Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge
| Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Geraldine Rockefeller in 1906 by Friedrich von Kaulbach - Dodge Room in the Morris Museum
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| Born |
Ethel Geraldine Rockefeller April 3, 1882 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Died | August 13, 1973 (aged 91) Madison, New Jersey, U.S. |
| Occupation | Philanthropist |
| Spouse(s) | Marcellus Hartley Dodge Sr. |
| Children | Marcellus Hartley Dodge Jr. |
| Parent(s) | William Avery Rockefeller Jr. and Almira Geraldine Goodsell Rockefeller |
Ethel Geraldine Rockefeller Dodge (April 3, 1882 – August 13, 1973) was the youngest child of William Avery Rockefeller Jr. and Almira Geraldine Goodsell Rockefeller. Giralda Farms was the name given to the New Jersey country estate where the family lived. She was a great patron of the arts and parts of her collection became the object of a lawsuit following her death.
She was born Ethel Geraldine Rockefeller, in New York City, New York on April 3, 1882 to Almira Geraldine Goodsell and William Avery Rockefeller Jr.
She married Marcellus Hartley Dodge Sr., president of The Remington Arms Company and, she brought into the marriage an estimated personal fortune of $101 million. They were married on April 18, 1907 in Manhattan, where both resided, in a small ceremony at the residence of the bride's family, following the contemporary customs dictated by a mourning period after the death of the groom's father in February.
The couple had only one child, Marcellus Hartley Dodge Jr., whom they called "Hartley". He was killed in an automobile accident on August 29, 1930 in Mogesca, France. In his memory, his mother purchased a large parcel of land for twenty thousand dollars and gave Madison, New Jersey the property and the Hartley Dodge Memorial Building which was dedicated on Memorial Day, Thursday, May 30, 1935 and used as the borough hall. The New York Times published that the building cost $800,000. Mrs. Dodge also donated the train station. These structures became the core of the Madison Civic Commercial District, which is listed on the State Register of Historic Places and the National Register of Historic Places. They made many other significant donations in his name. During the early part of their marriage they resided together at Hartley Farms. Eventually, while in New Jersey, they resided on separate, but abutting, country estates: Giralda Farms and Hartley Farms hers fronting the main route from Madison to Morristown and extending to his that faced south and fronted on Spring Valley Road in New Vernon. A long private path extended for miles from one house to the other with gates at either side of Woodland Road, which defined the southern boundary of her property.
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