- The McNeal Mansion in Burlington, New Jersey, is a ghost of its former grandeur.
- The 10,000-square-foot abandoned mansion was damaged over the years by fires and nature taking over.
- The decrepit property was captured in a photo series by photographer Richard Lewis.
When the McNeal Mansion was built in 1890 as a family home for New Jersey industrialist Andrew McNeal, it was one of the grandest in the area.
Today, the large 10,000-square-foot home in Burlington, New Jersey, is barely standing.
New Jersey-based photographer Richard Lewis explored and photographed the crumbling mansion in 2016.
He got into taking photos of run-down buildings after hearing that an abandoned Nike missile site near his home was going to be demolished for a housing development, “and decided someone had to photograph it for the record,” he told Business Insider in 2021.
“I thought, I now have a reason to photograph these abandoned buildings, and it’s to honor and preserve that history. A lot of these abandoned places that aren’t in great shape are eventually going to disappear,” he continued.
Depending on their size, restoration projects like the McNeal Mansion can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, but many abandoned buildings are beyond repair, despite efforts to revitalize them and repurpose them into functional homes or businesses.
In 2016, the city of Burlington purchased the McNeal Mansion for $1.49 million, with plans to convert part of the property into a restaurant, the Burlington County Times reported. However, the plans were never completed, and the mansion has been left to decay ever since.
Here’s a look inside the crumbling McNeal Mansion, which is a ghost of its former grandeur.
A version of this story was first published in 2021. It was updated in July 2024.
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