Status: Endangered
County: Burlington
Additional Features:
UPDATES:
07/2010: Fieldsboro acquired the house in 2000. In 2009, the borough received a $23,345 New Jersey Historic Trust grant to helped fund the preparation of a preservation plan and a National Register of Historic Places nomination. The borough is also pursuing designation to the New Jersey register.
5/2011: An archaeological dig will be conducted on the grounds of the White Hill Mansion throughout summer, 2011. Archaeologists are hoping to discover Native American and Revolutionary-era artifacts. The dig is open to vounteers: click here for more information.
4/2012: The NJ State Review Board has recommended White Hill Mansion for listing on the New Jersey and National Registers of Historic Places. The Friends of White Hill local advocacy group has worked almost a decade to nominate the property to the registers.
DESCRIPTION:
This early 18th century brick house, located on a high bluff overlooking the Delaware River, was home to the Field family, for whom Fieldsboro is named. Their descendants married into the well-known Stockton family, and the poet Annis Boudinot Stockton, wife of Richard Stockton, lived out her final years at White Hill Mansion. Robert S. Field, Annis’ grandson and a future U.S. senator and federal judge, was born at White Hill Mansion. The distinguished residence was added to in the 19th century, and remodeled into a restaurant in the early twentieth.
Most recently, the mansion was purchased as part of a large parcel of land by an out-of-state chemical company. It has stood vacant since that purchase, and has suffered vandalism. It is not being maintained.
The residents of Fieldsboro take great pride in this meaningful piece of New Jersey history, and at the time of this list, the mayor was negotiating with the current owners in an attempt to transfer ownership to the municipality. While this is a commendable goal, if Fieldsboro is successful in obtaining ownership, the costs to stabilize and rehabilitate White Hill Mansion will likely be staggering for the small municipality.
CONTACT:
Debbie Kelly
PO Box 506 11 Buttonwood St
Crosswicks, NJ 08515
609-291-9351
kellybd1@verizon.net