The House of Two Presidents: Inside Rowan’s Hollybush Mansion

Rowan University in Glassboro, New Jersey, is a campus constantly looking toward the future, with new modern housing and academic halls rising every year. But tucked away along the edge of the sprawling campus sits a stone relic of the past that stopped the world in 1967.

The Hollybush Mansion (originally the Whitney Mansion) is the oldest building on campus. It began as the lavish home of a South Jersey glass tycoon, transformed into a college dormitory, and eventually became the unlikely stage for a high-stakes Cold War summit between the United States and the Soviet Union.

The Glass King’s Castle

Hollybush was built in 1849 by Thomas Heston Whitney on what was then a 100-acre estate.

Thomas and his brother Samuel were the titans of South Jersey industry. Their company, the Whitney Brothers Glass Works, was the largest glass operation in the region, employing over 400 workers and effectively building the town of Glassboro around them.

The mansion itself is a stunning example of an Italianate villa, constructed from distinctive South Jersey ironstone quarried nearby.

Inside the Mansion: The interior was designed to impress. The first floor features trompe l’oeil (optical illusion) paintings on the ceilings and intricate plaster frieze moldings.

• The Trompe l’oeil: Look up in the parlors. The ceiling artwork is painted to look like three-dimensional molding, a display of wealth and artistic taste in the mid-19th century.

From Mansion to Dormitory

After the Whitney family era ended, the property faced an uncertain future. In 1916, a developer bought the land with plans to subdivide it.

However, the residents of Glassboro had a different idea. In the 1920s, they rallied to raise over $7,000—a massive community effort—to purchase 25 acres, including the mansion. They offered the land to the state for free, on one condition: build a school for teachers here.

The state agreed. In 1923, the Glassboro Normal School (now Rowan University) opened. The mansion, renamed Hollybush, found a new purpose. The university presidents lived on the first floor, while the upstairs bedrooms were converted into dorms for students.

Graffiti in the Attic: One of the most surprising features of the restoration is in the attic.

• Candle Smoke Signatures: Dating back to the late 1800s, visitors and later students used candle smoke to scorch their initials and dates onto the ceiling beams.
• Student Marks: Later generations added their own tags in paint and pen. Rather than scrubbing this away, the university has preserved this “historic graffiti” as a record of the many lives that passed through the house.

The Summit at Hollybush (1967)

In June 1967, the world’s eyes turned to this quiet college president’s house.

Tensions between the U.S. and the Soviet Union were high following the Arab-Israeli Six-Day War. President Lyndon B. Johnson and Soviet Premier Alexei Kosygin needed to meet, but neither wanted to visit the other’s capital (Washington D.C. or New York, where Kosygin was addressing the U.N.).

They needed a neutral midpoint. Glassboro, NJ, is located almost exactly halfway between New York and Washington.

With only 16 hours’ notice, the Secret Service, the media, and government officials descended on the quiet town. The campus was transformed into a fortress. Residents offered their homes to reporters, and the college gym became the press headquarters.

The Library Meeting: For two days (June 23 and 25), the two most powerful men in the world sat in the Hollybush library, discussing nuclear disarmament and the Vietnam War. While no formal treaties were signed, the “Spirit of Glassboro” was credited with easing Cold War tensions.

The Tale of the Stolen Chairs: A funny (and frustrating) anecdote involves the furniture. The White House brought in staging furniture, but two chairs belonging to the college president’s wife, Margaret Robinson, were left in the library. Johnson and Kosygin used these chairs during their famous talks.

When the summit ended, the White House staff packed up everything—including Margaret’s chairs! When she asked for them back, she was told they were now “historic artifacts” destined for the Smithsonian. After persistent requests, the White House eventually sent her… two replicas built by government carpenters. The originals remained in Washington.

The Restoration

After the last university president moved out in 1998, Rowan University embarked on a $3 million restoration project.

They stabilized the foundation, replaced the slate roof, and restored the intricate plasterwork. They even preserved the unique attic cistern—a massive wooden water tank that once supplied the house’s plumbing.

Today, the mansion serves as a museum and event space, honoring both its industrial roots and its moment on the global stage.

If You Visit

Hollybush is located on the campus of Rowan University. While it is not open daily like a typical museum, the university hosts regular open houses and tours.

• Location: Whitney Avenue, Glassboro, NJ (Rowan University Campus).
• Tours: The Hollybush Museum offers free tours on select dates. It is best to check the Rowan University Hollybush website for the current schedule.
• Don’t Miss: Stand in the library where the Cold War briefly thawed. It’s a powerful feeling to be in the same room where LBJ and Kosygin tried to steer the world away from nuclear war.

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For More Information

• Rowan University – Hollybush (www.rowan.edu/hollybush)