GCU Historic Significance
Georgian Court University is located on the former George Jay Gould Estate in Lakewood, New Jersey. Built in 1896 by the son of railroad magnate Jay Gould, construction on the estate began ten years after George Gould married the lovely young actress, Edith Kingdon. A second residence for the Goulds, Georgian Court provided recreation, relaxation and the healthy pine air for the Goulds and their six children.
|
 |
Gould engaged the famous New York architect, Bruce Price, to transform his newly purchased property into a lavish country estate. He had in mind something on the order of the great estates in England and Scotland, the comforts of which he had often enjoyed. Price drew upon his extensive experience in designing country homes. The two men soon agreed upon the style of an English estate of the Georgian period, which would substitute a gracious order for the wild terrain. Consequently, the name Georgian Court seemed appropriate.
After George Gould's death, his heirs decided to sell the estate to the Sisters of Mercy. The Gould family could not have imagined the delight that the beauty of Georgian Court and its myriad treasures would afford an endless stream of visitors. The splendor of the Gilded Age has influenced and nurtured graduates of Georgian Court for nearly a century, continuing the marvelous legacy of the Gould estate.
|