Gibbons Mansion

Mead Hall
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
New Jersey Register of Historic Places
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Location	36 Madison Avenue, Drew University, Madison, New Jersey, U.S.
Coordinates	40.76125°N 74.42526°W / 40.76125; -74.42526
Built	1836
Architectural style	Greek revival
NRHP reference No.	77000897[1]
NJRHP No.	4433[2]
Significant dates
Added to NRHP	August 10, 1977
Designated NJRHP	December 1, 1976

Gibbons Mansion, currently known as Mead Hall, is a historical mansion on Drew University campus in Madison, Morris County, New Jersey, United States. It houses the university's administrative offices today.

History

The mansion was built by William Gibbons beginning in 1833 in the heart of his 96-acre property; it was first occupied in 1836.^[3] Gibbons was the son of Thomas Gibbons, a prominent politician, lawyer and steamboat operator originally from the South.

In 1867, Gibbons’ only son, William Heyward Gibbons,^[4] sold the vacant mansion and estate to Daniel Drew for $140,000. Drew, in turn, the Drew Theological Seminary, named in his honor. The Gibbons mansion was renamed Mead Hall, in honor of Drew's wife, Roxanna Mead.^[5] The sister of William Heyward Gibbons, Sarah Taintor Gibbons, was Mrs. Ward McAllister.

1989 fire

Mead Hall was devastated by a fire in 1989, reopened in 1993, and despite the damage, is still “considered the finest example of Greek Revival architecture north of the Mason–Dixon line."^[6]

See also

• Drew University

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places. National Park Service. March 13, 2009.
2. "New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places - Morris County" (PDF). New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection - Historic Preservation Office. March 1, 2011. p. 7. Archived from the original (PDF) on October 24, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2012.
3. Cunningham, John T. (1998). Images of America: Madison. Dover, NH: Arcadia Publishing. pp. 19, 31. ISBN 9780738567792.
4. Joyce, William L. (1988). Archives Accessions Annual. Meckler. p. 44. ISBN 9780887364204. Retrieved February 23, 2018.
5. "A brief history of Mead Hall". Drew University. Archived from the original on October 24, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2012.
6. "Campus map, Mead Hall". Drew University. Retrieved September 1, 2012.