Llewellyn Park was one of the first gated communities in the United States, where the natural environment was both carefully cultivated and allowed to remain undisturbed.[6] The landscaping is in the 19th century romantic style of New York's Central Park, and includes winding paths, ornamental trees, shrubs, and flowers.[7]
The Llewellyn Park Historic District was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 and was added to the state register the following year.[8]
Llewellyn Park was founded in 1853 by Llewellyn Solomon Haskell, a New York City businessman and was designed by Alexander Jackson Davis. Haskell discovered the lush, wooded area on the eastern slope on the first range of the Watchung Mountains which was originally farmland owned by Ira Harrison Condit.[9] Purchasing 100 acres from Condit in 1855, Haskell set out to create a suburban community of country estates. These finely crafted homes would stand amid majestic trees and running streams. The first annual meeting of proprietors was held at the Park's Gatehouse on January 1, 1858, and continues today.[10]
The main entrance to Llewellyn Park is located on Main Street in West Orange, near Thomas Edison's factory complex, now a museum and also a part of the Thomas Edison National Historical Park. The entrance is within West Orange's historic district, which is entering a phase of major revitalization. There is a side entrance to Llewellyn Park located on Eagle Rock Avenue that is electronically monitored and activated by the security guards within the Gatehouse on the Main Street entrance.
Llewellyn Park residents enjoy the combination of close proximity to New York City, a relaxed semi-rural lifestyle, and exceptional privacy.
The Ramble is a common area of 50 acres (200,000 m2) landscaped with streams and paths. Period gas lamps line the curving streets of the community. The Llewellyn Park Ladies Association is largely responsible for the beautification of the Park. Its activities include annual plantings; purchasing, and selecting appropriate sites for rustic architecture including gazebos and benches; and directing the Park's maintenance staff to care for the trees, shrubs and flowers.
A major function of the Ladies Association is its commitment to fostering a sense of community among Park residents by planning social activities for adults and children. These activities include a Halloween Party for the children and a Holiday Party for adults. Recently the Ladies Association has also sponsored a barn dance, an Easter egg hunt, a Victorian picnic, and a High Tea. Residents' professions and occupations range widely and include business persons, professionals, academics, and artists.
Residents operate a Llewellyn Park Historical Society dedicated to preserving historic artifacts relating to the creation and history of the Park. The Llewellyn Park Preservation Foundation (an independent 501 c(3) charitable organization) is dedicated to maintaining and restoring the historic character.
Theodore Miller Edison (1898–1992), only child of Thomas Edison who graduated from college; went on to become an inventor with over 80 patents[15]
Thomas Alva Edison (1847–1931), inventor of the phonograph, the incandescent electric lightbulb, and the first practical motion picture camera whose home was Glenmont Mansion. Edison's Black Maria, the first movie studio, was located in West Orange[16]
^Yi, Karen. "High-end doesn’t even begin to describe this super-private gated community", NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, August 8, 2019. Accessed May 18, 2023. "It’s considered one of the first gated communities in the country. The 425-acres of Llewellyn Park in West Orange is sprawling with opulent homes, many styled after English manors, and flush with matured trees and thousands of daffodils."
^Jailer, Mildred. "Preserving the Victorian Look", The New York Times, March 19, 1978. Accessed November 1, 2018. "Together with the Bloomfield Historical Society, the North Jersey group has purchased a tombstone for the previously unmarked grave of Alexander Jackson Davis, the noted Victorian who lived in Llewellyn Park in West Orange."
^Pace, Eric. "Theodore M. Edison; An Illustrious Father Guided Inventor, 94", The New York Times, November 26, 1992. Accessed May 23, 2012. "Theodore M. Edison, an inventor, environmentalist and philanthropist who was the last surviving child of the inventor Thomas Alva Edison, died on Tuesday at his home in West Orange. He was 94 years old."
^Thomas Edison National Historical Park, govnotes.com. Accessed November 5, 2007. "Half of Edison's astonishing 1,093 patents were earned during the 44 years he lived in West Orange."
^Chen, Joyce. "Inside Whoopi Goldberg’s Historic Real Estate Portfolio", Architectural Digest, December 28, 2022. Accessed May 18, 2023. "The result was the purchase of her luxurious $2.8-million mansion in the gated community of Llewellyn Park, which she currently calls home. The eight-bedroom Colonial-style property measures 9,486 square feet and was originally built in 1927."
^Acts of the General Assembly of the State of New-Jersey, p. 910. I. Collins, 1873. Accessed May 27, 2016. "An Act_to change the name of Thomas Frost Haskell: Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly the State of New Jersey, That the name of Thomas Frost Haskell, of the township of West Orange, in the county of Essex, be and the same is hereby changed to Llewellyn Frost Haskell... Approved January 29, 1873."
