Lauriston Mansion

Source: Save the Lauriston Facebook Page

One of the first things many people in New Jersey associate with the town of Rumson is wealth. Not necessarily the nouveau-riche types with their gaudy beach homes and large power boats. Rumson has always held sort of an "Old Money" charm. It posesses quiet streets and large pieces of property, with homes hidden behind tall fences or thoughtfully manicured shrubbery. The relatively isolated peninsula sits between the Navesink River and Shrewsbury Bay. Plenty of homes here date back over a century, and many have found themselves places on the National Register of Historic Places. However the first home ever to land on the register happens to be one of the most beautiful homes Rumson ever saw. 

This beautiful colonial revival mansion was built in 1913 at 91 Rumson Road. While the ten thousand square foot dwelling boasts all the grandeur one would expect from a primary residence, it was actually designed as a summer home for a man named Harry A. Cesar and his second wife Laura. The mansion was named Lauriston in her honor.

Famed Monmouth County architect Leon Cubberly was chosen to design the home. The name may sound familiar, as Cubberly was the principal architect chosen to design the old Paramount Theater in nearby Long Branch.

The home was an architectural masterpiece, boasting marble walls and fireplaces, hardwood trim, plaster ceilings, just about everything you would expect to find in an extravagant home from the time period. A large sweeping staircase welcomed all who walked through the front doors. 

Laura survived her husband, but she too passed away in 1942. After many wonderful summers the family decided to sell the house to a man named J. Howard Smith.

The building changed hands several times and underwent a number of renovations over the next few decades. The 39 acre property was split up into several different parcels which were each sold and built upon. Six acres were maintained around the mansion, including the main driveway and the gardens that Laura Cubberley had dedicated so much time to. 

Lautiston was sold again in 1981 for $390,000, and the new owners made a few  Each time a room in the mansion was updated, the stewards took decent care to make sure the style of the home was cohesive and stylish. By 2002 the then-owners of Lauriston had taken such a liking to the home that they decided to have the property listed on the National Register of Historic Places. This was the strongest possible move they could have taken to ensure the landmark building and gardens would be able to be enjoyed by onlookers in perpetuity.

Unfortunately as time went on, things went south for the property. It was listed for sale several times between 2014 and 2017. Real estate listings praised the home for its many opulent features. That didn't stop it from falling into the hands of developer Roger Mumford, who bought the property for $3.7 million . Mumford sued Red Bank on behalf of the 2020 NJ Affordable Housing Mandates for a variance that would allow him to massively overdevelop the piece of property. The town quietly settled with him, to the chagrin of hundreds of town citizens.

While residents continued to speak out against the sneaky and unethical way the redevelopment was approved, Mumford took petty vengeance by doing nothing whatsoever to secure the historic building. 

Before long the mansion was the site of several outrageous parties, with the local brats going full Project X on the unattended property.

They destroyed the main staircase, trashed the entire house, spray painted the walls, and punched holes in walls. Within a matter of months the building was entirely in shambles.

This is a classic tactic discussed several times on this blog. A developer buys a property, does absolutely nothing to secure or maintain it, and then claims things are "too far gone" to be saved. Despite being a shady and entirely unethical thing to do, developers across the country continue to do it all time.

Lauriston continued to languish well into 2023. Unfortunately on March 27th, 2024 demolition crews turned up and tore the home down. I can't say much else could have been done with the mansion by then. Once again, demolition by neglect has won.