Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 6

90 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 6 undertaken at a mansion called ‘The Abbey’. The Gilded-Age mansion, known originally as Alnwick Hall, was once considered the gem of Millionaire’s Row. Built in 1904 by AT&T magnate Edward Meany, it later became home to a church and offices, however it has remained vacant over the past 10 years. Restoration Hardware, an upscale American home furnishings company, will invest $20 million to renovate the building, with plans to turn the mansion into a furniture showroom, while adding a new wing which will include a restaurant. “We’re very, very lucky that Restoration Hardware made that proposal,” says Grayzel, “because that mansion was starting to fall apart and needed a lot of repair. If they didn’t come in and renovate it, there’s a good chance that it would have been torn down as well.” The Abbey isn’t the only spot in town getting new life. The former Mennen site, which homes, some of which date back to the 1700s. At the turn of the 20th century, Morris Township became a hot-spot for New York City bankers looking for a summer escape from the city. They came in droves, creating castle-like structures along a section of Madison Avenue now known as “Millionaire’s Row.” By 1902, there were 91 mansions gracing the town. According to Grayzel, “There are mansions throughout the town that were built by New York City folks who came out here to the country for the weekends. Right across from where I live is Delbarton School, one of the old mansions that was converted into a school. The mansion is now the offices for the school and they built other buildings around it.” Many of the stately old residences have since been demolished but the lucky ones, like Delbarton, have been given new life as office buildings, condos, and even a retail hub. One such conversion is a major project being