Lord Stirling Manor Site
Two brick buildings are all that remain of the Lord Stirling/William Alexander estate. Research has established these were auxiliary buildings related to farm life (granary, farm office, perhaps used by domestic servants). Archeological digs are ongoing on site which is owned by the Somerset County Park Commission.
Lord Stirling acquired the land from his father in 1761 and constructed the manor complex in 1763. It was one of the finest homes in the region, and local residents referred to his estate as “The Buildings.” After his death in 1783, the property was sold, and the structures fell into disrepair. The house was rebuilt in 1825, though not according to the original design, and destroyed by fire in 1919. At the time of its nomination to the National Register, the only structures remaining from the original 1763 construction were the cisterns, slave quarters, various outbuildings, and the foundation of the mansion. The slave quarters were the only known surviving slave quarters in New Jersey and thus constitute a significant record of the history of slavery in New Jersey.