Photo spread published in the April 9 issue of The Metro. Click on the black text for the photos to accompany this text.

The Mansion is the centerpiece of both the former Twombly estate and today’s College at Florham. It was originally built around the turn of the twentieth century. It was modeled after the Christopher Wren wing of Hampton Court Palace, near London.

Documents in the College at Florham Library Archives suggest that the entire estate cost $2 million to build, which according to an inflation calculator on Westegg.com/inflation would be close to $50 million in today’s dollars.

Left, what the Clowney Gardens looked like when the Twomblys lived at Florham and Right, the gardens today. The Clowney Gardens were named after the late William D. Clowney, a trustee of FDU.

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The photo to the left shows what the Orangerie looked like when the Twomblys lived at Florham. It was a sort of greenhouse where citrus trees were grown (Orangerie is French for “orange grove”). When the trees grew too tall, tiles in the floor were removed to lower the trees. Originally, the Orangerie had a glass roof, but an incident involving students climbing on top of the Orangerie prompted FDU to install the copper roof that is on the Orangerie today.

Also visible in the photo to the left, are the 5 greenhouses that were located behind the Orangerie. Today, the campus library and the library parking lot occupy that space.

FDU began construction on the library in 1959, finishing in 1961. It had space for 60,000 volumes. In 1966, a major addition was put on the library, allowing for up to 200,000 books, according to FDU Magazine. Today, the library contains over 150,5000 general circulating and reference titles as well as 500 currently received journals.

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Above is a photo of the Playhouse, a building with an indoor pool, clay tennis courts and a putting green that was built for Ruth Twombly, the daughter of Florence and Hamilton Twombly. Ruth Twombly hosted Great-Gatsby-style parties there regularly. In order to better use the space, FDU demolished the Playhouse and build today’s recreation building and the NAB on the site.

Today, the Roberta Chiavello Ferguson and Thomas George Fergusen Recreation Center, is the home of the FDU Devils sports program. The plaza was built this past summer. The statue of Ulysses which graces the new plaza is a remnant of FDU’s now-defunct Rutherford Campus.

The Stadler, Zenner, Hoffman-La Roche Academic Building (a.k.a. the NAB), had its first classes in 1998. Dreyfuss Building, houses Dreyfuss Theater, where student plays are performed. Dreyfuss was one of the earliest campus buildings that FDU built.

The Twombly Residence Halls, were the first dorms that FDU built on the College at Florham. They were completed in 1964 and, according to FDU Magazine, they “became the first co-education dormitories in the state.” Today, the Twombly Residence Halls are for incoming Freshmen.

The Barn, as a part of the Florham estate, originally housed workhorses and sheep. FDU converted it into a fine arts facility in 1961, complete with an art studio, a small theater, and classrooms. Today, the Barn houses Public Safety, Facilities, Continuing Education, and the recently renovated Black Box Theater.

For more information about the Twombly estate and the College at Florham’s early history, go here

DAN LANDAU
Photo Editor

The College at Florham’s Golden Anniversary events continue, the latest being a talk by professor emeritus Walter Savage and Arthur Vanderbilt II on the Twomblys of Florham and their history.

The event, “The Twomblys of Florham: The Beginning and End of an Era” was hosted by the Friends of Florham on March 29. About 75 people listened to the presentation in Lenfell Hall.

In a casual dialogue, Vanderbilt and Savage presented a broad outline of the Vanderbilt family, starting with “Commodore” Cornelius Vanderbilt and the vast fortune he built in the first half of the nineteenth century. Their narrative continued along, detailing Florence Vanderbilt’s marriage to Hamilton McKown Twombly, their Madison estate (“Florham”), and finishing with the transition from country estate to private university in the 1950s. Along they way, they punctuated their discussion with colorful stories about the Vanderbilts and life on the Florham estate.

Arthur Vanderbilt II talked about the “unbelievable scale of living” that the Twomblys enjoyed. It cost $250,000 a year to run their Florham estate. (An inflation calculator at Westegg.com/inflation put this at around $6 million in today’s dollars.) The Twomblys, however, could easily afford that sum, as even during the Great Depression, they made $10,000 a day from investments ($150,000 in today’s dollars, as per Westegg.com/inflation).

The amazing thing, Arthur Vanderbilt II said, is that compared to other great Vanderbilt houses — such as the Breakers in Newport, R.I. — Florham was very plain and simple.

An interesting side note to the Twombly history at Florham that Savage discussed was that Madison’s Italian community’s roots come from the Italian workers who built Florham. Originally, the land that the estate sat on was swamp land so bad that even the local hunters wouldn’t go in there. The Italian laborers cleared out the swamp and drained the land.

Savage also talked about Fairleigh Dickinson’s acquisition of the property. He said that originally Peter Sammartino, the founder of FDU, was against the purchase, as he thought it would drain the University’s coffers, something that Savage compared to “putting an elephant in the backseat of a sedan.” Eventually, FDU did buy the Mansion and its outbuildings and the surrounding 187 acres for $1.5 million in 1958.

