GULICK HOUSE II

Old houses mended, Cost little less than new before they ’re ended --Colley Cibber

Gulick House, Lawrence, New Jersey

+Roadtrip::Back To School+

[Lambertville 1]  [Lambertville 2]   [Lambertville 3]   [Outside Gulick House]   [Inside Gulick House]

pix by: shady

We entered through a lower-level entrance. As usual, I was at the rear... the slowpoke taking a bunch of pics along the way... and when I paused from shooting pics, I realized that everyone had scattered and I was left alone in the basement. I made my way through the dark, and up the stairs to the first floor...

I had no idea what to expect as I climbed the stairs... and I definitely was not prepared for what I saw when I reached the first floor... a vast, elegant expanse of hardwood floor gleaming in the sunlight and an ornately banistered, twisting grand staircase leading all the way up to the third floor (below). Cheech peeked down over the banister at me from three stories above as I passed under the beautifully arched great entry, my eyes wide in disbelief as I explored the abandoned fairy-tale mansion...

The ceilings in the house average at about 12 feet tall on the first floor, and 9-10 feet tall on the upper floors (a typical house has 8 foot ceilings), making the place seem even more vast. A Colonial Revival-style stone-tiled sunroom was added in the 1920's (below, second from right). There is also a study with floor-to-ceiling windows and a fireplace. In fact, there are fireplaces in nearly every room... and some rooms even have two fireplaces

I made my way through room after room... I cannot even emphasize the enormous scale of the place! Everywhere I turned, I saw more and more amazing examples of historic architecture on display... elaborate ceiling moldings (above, left)... an old claw-foot tub (below, right)... arched windows... old-fashioned dumbwaiter... the list goes on. The place is still in pretty good shape, most of the rooms are still intact and gorgeously built. It's disturbing to think that someone might want to tear down such a fantastic, well-preserved example of architecture without a thought toward it's obvious historical value...

A dark, narrow servant's hallway leads throughout the walls of the place (above, left). We found recently used candles, clothing, and a dead bird on the bathroom floor as we explored the house. I lost count of the number of rooms, as well as the number of fireplaces... and I totally got lost more than once.

After some time inside of the house, we decided to head back down the stairs, through the lower level and back out into the sunlight again.

A neighbor was kind enough to come over and speak to us for a few minutes, telling us a little about the history of the house and land. Fortunately, it seems that the concerned neighbors keep a very close eye on the place, keeping it safe from intruders and others wishing to do it harm. We were fascinated by the wealth of history behind the Gulick House. As we headed back toward the truck, ready to head home, we felt very lucky to have stumbled across it and had the chance to have a look at it. This is truly a magnificent house and it really deserves to be preserved as the historic landmark it is. At this moment, the fate of the house remains unknown.

If you are concerned about the proposed demolition, and would like to voice your opinion about the Gulick House and it's fate, you can send your comments to the Lawrence Ledger. Thank you.

Our visitor Christy writes, "Ok, I'm STILL looking at your site.... I just ran across your pictures of the Gulick house. Amazing! If the random pictures of rubble weren't there, it would look like someone just moved out. I'm appalled that they would even consider tearing that place down. Even though I'm not in your area, I wanted to send an email to the Ledger to let them know that there is someone in the Midwest even that can't bear to see that house razed. Unfortunately, they no longer have links available in their 'contact us' section. I hope someone in your area takes up the Gulick House cause and stops the demolition. It breaks my heart to see that beauty lost."

OUTSIDE GULICK HOUSE           BACK TO BEGINNING          MORE ROAD TRIPS

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