What’s more romantic than a historic home? Perhaps in your mind’s secret life you’re the heroine of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, seeing the dignified Pemberley estate for the first time and quickly adjusting your opinion of Mr. Darcy. Or maybe the costumed drama and rolling English gardens of Netflix’s Bridgerton live in your fantasies.
A short car trip won’t take you back to Regency England, but you’d be surprised at the glorious architecture it can bring within view. If you’re looking for a wonderful summer daytrip or road destinations, any one of these five impressive homes will stir your imagination:
Emlen Physick House, Cape May. Cape May’s gorgeous Victorians need no introduction, and the Emlen Physick House may be the most well-known of all of them. The house has also taken on an urban legend mystique, as it was built by Frank Furness, one of the great eccentrics of American architecture. You can browse the eclectic fireplace mantels and flamboyant carved woodwork and walk the magnificent wraparound porch while marveling at the historical stylings. (The gardens here are also can’t-miss.) Tour themes change with seasons, and the current one, “The Art of Home,” explores the rich artistry of Victorian life. The house is open daily, and there are multiple tours a day.
Drumthwacket, Princeton. This town’s Ivy League campus is iconic (and has some incredible historic architecture open for tours), but Drumthwacket takes that status to new heights. The estate was built in 1835 and is the official residence of the New Jersey governor. (Governor Murphy, however, uses it only for official functions, so don’t count on bumping into him here.) Its silhouette looks the part of a government building, with its Greek columns and distinctive color bringing a different white house to mind. Tours are held on select Wednesdays starting in the fall and can be arranged for special functions.
Ford Mansion, Morristown. Also known as “Washington’s Headquarters,” this classic 18th-century American home is done in Georgian style and served as that famous general’s home base from December 1779 to June 1780 during the Revolutionary War. In addition to the in-depth Washington’s Headquarters Museum, also on the grounds, you’ll see architecture that includes the glorious palladian window above the door, eye-catching cornice and a distinctly Dutch twist on the classic Georgian aesthetic. The mansion is open Thursday through Sunday and offers guided tours at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 2 p.m. and 3 p.m.
Liberty Hall, Union. Originally built in 1772 as a 14-room Georgian-style house, Liberty Hall now stands as a 50-room Victorian Italianate mansion. Former residents of this estate include first governor of New Jersey William Livingston, one of the first Supreme Court justices, many members of the Kean political dynasty and, for one year, Alexander Hamilton. Every room is decorated in historic and eclectic styles, filled with furniture, ceramics, textiles, toys and tools that span nearly all of America’s history. (This spot also has beautiful formal English gardens to tour.) Public tours take place Tuesday-Saturday from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Tours leave every hour on the hour.
Skylands Manor, Ringwood. Of course, the New Jersey Botanical Garden is worth a visit on its own, offering 96 acres designed by some of the foremost landscape architects of their day. But tucked within is a spectacular, 44-room Tudor revival manor house built in the 1920s by architect John Russell Pope. The reproduction English mansion features twisting stone staircases, stately arches and rich wood paneling, and is often described as a castle out of a fairy tale. The gardens offer guided tours one Sunday each month.
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