Tulipwood, Shingle style historic house in Somerset, New Jersey
Tulipwood is a Shingle Style house in Somerset, New Jersey, featuring a gambrel roof, six-over-six windows, and Tuscan columns supporting the porch. The building is clad in wooden shingles and maintains its original interior finishes from the late 19th century.
New York architect Jacob August Lienau designed the house in 1892 for Stephen Guion Williams, a member of the prominent Williams & Guion Black Star Line family. The township purchased the property in the early 2000s to ensure its preservation as a historic landmark.
The interior reflects English design preferences through exposed wooden beams and finely carved fireplace mantels that showcase the craftsmanship of the era. These details reveal how the family that lived here valued artistic decoration and traditional design.
The house opens for guided tours held monthly, typically on the second Sunday, allowing visitors to walk through the rooms with an informed guide. Tours are arranged by a local foundation and provide insights into the architectural and historical details throughout the building.
The house was designed by an architect who was active during the Gilded Age, a period of rapid industrial expansion and cultural transformation in America. Its relative anonymity compared to other estates from this era makes it an overlooked discovery for those interested in late 19th-century residential design.
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