Tulipwood
was designed by Architect J. August Lienau, son of Detlef Lienau.
Mr. Lineau was married to Elizabeth Williams, the sister of Stephen Guion Williams. Mr. Lienau also designed a home directly to the
East of Tulipwood known as Shady Rest today it is known as Somerset
Manor South located at 1135  Hamilton Street for Mary M. Williams
as well as a home for himself and his wife Elizabeth to the West
of Tulipwood known as Merrynook today located at 1201 Hamilton
Street formerly used by Art Institute of New Jersey. Tulipwood,
Merrynook, and Shady Rest all exist today, however; only Tulipwood
survives intact with very few changes.
Tulipwood remained as the centerpiece of the William's family
compound and the personal residence of Stephen Guion Williams
for more than 28 years. Since 1920 Tulipwood has been the home
of the Leigh W. Kimball family. Mr. Kimball's Grandson, Christopher
Lehman was the last resident of Tulipwood before its purchase
by the Township of Franklin in 2003. Mr Kimball's Grandson Christopher
Lehman, and Granddaughter Joyce Platt sold Tulipwood to Franklin
Township in August 2003 for Historic Preservation purposes.
 About Stephen Guion Williams
Stephen
G. Williams was the son of John Stanton Williams and Mary Maclay
Pentz. The Williams' owned the Williams & Guion Steamship
Company, incorporators of the famous Black Star Line of Packets
to Liverpool in the mid 19th century. Mr. Williams earned the
first PhD from Columbia University in Political Science in 1883;
by 1892 he was a practicing lawyer in New York City.
About Detlef Lienau
According
to a Dissertation by Ellen W. Kramer "The Domestic Architecture
of Detlef Lienau a Conservative Victorian. New York University,
PH.D, 1958 Detlef Lienau lived in Jersey City, NJ and maintained
an office a 111 Broadway, NYC. Detlaf was a notable architect
and designed many expensive homes on Fifth Avenue in NYC for wealthy
clients. He also designed summer mansions in Newport, Rhode Island,
the Hamptons, and the Lockwood Matthews mansion in Norwalk, Connecticut. His entire collection, drawings and jobs
lists are in the Columbia University Avery Library in New York
City.
About
J. August Lienau
According
to the same Dissertation by Ellen W. Kramer, J. August worked
under his father Detlef in the 111 Broadway, NYC office from 1870
on. He then assumed his father's practice. We also know for a
fact that J. August Lienau worked with another architect Thomas
Nash. Mr. Lienau married Ms. Williams in 1884 and lived in Merrynook
(adjacent to Tulipwood) for over 19 years until his death in 1906
at the age of 53. His specialty was the designing of private homes
in the metropolitan NYC area. Portions of his work while in his
father's office and directly after he took over his fathers office
are located in the Columbia University Avery Library in New York
City.
 About
Leigh W. Kimball
Mr.
Kimball taught romance language at Rutgers University and founded
the Rutgers Marching Band in 1915. He was a member of the Franklin
Township Planning Board for 14 years including 5 years as the
chairman. Mr. Kimball purchased Tulipwood in 1920 directly from
Stephen Guion Williams and lived there with is wife Neva, his
son Roland, and daughters Hilda, Erma, and Mary until his death
in 1972. In 1926 Mr. Kimball purchased Merrynook from the Wheeler
Family (Who had purchased it in 1906 from the Lienau's) and created
the Kimball Estates Subdivision of ½ acre lots. This area
today is known as Wheeler place. Mr. Kimball graduated from Dartmouth University in 1903.
Open house tours of the Tulipwood are held the Second Sunday of each month. The Second Sunday house tours have been suspended until further notice.
Tulipwood is available for third party-private events including weddings, receptions, holiday parties and corporate meetings. For pricing and availability, please contact Carol Sas at carol@themeadowsfoundation.org.
Tulipwood
1165 Hamilton Street
Somerset, NJ 08873
(732) 560-1977
Map and directions
Resident Caretaker wanted for the Historic Tulipwood Home!
If you enjoy history and are handy at dealing with the problems of living in your own residence, this might be an opportunity for you to put the “Care” in Caretaker. For more information, please read the attached information and contact the Meadows at (732) 846-3345.
Cool Women Poets of New Jersey
Please join us on Saturday, November 6, 2 p.m. at Tulipwood, 1165 Hamilton St., Somerset, for a new poetry reading by the very popular “Cool Women” poets. Audiences have come to expect the unexpected from “Cool Women.” Even the poets themselves don’t know, until their jazz-like ensemble begins a performance, which poems will be shared. They tune like musicians around a theme—first to their audiences, always to each other, making each reading unique.
“Cool Women” members have mentored gifted young women poets at the YWCA of Princeton. Several are Poets in the Schools, under the auspices of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts, as well as “Dodge Poets” with the Geraldine R. Dodge Poetry Foundation. All have a broad range of books and publications to their credit—prose as well as poetry. As a group “Cool Women” have published four anthologies and cut two CDs.
Poems from the group’s new CD, “Cool Women in Their Element,” will be featured at this reading. Copies of their books and CDs will be available for sales and signing. Admission is $10/person. Reservations may be made by calling 732-560-1977, or to chrisflp@aol.
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