He then relocated to New York City and Newark and continued his work in the field of real estate development. As a young man, he learned the contracting business in Providence, Rhode Island. Whittlesey was born and raised in Rochester, New York. Standardized setbacks and height restrictions were established for each block. All the lots in the residential section had deed restrictions from such nuisances as multiple-family dwellings, chicken coops, barns, brewing establishments, solid fences over 4-feet tall, and foundries. Beginning in 1906, Whittlesey provided all of the elements of the neighborhood's infrastructure, including roads, sidewalks, and sewers. Before 1905, Highland Park was a small hamlet of the much larger Raritan Township rather than the independent borough it would become on March 15,1905.

It is thought that Whittlesey was otherwise occupied with his other developments and that there might have been an inability to secure water services due to local politics. Moffitt, sold lots with promised $1,500 houses beginning in 1897, the houses in Livingston Manor were not constructed until the summer of 1906. Through its history and appearance, the Livingston Manor Historic District meets National Register criteria because it is an excellent example of early-20th century, private, planned, suburban development, it has an association with community founder Watson Whittlesey, and it has a large number of houses that were constructed with quality architectural design and construction, many of which have retained high levels of integrity.Īlthough a local agent, Mr. Instead of auctioning lots like his 19th century predecessors, Whittlesey sold subdivided lots with either a house completely built by his company or with the promise of providing a company-constructed house similar to those previously constructed. Whittlesey was more than a typical land speculator he was a community builder, which was noted by his residency in various Livingston Manor houses from 1906 to 1914, and by his active involvement in the municipal affairs of Highland Park. From 1897 until his death on April 7, 1914, Whittlesey marketed this subdivided estate, known as the Livingston Manor, for residential development. The Livingston estate was purchased on January 14,1897 for subdivision and development by Watson Whittlesey, whose credentials included the development of Watchung Heights, a section of West Orange, New Jersey and Hyde Park in East Orange, New Jersey. The Livingston Manor Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2004.

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