The centerpiece of the Monmouth University campus is Shadow Lawn. Originally, it was the site of the Shadow Lawn mansion, constructed in 1903 and housed 52 rooms. After the original Shadow Lawn was destroyed by a fire in 1927, the current building was built as a residence for Mr. and Mrs. Hubert Templeton Parson. Mr. Parson was the former head of F.W. Woolworth Company.

You've probably seen the hit musical, Annie. Well you might think that Daddy Warbucks lived in his mansion on Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street but actually it was the famous Wilson Hall on Monmouth University campus he called home.

Shadow Lawn became municipal property during the Great Depression and until Monmouth acquired ownership, it was home to Highland Manor Junior College, a private girls' school. Shadow Lawn was named to the National Register of Historic Places on March 28, 1978 and later named a National Historic Landmark on February 4, 1985.

Shadow Lawn was famously known as Daddy Warbucks' mansion in the film version of Annie, starring Aileen Quinn. Some of the scenes in this movie were filmed inside and outside of the building along with the rest of the Monmouth University campus.

Following Monmouth's acquisition of the estate, Shadow Lawn was renamed Woodrow Wilson Hall after United States President Woodrow Wilson, who stayed in the original mansion during his campaign in summer of 1916. The current mansion was renamed to Great Hall in 2020.

Monmouth University, West Long Branch, NJ offers a unique opportunity for engagement session photos, in central New Jersey, to recently engaged couples working with a professional photographer.

Whether you loved "Annie" or are looking for the most breathtaking engagement session photos anywhere in Central New Jersey, Monmouth University in West Long Branch, NJ is definitely the place for you! Choose this wonderful location and take a stroll with your photographer any time of the year to capture some amazing engagement photos that will last a lifetime.