Walter Savage

Historic Consultant Will Lecture at FDU

Janet W. Foster Will Discuss "When Florham Was New"

Madison, NJ (February 12, 2003) — On Sunday, March 16 at 3 p.m. in Lenfell Hall, in the Mansion of Fairleigh Dickinson University’s College at Florham, local resident Janet W. Foster, an architectural historian and historic preservation consultant, will deliver an illustrated lecture entitled "When Florham Was New." The talk, part of a continuing series sponsored by the Friends of Florham, will place the storied mansion and grounds of Hamilton McK. and Florence Vanderbilt Twombly in their historical and social context in the Gilded Age that closed the nineteenth century.

Mrs. Foster is singularly well qualified to lead an audience on the sort of tour of the architectural past that the lecture will represent. After studying in the Historic Preservation Program at the Graduate School of Architecture, Columbia University, she co-founded with Bob Guter the historic preservation consulting firm of "Acroterion," well known for its work in historic surveys, design guidelines, and research and investigation.

She has also written several articles about various aspects of New Jersey's historic architecture and two books: Legacy Through the Lens (Mendham, NJ, 1986) and-with Mr. Guter — Building By the Book: Pattern Book Architecture in New Jersey (Rutgers University Press, 1992). For her work in behalf of historic preservation she has received awards from the New Jersey Historical Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office and Somerset County. She helped develop and served as teacher and academic advisor to the Drew University Historic Preservation Certificate Program. Most recently, she has been the Assistant Director of the Historic Preservation Program in the Graduate School of Architecture, Columbia University.

Mrs. Foster’s talk will focus upon the days when the Twomblys began creating "Florham," called by Richard Guy Wilson, a nationally recognized architectural historian, one of the nation’s finest country houses. She will examine Florham's place not only in architectural history but as a reflection of the imperial aspirations of the Gilded Age's millionaires in a period that saw a rising tide of immigrants, the developments, and continuing problems of unemployment-all social phenomena prominently visible at the time in Morris County.

Admission will be $5 and all tickets may be purchased at the door. Mrs. Foster’s presentation will be followed by a question-and-answer period, after which refreshments will be served. For further information, call (973) 443 8661.

(END) Press Contact: Walter Savage Friends of Florham