STILL STANDING
Look Inside The McNeal Mansion, An Abandoned 10,000-Square-Foot Home From The 1800s That Nature Is Reclaiming
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.
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.
Here's a look inside the crumbling McNeal Mansion, which is a ghost of its former grandeur.
[The McNeal Mansion in Burlington, New Jersey. Richard Lewis Photography]
Andrew McNeal was well known for founding a pipe plant and foundry, the McNeal Pike and Foundry Company, in 1866.
Using the wealth he acquired from his successful company, McNeal built a large mansion along the bank of the Delaware River.
[The third-floor interior of the McNeal Mansion in Burlington, New Jersey. Richard Lewis Photography]
The United States Cast Iron Pipe and Foundry Company, now known simply as US Pipe, purchased McNeal's company in 1899.
The conglomerate also bought the mansion and began using the massive home as the company's headquarters.
[A hallway inside the McNeal Mansion in Burlington, New Jersey. Richard Lewis Photography]
Andrew McNeal was the first and only person to call the mansion their home.
Following his departure from the mansion, the property was used for corporate reasons.
[A section of the third floor inside the McNeal Mansion in Burlington, New Jersey. Richard Lewis Photography]
Several property developers have taken an interest in the mansion over the years, but their plans have fallen through.
According to the Burlington County Times, one developer even purchased the home in 1987 with plans to convert it into a conference center, hotel, and restaurant. However, those plans never came to fruition, and the property was bought and resold multiple times.
[A view of the third floor inside the McNeal Mansion in Burlington, New Jersey. Richard Lewis Photography]
In 2016, the city of Burlington purchased the mansion with plans to convert part of the property into a restaurant.
"There's a lot of interest. It really has the potential to be something interesting," Jim Kennedy, the city's economic development and redevelopment consultant, told the Burlington County Times at the time.
[A doorway inside the McNeal Mansion in Burlington, New Jersey. Richard Lewis Photography]
But the mansion is collapsing in on itself, which makes it a dangerous place for "urban explorers" and trespassers.
Lewis said that, over the years, he's learned it's important to get a lay of the land beforehand and watch where you walk.
"The McNeal mansion is a stone building, so structurally it's relatively sound," he said. "In a lot of other abandoned buildings with wood frames, I won't step where there's just floor out of fear I'll fall through it."
To see more photos of the abandoned McNeal mansion, head to Business Insider.
