Wood Lawn Mansion

The Wood Lawn Mansion was built in 1830 by Colonel James Neilson, a third-generation descendant of the Neilson family of New Brunswick. James Neilson built the Mansion as a gentleman’s farm during his time as a successful businessman in New Brunswick. The last of James Neilson’s sons was the final descendant to live in the Mansion. The Wood Lawn Mansion has two stories, with a basement featuring a kitchen and food cellars. Due to a series of additions and alterations over the course of the nineteenth century, the Mansion encompasses elements from Neoclassical, Second Empire and Colonial Revival styles. The renowned New York City architectural firm of McKim, Mead & White made further changes in 1905. The first two floors feature clapboard siding. The third floor consists of a mansard roof with dormers; this replaced the original hipped roof. These projects all contributed to the stylistic diversity present in the architecture of the Mansion, and it has since been added to the National Register of Historic Places. Today, Wood Lawn Mansion is home to the Eagleton Institute of Politics, a recognized collaborative center for political research and student education. The Mansion is used for administrative offices and is not open to the public.