| Author | Message | ||
     js Citizen Username: Js33 Post Number: 49 Registered: 6-2005 |
I just saw the historical pix on this site. What/where is (or was) the Ward Homestead???? - Looks insane! I'd love to hear about it. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 517 Registered: 6-2001 |
You are talking about Winchester Gardens. If I find my book about it I'll try to scan some pictures out of it. -John | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 3748 Registered: 5-2001 |
what happened to Ward Homestead is an enduring crime. It was a beautiful, beautiful spot, and an absolutely sensational building. | ||
| js Citizen Username: Js33 Post Number: 51 Registered: 6-2005 |
tom, what happened to it? - and what is it? extuscan, if you do scan pix, i'd be most appreciative. | ||
| r2boy Supporter Username: R2boy Post Number: 242 Registered: 5-2001 |
The Ward Homestead was a retirement home for men only.It is located on Elmwood Ave near Boyden.The grounds were magnificent complete with a 9 hole golf course.The Marcus T.Ward estate is now known as Winchester Gardens which is an assisted living residence.The owners put up sterile bldgs and took down beautiful trees and paved over the grounds for a parking lot.It's helped to keep many senior Maplewoodians from leaving the area upon retirement. | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 10220 Registered: 1-2003  |
I believe it used to be funded by a foundation. The purpose was to help formerly successful men who were down on their luck. It is currently very expensive to live in. I'm not saying that's good or bad. I have a family member living there who likes it quite well. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 518 Registered: 6-2001 |
This is all from memory, so please forgive me if I'm a little off, but my understanding is that Winchester Gardens was never the "Ward Estate". Seeing the original complex, a John Russell Pope design with grounds by Olmstead, you might think it was once a manor home... but it was actually built long after Ward died as a retirement home. Ward lived in Newark, and had no children. Marcus Ward was his father, a former NJ Governor. I can't remember Ward's first name, but it might have been Marcus also. He left his "estate" in the sense, financial estate, to a foundation to build Ward Home, not his "estate" like real estate. Ward Homestead was originally intended for only for men, at the highest levels of society, who were now destitute in thier old age. It was to maintain thier social standing. As time moved on, these requirements were loosened until women were admitted in 1980. The current Winchester Gardens "At Ward Homestead", is this same foundation. The new facilities cost over $40Million to construct. They claimed they were losing money and needed this new construction... We all know there is nothing more profitable than a non profit, and I'm sure everyone there draws a salary. Losing so much money that they came up with $40mil. Foundations are supposed to "lose money" thats why they have endowments. Anyway, they really ruined the place. Based on the will, none of it should have been permitted. The judge said otherwise. If you look at the postcard, there is a long small wing. I drove around there a few years ago and I don't remember seeing this wing. Perhaps its gone? I think only the main central part remains. It has a large modern addition to it. They ruined it, they really did. -John | ||
| Bob K Supporter Username: Bobk Post Number: 9562 Registered: 5-2001 |
I will defer to John's historical knowledge. The only things I can add is that the family or foundation gave Maplewood the land where the pool complex is. In addition, it appears that they sold off some property on the other side of the complex in the 1940s and 1950s where there are a number of newer homes just north of Maplecrest Park. Also, there are several 1950s/1960s era homes across from Winchester Gardens on Elmwood that I would not be surprised if that land had also been sold off by the Wards. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 519 Registered: 6-2001 |
My Ward Home book is in my mom's garage at the moment, but if anyone wants a copy... there is one on ebay item: 6569758550 | ||
| tom Citizen Username: Tom Post Number: 3758 Registered: 5-2001 |
The beautiful original building is now totally hidden by the cardboard-cutout-like buildings that surround it. I was in the main building both before and after the renovation. The great hall had panelling and flooring of quarter-sawn oak. Think of the wood in a Stickley sideboard, times a couple hundred. It was ripped out and went heaven-knows-where. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 520 Registered: 6-2001 |
Hey all- There were a lot more pictures than I had remembered... and to keep the resolution and size up (incase you want to save them) I've posted them here: http://www.mgcars.org.uk/farina/wardhomestead I will have to take these down shortly because I'm only really allowed to use that server space for things related to MG Magnettes. Perhaps someone can find a more permanent home for these? MOL picture page? -John | ||
| js Citizen Username: Js33 Post Number: 56 Registered: 6-2005 |
Those pictures are beautiful! It really was a spectacular place. I can hardly believe someone would change a place like that. It's so sad when that happens to such amazing places. Thanks so much for sharing those extuscan! I appreciate it! | ||
| knak Citizen Username: Knak Post Number: 122 Registered: 5-2002 |
There's still an astonishing library or living room with a fireplace large enough to walk into - perhaps the Lounge? - and several others in the main building that look like they may be restored to something like the original glory. The grounds are also wonderful, with rolling hills and paths leading to private woods. We've seen lots of rabbits and had the sense of being on a country estate. The people we know who live there are still quite involved in the world and say that the intellectual, cultural, and social life there is lively and satisfying. They still have private apartments and can have company, surrounded by their own artwork and furnishings rather than some anonymous institutional-feeling environment. (I do think it's a shame that they didn't make the outside of the new buildings look like the elegant Tudor originals. The whole place would be much more attractive.) The only drawback is that it is rather expensive to buy into the place. I think I'd be happy to retire there! | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 521 Registered: 6-2001 |
I'm curious how much "rather expensive" is? They advertise thier buy-in as 90% refundable, so if you are to sell your house when you move in, I don't think it might be too unreasonable... Just curious. -John | ||
| Tom Reingold Supporter Username: Noglider Post Number: 10281 Registered: 1-2003 |
I wonder, too, how much "rather expensive" is. My relative seemed quite well off before moving to Winchester Gardens. Yet even he raised his eyebrows when he said that it's expensive, and I dared not ask. I copied your web page to http://whatexit.org/~tommy/wardhomestead Is that good enough? I think I can house those files there indefinitely. | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 522 Registered: 6-2001 |
Thanks Tom looks good -John | ||
| Psychomom Citizen Username: Psychomom Post Number: 89 Registered: 5-2005 |
The Ward Homestead used to extend right down to Boyden Ave. in the land currently used by the Maplewood Pool and adjoining parking lot and first aid squad building. As I remember it was lush green grass and beautiful plantings with an Iron fence and gates. | ||
| bill671 Citizen Username: Bill671 Post Number: 138 Registered: 6-2002 |
When my grandfather emigrated from Ireland, the Ward Homestead construction project was the first employment he found. A forms carpenter by trade, he told us the excavating was done by teams of horse. Years later, I was working a job that sometimes brought me into the basement of the complex - those horsies sure did do a lot of digging!!!! | ||
| extuscan Citizen Username: Extuscan Post Number: 523 Registered: 6-2001 |
Did they tear down any of it? I drove around there two years ago, but I just don't recall it being so large as in this picture:  | ||
| Boomie Citizen Username: Boomie Post Number: 247 Registered: 7-2005 |
I used to work there for many years when it was the Ward Homestead and not Winchester Gardens. They had just begun allowing women in, and the men were having a hard time adjusting. My friend became an administrator there and lived in an apartment on top of the old building that was bigger than most homes and stunningly beautyiful. I have so many incredible memories from that place. |
