In 1928, Johnson had taken up residence at Morven in Princeton, New Jersey, the historic home of the Stockton family. It was converted into the New Jersey Governor's mansion after Johnson's lease on the property ended in 1945. In 1946, Evie Johnson had an idea for a new showcase mansion in Princeton, and built 'Longleat' on sprawling grounds entered through grand gates with a one-mile drive up to the house. Evie was a bit of a social climber and had met the Marquess of Bath, who owned the Longleat "stately home" in Wiltshire, England, from which she borrowed the name.