encyclopedia
Charles Olden Smith, The Builder of Drumthwacket
Several generations after the original purchase by William Olden, construction of Drumthwacket finally began with Charles Olden Smith born in 1799 in a Stockton Street, Princeton homestead, built forty years before his birth, known as "Olden House". Born to Hart Olden and Temperance Smith, he married Phoebe Ann Smith in 1832 and built Drumthwacket in 1835 with designs by Charles Steadman, an architect of modest renown, who already designed several Princeton mansions. Olden decided to name his new home, "Drumthwacket", a combination of two Scottish words interpreted as, "wooded hill".
He was a member of the American Republican party and very active politically. In 1844, at age 28, Olden became a treasurer and Trustee of the College of New Jersey, known today as Princeton University, New Jersey's premier Ivy League educational jewel. He served in this capacity until 1850. Bred from strict Quaker heritage, he considered himself an astute businessman and a gentleman farmer. He was persuaded to formally enter the political arena, serving first as a state senator.
Olden holds the unique position in history as a Civil War Governor when in 1860, he was elected New Jersey's 19th governor and the first governor to live in Drumthwacket. He was an ardent supporter of President Abraham Lincoln, fiercely opposing secession. After Olden's death on April 7, 1876, his widow sold the mansion in 1893 for $15,000 to industrialist and banker Moses Taylor Pyne.
Source: Historical Society of Princeton
Moses Taylor Pyne, Drumthwacket's Second Owner
Moses Taylor Pyne, son of Percy Rivington Pyne and Albertina Shelton Taylor, was born December 21, 1855 in New York City. He graduated from Princeton University. He inherited a large fortune from his maternal grandfather and namesake, Moses Taylor, first president of First National City Bank of New York and major stockholder in the Delaware, Lackawanna and Western railroad. Pyne's education at Princeton and his fortune provided him with the incentive to advance the interests of his beloved alma mater.
As an industrialist, Pyne became director of four steel and metal manufacturing companies, two hospitals, one gas and one insurance company, four banks eight railroads two hospitals and four banks. He was president of one railroad and held memberships in 28 clubs. To his credit, he was also first president of the early Princeton Historical Society. Before his death, he was instrumental in effecting the election of Woodrow Wilson to president of Princeton University. Wilson became president of the United States.
Source: Wikipedia.org
Pyne's Transformation of Drumthwacket
With Pyne's purchase of Drumthwacket, it was transformed into an estate that would prove to extend far beyond any of the properties in the Princeton area. He added two wings to the house in 1893 and again in 1900. This time, the architect who designed the extensions was Raleigh C. Gildersleeve.
The original structure was two stories, which remains as the center section of the mansion. The original design consisted of a center hall with two rooms at either side, a large portico and six detailed Ionic columns. The sprawling white mansion was built in Greek Revival style distinguished by a combination of clean lines and artful detail.
The interior design allowed for an elaborate library, paneled in rich woods. He purchased hundreds of acres, adding to property dimensions for the purpose of creating greenhouses, a dairy farm, formal Italian gardens, bridle paths and landscaping that created a vast, park-line atmosphere. Drumthwacket passed down to the sole grandchild of Moses Taylor Pyne, who listed it for sale in 1941, along with twelve surrounding acres of property.
Source: Wikipedia.org,
Abram Nathaniel Spanel, The Last Owner of Drumthwacket
Abram Nathaniel Spanel, a Russian immigrant, and scientist founded the International Latex Corporation. Rubber and rubber-based products were extremely important to the World War II military effort. After Spanel purchased Drumthwacket, he invited his engineering staff to live there, using the Music Room as a large think tank for many of the inventions he later patented. Drumthwacket remained a highly cultural and intellectual center. The Spanels were the last owners of Drumthwacket. Spanel sold it in 1966 with the intention that it should become the official residence of governors of the State of New Jersey.
Source: Historical Society of Princeton Reference
Drumthwacket Becomes the Property of the State of New Jersey
While under state ownership, Spanel's intentions languished until, in 1981, the New Jersey Historical Society raised funds that helped his goal. Later, in 1981, the Drumthwacket Foundation was formed to oversee restoration, curating and preservation of this ultra-elegant, highly historic structure. To insure it's place in history, from William Penn to Revolutionary War to Governors mansion, it has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Source: State of New Jersey Records
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