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Blairsden is a historic , 38-room
Blairsden was built between 1897 and 1903 for Clinton Ledyard Blair (1867–1949), an American
Mansion in May
charity fundraiser designer show house and Gardens. This designer show house was presented by the Women's Association ofMansion in May - Designer Showhouse and Gardens
/ref> The mansion was last sold in 2022 to 30 Blair PG, LLC, a subsidiary of
mansion
A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...
located in Peapack-Gladstone, New Jersey
Peapack-Gladstone (also written as Peapack and Gladstone) is a Borough (New Jersey), borough in the Somerset Hills region of northern Somerset County, New Jersey, Somerset County in the U.S. state of New Jersey. As of the 2020 United States cen ...
. Set high on a hilltop overlooking Ravine Lake, the mansion is part of what was originally an estate of . In addition to its 38 rooms, the mansion has 25 fireplaces and 19 bathrooms.
History
Blairsden was built between 1897 and 1903 for Clinton Ledyard Blair (1867–1949), an American investment banker
Investment banking is an advisory-based financial service for institutional investors, corporations, governments, and similar clients. Traditionally associated with corporate finance, such a bank might assist in raising financial capital by unde ...
. It was designed by the prominent architectural firm
In the United States, an architectural firm or architecture firm is a business that employs one or more licensed architects and practices the profession of architecture; while in South Africa, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark and other countr ...
of Carrère and Hastings
Carrère and Hastings, the firm of John Merven Carrère ( ; November 9, 1858 – March 1, 1911) and Thomas Hastings (architect), Thomas Hastings (March 11, 1860 – October 22, 1929), was an American list of architecture firms, architecture firm ...
. Blair spared no expense in building Blairsden, including leveling off the mountain, building a funicular to shuttle building materials and later guests up and down the terraced mountain and purchasing trees and shrubs aged 25-50 years old, as he did not wish "to wait for things to grow." Blairsden also included a 300-ft reflecting pool decorated with a surround of busts of the Roman Emperors. The household employed a large staff of over 70 to support the household and grounds.
Sisters of St. John the Baptist
After Blair's death in 1949, the mansion was sold for $68,000 to theSisters of St. John the Baptist
The Sisters of St. John the Baptist (Baptistines) are a Roman Catholic female religious institute, founded in Angri, Italy in 1878, by Alfonso Maria Fusco.
History
Shortly before he was ordained in 1863, Alfonso Maria Fusco dreamt that he was ...
, who operated the house as a religious retreat. In 2002, the Sisters of St. John the Baptist sold the property to the Foundation for Classical Architecture, owned by Victor Shafferman.
Present day
The mansion was subsequently listed for sale and sold in 2012 for $4.5 million to a holding company named Blairsden Hall, LLC. Local officials identified the new owner as T. Eric Galloway, a New York developer and president of the Galvan Foundation and the Lantern Organization. In May 2014, Blairsden was the site of the 2014Mansion in May
charity fundraiser designer show house and Gardens. This designer show house was presented by the Women's Association of
Morristown Medical Center
Morristown Medical Center (MMC) is a 735 bed non-profit, tertiary, research and academic medical center located in Morristown, New Jersey, serving northern New Jersey and the New York metropolitan area. The hospital is the flagship facility of ...
, and it attracted over 33,000 visitors./ref> The mansion was last sold in 2022 to 30 Blair PG, LLC, a subsidiary of
Gladstone
William Ewart Gladstone ( ; 29 December 1809 – 19 May 1898) was a British politican, starting as Conservative MP for Newark and later becoming the leader of the Liberal Party (UK), Liberal Party.
In a career lasting over 60 years, he ...
-based real estate private equity firm Melillo Equities.
See also
*Beaux-Arts architecture
Beaux-Arts architecture ( , ) was the academic architectural style taught at the in Paris, particularly from the 1830s to the end of the 19th century. It drew upon the principles of French neoclassicism, but also incorporated Renaissance and ...
References
{{reflist Houses in Somerset County, New Jersey Houses completed in 1903 Beaux-Arts architecture in New Jersey Carrère and Hastings buildings Gilded Age mansions