The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1896-12-17


PRINCETON.
duced to bring up her daughters in the
city, and it is probable that the refined
sud scholarly atmosphere of the university
town just suited her.
The property in question Is part Of the
original Morven-Stookton estate, which
was one Of those large parcels of land 80
commonly conveyed to individuals during
colonial days When Richard Stockton
bought 1t of william Penn in 1901, 1t con-
sisted of 5000 acres, and he paid $54 900
for it. But in less than 200 years there
has been such a gradual boom in Prince
ton real estate that for only five acres, In
Guiding the house, President Cleveland
had to pay nearly as much as was given
for the whole tract in Penn's day.
Richard Stockton died in 1909, leaving
six sons, one of whom, John by name,
was the founder of an illustrious family.
John Stockton's son Richard was a great
lawyer, and his son Robert was the famous
commodore of that name. The commo-
dores sons, too, turned out to be men Of
no common stamp, one being the late
Richard Stockton Of Princeton, another
Attorney General John p. Stockton and
third General Robert +. Stockton Of
Trenton.
Nearly all of these famous Stookbuns
lived on the estate at some time or other,
and the famous commodore himself built
the house which the president Is to occupy.
1t was constructed in 1854, and the COM
modore afterward presented II to his
daughter, who had married the Rev. Will
liam Dodd, IA prominent rector Of the Epis-
copal church. From her 1t passed into the
hands of Colonel Sam Stockton, her
nephew and a grandson Of the old commo-
dore. He in turn sold IL to Mrs. Slidell,
the widow of Judge Thomas Slidell of the
supreme court of Louisiana. Mrs. Slidell
bought the property about 90 years ago,
and when she left about a month ago for q
trip to Europe she placed the property on
sale. That is the history of the property
from william Penn to Grover Cleveland.
In spite of having withstood the rack
| and tear Of more than 40 years the house
is we'll preserved and in good repair, for 1t
was built in a solid, substantial style, and
was put up to last out a century, which 1t
will probably do. The walls are of thick
stone blocks, with an outer layer of CO.
| ment, harder by this time than stone It.
self, and lined to represent the blocks,
which it covers. This style Of preserving
| walls was adopted some 90 years ago, at
which time 1t was found that the red Jer-
sey sandstone needed protection from frost
and rain to make 1t durable. The cement
| Is painted white.
There are two stories and half to the
house, and on three sides extend the spa
cious verandas, the roofs of which are sup
ported by white pillars, which give CO..
| lonial effect. There is not bow window,
nor an oriel, nor tower anywhere about
the structure. The interior arrangement
is as severely simple as the exterior. Step
ping into the pillared front doorway the
visitor finds himself in broad hallway,
which extends clear through TO the back
door. The first room on the right is the
library, Immediately behind which 10 the
apartment intended for the dining room
On the other side Of the hallway there is
but one large room, which Mrs. Cleveland
will doubtless convert into a parlor On
the second floor are five big rooms, and In
the half story above are quarters for the
servants and billiard room.
AS the house is 90 by 90 feet, It will be
seen that the rooms must be of ample size.
The ceilings on the first and second floor
are about l2 feet high. In the rear there
is an l. addition, in which are the kitchen
and other rooms necessary to the domestic
economy of the house. In each OF the
rooms in the main portion of the house
there Is an open fireplace, and one Of them
has marble mantel handsomely carved.
The house is heated by steam.
About 900 feet from the house Is the sta
BILE, In which are stalls for four horses and
room for as many carriages Nearby is n
little house for ooachnan and gardener,
and there is a stone laundry; also little
stone house intended to be used for stor.
ing edibles during hot weather.
The five acres which surround the house
are dotted here and there with pine and
cedar trees. A hedge of box which can
probably be trimmed into quite respectable
shape runs around two sides OF the
grounds and across the back Is picket
iron fence, which needs painting. There are
winding walks about which Ruth and
Esther and Marion may run and lots of op-
portunities for hanging swings and ham
mo0ks. Before President Cleveland leaves
the White House his Jersey residence will
probably be thoroughly overhauled and
perhaps remodeled. His summer residence
on Buzzards bay he will keep, for there Il
no fishing anywhere around Princeton, and
fishing Is something which Mr.. Cleveland
could not we'll get along without
S. X. MACDoNALD.