The Playhouse was one of these outbuildings. Originally built for Ruth Twombly, the daughter of Florence and Hamilton Twombly, the Playhouse had an indoor pool and clay tennis court. Savage talked about the Great Gatsby-esque parties that Ruth Twombly used to host there. Apparently in one of these, she dressed as Cleopatra and had four men carry her around. The five of them drank too much at the party and they all fell into the pool.

FDU demolished the Playhouse in the early ‘90s to make way for the current recreation building and the NAB.

Savage, professor emeritus of English, has a long history with Fairleigh Dickinson University and the College at Florham. He taught the very first course offered at the College at Florham, a course that all students were required to take, according to FDU Magazine.

Savage also worked as director of Wroxton College and, in 1983, was the acting president of FDU, according to Inside FDU. Prior to his involvement with FDU, Savage served in the military during World War II, according to FDU Magazine. Today, he is an active trustee in the Friends of Florham.

Arthur Vanderbilt II is a very distant relative of Florence Vanderbilt Twombly. He said that he traces his roots back to the veritable Vanderbilt scion, Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Arthur Vanderbilt II is an author and lawyer in northern New Jersey. His works include the 1989 Pulitizer Prize nominee, “Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt.” He is a partner at the Carella Byrne law firm and an Honorary Trustee of the Friends of Florham. In 2001, Vanderbilt was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame, according to Carella Byrne’s Web site.

The Friends of Florham is a volunteer organization that was founded in 1990 to assist FDU in preserving the historic features of the campus of the College at Florham.

DAN LANDAU
Photo Editor

The College at Florham continues its Golden Anniversary celebration with a talk on Sunday, March 29, by Professor emeritus Walter Savage and Arthur Vanderbilt II on the Twomblys of Florham and their history.

The event, “The Twomblys of Florham: The Beginning and End of an Era,” is being hosted by the Friends of Florham. It will take place in Lenfell Hall in the Mansion at 3 p.m. The $25 admission is waived for Fairleigh Dickinson students. A reception will follow the presentation.

Vanderbilt and Savage will talk about Hamilton Twombly and Florence Vanderbilt Twombly, their estate, “Florham,” and their glittering era of wealth.

Vanderbilt and Savage will discuss every aspect of Florham life, from the 125 servants employed on the premises to the lavish parties and social events that the Twomblys hosted. Also to be addressed are the architects and designers that the Twomblys hired to design their grand estate.

Vanderbilt and Savage will also discuss the decline of the Florham estate and the Vanderbilt fortune, segueing into the estate’s conversion into today’s modern college campus. Carol Bere, a Friends of Florham board member, will moderate the discussion.

The Twomblys built their estate around the turn of the nineteenth century, at a cost of $2 million, according to documents in the College at Florham Library archives. According to an inflation calculator on Westegg.com/inflation, this sum would be close to $50 million in today’s dollars.

In 1952, Florence Twombly died at the age of 99, and in 1955, the contents of the estate were sold at auction, according to fdu.edu. FDU purchased the Mansion, its outbuildings and the surrounding 187
acres in 1958 for its College at Florham.

Arthur Vanderbilt II is an author and lawyer in northern New Jersey. His works include, “Fortune’s Children: The Fall of the House of Vanderbilt,” “Gardening in Eden” and “The Making of a Bestseller.” Vanderbilt is a partner at the Carella Byrne law firm and an Honorary Trustee of the Friends of Florham. In 2001, he was inducted into the New Jersey Literary Hall of Fame, according to Carella Byrne’s Web site.

Walter Savage, professor emeritus of English, has a long history with Fairleigh Dickinson University and the College at Florham. He taught the very first course offered at the College at Florham, a course that all students were required to take, according to FDU Magazine.

Savage also worked as director of Wroxton College and during 1983 was the acting president of FDU, according to Inside FDU. Prior to his involvement with FDU, Savage served in the military during World War II, according to FDU Magazine. Today, he is an active trustee in the Friends of Florham.

The Friends of Florham is a volunteer organization that was founded in 1990 to assist FDU in preserving the historic features of the campus of the College at Florham.

For more information about this event, call Public Relations at 973-443-8661.

DAN LANDAU
Photo Editor

Photos to accompany this article here:
Today -as the Science Building
Then -as the Carriage House (aerial view)
Looking up the driveway… Today -as the Science Building, Then -as the Carriage House
The horse stalls that originally filled the Carriage House
Construction -the transformation from the Carriage House to the Science Building

In a previous life, FDU’s College at Florham was the country estate of Florence Vanderbilt and her husband Hamilton Twombly.

