President Nixon's North Jersey home hits the market for $1.2 million. Take a look inside

David M. Zimmer, NorthJersey.com
·3 min read
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One of North Jersey's most unforgettable transplants elevated a modern Park Ridge townhouse from posh to presidential.

Put up for sale at the end of March, 23 Sherwood Downs was the final home of former President Richard M. Nixon and his wife, Patricia. The asking price is $1.2 million, twice what the couple paid in March 1991.

Located deep within the gated Bears Nest community, the three-bedroom, five-bathroom home was the second Bergen County residence for the Nixons. The pair lived in a 15-room home on 4 acres in Saddle River for nine years before they sold it in November 1990. They moved to 23 Sherwood the following April.

At the time, John Taylor, a spokesman for the former president, told The Record that the townhouse gave them "all the room they need and … plenty of security." It also brought some familiarity.

President Richard M. Nixon's North Jersey townhouse, 23 Sherwood Downs in Park Ridge, was designed by Eleanore Pettersen. Pettersen was a Passaic native who in 1952 became the first woman to open an architectural firm in New Jersey.
President Richard M. Nixon's North Jersey townhouse, 23 Sherwood Downs in Park Ridge, was designed by Eleanore Pettersen. Pettersen was a Passaic native who in 1952 became the first woman to open an architectural firm in New Jersey.

Like Nixon's Saddle River home, 23 Sherwood was designed by Passaic-born architect Eleanore Pettersen.

A student of Frank Lloyd Wright in the early 1940s, Pettersen allowed many of her designs to be heavily influenced by the surrounding landscape. But while 15 Charlden Drive in Saddle River was a wood-frame contemporary, clad in marble chips and cut fieldstone, 23 Sherwood is an English-style brick structure.

It is one of 76 units in Bears Nest, a 46-acre residential village of clustered townhouses. Built amid a rolling forest starting in 1985, the community is carved with an irregular web of roadways lit by antique bronze lampposts. All of its townhouses are covered in "autumn smoke" bricks and clad by copper lanterns. The style carries over to the central clubhouse and the guardhouse, which was upgraded at Nixon's behest.

President Richard M. Nixon's early 1990s townhouse, 23 Sherwood Downs in Park Ridge, was designed by Eleanore Pettersen. Pettersen was a Passaic native who in 1952 became the first woman to open an architectural firm in New Jersey.
President Richard M. Nixon's early 1990s townhouse, 23 Sherwood Downs in Park Ridge, was designed by Eleanore Pettersen. Pettersen was a Passaic native who in 1952 became the first woman to open an architectural firm in New Jersey.

Nixon's former home is an end unit covering four floors linked by an elevator. Set on a slope that runs to nearby Mill Brook, the home has a driveway that dips down to a large parking area and a basement garage. The finished lower level also has an ensuite bedroom, sauna and gym, said Henriett Tasko, an agent with Christie's International Real Estate Group.

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The second-floor main bedroom suite has a sitting area, two custom closets and a marble bathroom. On the first floor, a solarium connects to a deck and a dual-sided fireplace divides the dining room from the two-story family room.

The interior is fitted with built-in cabinetry and hardwood flooring, although the custom library's fourth-floor study, where the former president spent much of his time, is carpeted.

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An early riser, Nixon often worked in the White House-inspired study before commuting to his official office in Woodcliff Lake, according to his late-life biographers. The study was where he housed his wife-curated collections of elephant figures and autographed books from other famed political figures. It was also where Nixon wrote his last book, "Beyond Peace," and met with leaders of state, including former Vice President Dan Quayle and former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, The New York Times reported.

President Richard M. Nixon's North Jersey townhouse, 23 Sherwood Downs in Park Ridge, was designed by Eleanore Pettersen. Pettersen was a Passaic native who in 1952 became the first woman to open an architectural firm in New Jersey.
President Richard M. Nixon's North Jersey townhouse, 23 Sherwood Downs in Park Ridge, was designed by Eleanore Pettersen. Pettersen was a Passaic native who in 1952 became the first woman to open an architectural firm in New Jersey.

The study's former furnishings now belong to the Richard M. Nixon Presidential Library and Museum in Yorba Linda, California. They were preserved there along with artifacts that were left in 23 Sherwood after Nixon suffered what would be a fatal stroke in April 1994.

A polarizing politician, Nixon was the only person in U.S. history to be twice elected vice president and twice elected president. Yet he resigned as the latter in August 1974, scandal-ridden, after attempting to cover up a break-in at the offices of the Democratic National Committee.

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In Bergen County, Nixon found quiet communities within close proximity to New York City. In the city, he retained a presence as a political power player, through public appearances and publishing houses. At home, he maintained guarded control over his private life.

In area restaurants, such as the Ho-Ho-Kus Inn, he held discreet dinners for the world elite. When he wanted to be seen, Nixon would walk to Valentino's on Spring Valley Road, where he had his own table.

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Richard Nixon's NJ townhome is for sale. Take a look inside