Ellarslie: A Grand Estate in Cadwalader Park
Perched atop a gentle rise in the heart of Trenton’s spacious Cadwalader Park is Ellarslie Mansion. This stunning Italianate villa is a high-water mark of mid-19th-century architecture, serving as a reminder of a time when wealthy industrialists built grand country estates on the city’s western fringes.
Today, Ellarslie is not only a masterpiece of design but also the home of the Trenton City Museum, preserving the storied artistic and industrial heritage of New Jersey’s capital city.
The Architect and the Industrialist
In 1848, Philadelphia industrialist Henry McCall, Sr. commissioned the renowned architect John Notman to design a summer retreat. Notman was a pioneer of the Italianate style in America, famous for designing “Riverside” in Burlington and several landmark buildings on the Princeton University campus.
- The Design: Ellarslie is a brick structure finished with smooth stucco to resemble stone and painted a warm beige. Its hallmark features include wide verandas (piazzas), decorative brackets, and an imposing tower.
- The View: Notman strategically placed the porches on the south and west sides to offer McCall sweeping, panoramic views down the open slopes toward the Delaware River.
- Lovers’ Lane: The estate was originally accessed via a bridge over the Delaware & Raritan Canal. The tree-lined drive leading to the house, shaded by a canopy of American beech trees, became so popular with local couples it earned the nickname “Lovers’ Lane.”
The Olmsted Connection
Following the Civil War, the estate passed through several hands—including a brief residency by Ion Perdicaris, whose later kidnapping in Morocco sparked an international crisis. In 1888, the City of Trenton purchased the 80-acre property to create its first municipal park.
The city hired the legendary Frederick Law Olmsted, the designer of New York’s Central Park, to lay out the grounds.
- A Unique Distinction: Cadwalader Park holds the title of the only park in New Jersey designed by Olmsted.
- The Vision: Olmsted designed the park with informal plantings and curving roadways to highlight Ellarslie as the park’s crowning centerpiece.
From “Monkey House” to Museum
Ellarslie has experienced a colorful—and at times bizarre—history since becoming public property.
- A Change of Use: Over the decades, the mansion served as an ice cream parlor, a clandestine speakeasy during Prohibition, and eventually a “monkey house” for the park’s zoo from 1936 until 1971.
- The Museum Era: In 1971, recognizing the building’s historical value, the Trenton City Council voted to transform it into an art and history museum. Following a major restoration, it reopened in 1978 as the Trenton City Museum.
The Treasures of Trenton Pottery
The second floor of Ellarslie houses a world-class collection of Trenton Pottery, reflecting the city’s one-time status as the “Staffordshire of America.”
Of particular interest is the exhibit dedicated to James Rhodes, a mysterious 18th-century potter. For years, Rhodes was little more than a name in old documents. However, recent archaeological finds—including a kiln discovered under the Route 29 tunnel in 2000 and another behind the Eagle Tavern in 2005—have revealed the true scale of his work. Rhodes produced unique, grey salt-glazed stoneware decorated with floral motifs and even molded faces, examples of which are now proudly displayed at Ellarslie.
If You Visit
Cadwalader Park remains a peaceful oasis for city dwellers, true to Olmsted’s original vision.
- Location: 299 Parkside Ave, Trenton, NJ 08606.
- The Museum: The museum features changing art exhibitions on the first floor and permanent historical galleries on the second.
- The Grounds: Walk the curved footpaths to see the varied plantings and the unique “rolling hill” landscape that defines the park.
- The Architecture: Look for the Trompe l’oeil effects inside the mansion that mimic expensive stone and plaster moldings.
For More Information:
- The Trenton City Museum at Ellarslie (www.ellarslie.org)
Leave a Reply