The Twomblys spared no expense when it came to building their home, which they named “Florham.” The carriage house alone was “furnished at a cost of $85,000,” according to The Jerseyman in 1897. Adjusted for inflation, this sum would exceed $2 million in today’s money, as per an inflation calculator on Westegg.com/inflation. A document in the College at Florham Library Archives suggests that the whole estate may have cost $2 million to construct, (which would be close to $50 million in today’s dollars).

According to FDU’s Web site, the carriage house was large enough to house 40 horses and several carriages as well. After the automobile replaced horses and carriages there was a fleet of 15 cars stored in the carriage house, including six maroon Rolls Royces – maroon was the color of the House of Vanderbilt.

At least one reason why the Twomblys had so many Rolls Royces was one of social graces. The Twomblys entertained guests quite frequently. With a private railroad siding on the property, the Twomblys’ guests could easily get to Florham. A convoy of Rolls Royces would then taxi the guests to the Mansion. Florence did not want her guests to feel slighted if some were picked up in a Rolls Royce and some in a lesser car, according to a 2008 lecture by Professor Emeritus Walter Savage.
Documents in the College at Florham Library Archive reveal that there were five liveried coachmen and chauffeurs on duty around the clock.

After purchasing the Florham estate in 1958, FDU converted the carriage house into the Science Building at a cost of over $1.25 million, according to a document in the College at Florham Library Archive. Professor Emeritus Malcolm Sturchio oversaw the renovation. According to FDU Magazine, there were 12 teaching labs and eight research labs in place by 1962, as well as FDU’s Health Research Institute.

Today, the Science Building is home to the Biology, and Allied Health Sciences Department and the Department of Chemistry and Pharmaceutical Science, according to FDU.edu.

DAN LANDAU
PHOTO EDITOR

PHOTOS TO ACCOMPANY THIS ARTICLE CAN BE VIEWED HERE:
The Mansion Then –Arial View
The Mansion Then
The Mansion and the Clowney Gardens Today
The Mansion Today 1
The Mansion Today 2
The Main Hall Then
The Main Hall Today

Hennessy Hall, or simply “The Mansion” is the centerpiece of the College at Florham.

Fairleigh Dickinson University’s College at Florham is in the midst of its golden anniversary this academic year, but the Mansion’s story actually begins 119 years ago.

According to FDU’s Web site, in 1890, Florance Vanderbilt (the granddaughter of tycoon, Cornelius Vanderbilt) and her husband, the financier Hamilton Twombly purchased 1,200 acres on which to build. They commissioned the very best architects of the time, hiring Fredrick Law Olmstead (the landscape architect who designed New York’s Central Park) to design the spacious grounds and the formal gardens. For their house, the Twomblys employed the services of McKim, Mead & White (the firm which designed New York’s Pennsylvania Station and Rhode Island’s state capitol building, according to greartbuildings.com).

The fashion of the time dictated that the social elite model their houses after British palaces and manor houses and the Twomblys did: the Christopher Wren wing of Hampton Court Palace, near London, according to a class lecture by Assistant Professor Gary Darden in fall 2008. Building commenced on their home in 1894 and finished three years later.

Professor Emeritus Walter Savage said in a 2008 lecture on the Twombly family, that the Mansion was built mainly by Italian laborers. These laborers were paid only pennies a day to construct the masterpiece home.

The fantastically wealthy couple christened their new home “Florham”—a fusion of their first names. Besides Florham, the Twomblys also had a brownstone on 5th Avenue in New York City as well as Vineland, a summer “cottage” in Rhode Island. In sharing time among their houses, the Twomblys only lived at Florham during the Spring and the Fall, spending Winters in their brownstone and summers at Vineland, according to the FDU Web site.

Florham was a huge entity. According to the history of the Twombly family on the FDU Web site, at the time of Florence Vanderbilt Twombly’s death in 1952, there were still 125 servants employed to work in the house and the grounds. On the grounds behind the Mansion, Hamilton Twombly built a working farm with a world-renown herd of cattle. Behind the Orangerie, where the campus library currently sits, were also five greenhouses that grew fresh flowers and produce for all three of the Twombly homes. Savage also mentioned in his lecture, that there still remains on the brick wall behind the library, the outline of one of these greenhouses.

Besides being a successful farm, the Florham estate also boasted a private railroad siding, the early twentieth century equivalent of a private jet. This was an essential accessory for the very very rich, according to newyorksocialdiary.com.

Also on the grounds of Florham, was the Playhouse, an indoor pool that used to sit where the Stadler-Zenner Hoffman-La Roche Academic Building (The NAB) and Fergusen Recreation Center are today. The gatehouse for the estate is now the home of the Fairleigh Dickinson University Federal Credit Union and the carriage house now houses the departments of Biological & Allied Health Services and the Chemistry & Pharmaceutical Science, according to Darden.

Today, the Mansion holds the offices of the University President, Dr. Adams and the Campus Provost, Dr. Greene as well as other administrative and faculty offices and several classrooms.

DAN LANDAU
Photo Editor
Published in the February 5, 2009 Issue.