Recalling a former grannie
client who balked at paying the relatively small rate I charged ($15 at that
time) for my time and out & about expertise because, she reasoned, "You
have far too much fun" on such jaunts.
Well, if that's true, I
should charge my grannie client absolute zip na-da zilch this Wednesday, because I am going
to have a blast showing off the shopping mecca aspects of Princeton , capped off with a visit to Drumthwacket.
"What, pray tell,"
you may ask, "Is a Drumthwacket?"
Nothing less than the
official home sweet home of New Jersey
(Caveat: Most NJ governors only live there part time,
if at all - the first governor with the option to live there, Tom Kean,
thinking it way too pretentious for the governor of what was then a state with
a struggling economy, opted to live in his private home; Gov. Christie
only uses it for Sunday dinners & official events, of which there are a lot
in holiday season.)
The first home known as
Drumthwacket was built in 1835, on a piece of land originally owned by William
Penn. It was first used as a governor's mansion in 1860, when its owner
was elected to that lofty office. His original structure was greatly
expanded & totally gussied up by its next owner, but the original 2 1⁄2-story center section and impressive portico with six Ionic columns remains today.
When I
first saw Drumthwacket, back in the late 1960s (my sister, Mim, occasionally visited a prof from her University of Houston days, who lived in Princeton; she'd take me to keep her company - lucky me!), it had just been sold to New Jersey by the family of its third owner.
Frankly, it didn't look like much back then. The intent was to restore – okay, surpass – its glory days and use it as the governor's official residence, replacing the more modest (but historically far richer) Morven, which is well worth a visit, especially in springtime.
Frankly, it didn't look like much back then. The intent was to restore – okay, surpass – its glory days and use it as the governor's official residence, replacing the more modest (but historically far richer) Morven, which is well worth a visit, especially in springtime.
Today, the magnificent Greek Revival, gleaming white amidst its garden setting, is a
knockout, whether you just drive by (best viewed heading east from Princeton ) or have the pleasure of wandering the mansion's public rooms.
It certainly was a joy to
take Mom to bask in its splendors back when Christie Todd Whitman was governor -
teddy bears played a major role in the decorations - and more recently with
family-of-the-heart when Jon Corzine was gov.
I look forward to showing off my special treasure - most folks don't seem to be aware of
a) who "lives" at Drumthwacket and b) that it's open for tours Wednesdays (except Aug), unless an official event takes precedent (alas,
there are many during the holiday season).
Tours run for about 45 minutes; tour hours are 11 a.m - 1:30 p.m, Wednesdays only (subject to being bumped by an official function). Although technically free, they "recommend" (aka expect) a $5 donation - a bargain.
