Wheelchair Lift with door closed

Mobility Elevator & Lift recently had the privilege of completing the installation of a wheelchair lift in the official residence of the governor of New Jersey, the Drumthwacket, in Princeton, NJ. The lift was installed to improve wheelchair access in compliance with Federal and State codes, and the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA).

To provide a bit of history, the land on which the Drumthwacket resides was originally purchased by William Penn, a Quaker, in the late 1600s. Over the years, it was passed along to other well-known figures such as Charles Smith Olden and Abram Nathanial Spanel. In 1966, Spanel sold the Drumthwacket to the State of New Jersey to be used as the Governor’s residence. In the present day, The Drumthwacket Foundation, a 501c3 non-profit organization was established. Its mission is to “increase a sense of pride in New Jersey by preserving the Drumthwacket property […] expanding civic understanding amongst New Jerseyians.”

Wheelchair Lift with door open

As a public entity, the Drumthwacket is required to comply with the ADA and, as such, hired Mobility Elevator & Lift to help. The wheelchair lift of choice was the Prolift vertical wheelchair lift (VWL) with automatic swing Auto Pro landing doors, as manufactured by Savaria.

Functional features include:

  • Enclosed cab interior
  • Can handle up to 6 stops
  • Moves at a swift pace of 30ft/min
  • Load capacities up to 1400lb

A close up view

Safety features include

  • Emergency alarm
  • Stop buttons
  • Emergency battery back-up
  • Car top stop switch

The Prolift is great for public buildings as it is easy to operate and provides a smooth, quiet ride. It can be designed with various color choices for the interior and houses recessed lighting, a stainless steel handrail, metal buttons, and a plywood floor.

If you manage a public building that can use improvement with ADA compliance, contact Mobility Elevator & Lift today.