Video Splendor: A pretty Splendid September, in spite of it all, for Mansion in May; $1M raised

Mansion in May has become Splendor in September. Photo by Kevin Coughlin
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By Marion Filler

When Mansion in May morphed into Splendor in September, everyone held their breath, and hoped for the best.

Would Tyvan Hill, the mansion in New Vernon, still be available? Would COVID-19 still be a problem? Would the public want to attend?

The Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC) was not about to give up on its 19th designer show house, a beloved local attraction held every few years that has generated $11.5 million for the hospital since 1974. After much consideration, the ladies decided to move forward.

They say they were able to raise $1 million in September, even though attendance was down by about two-thirds because of pandemic restrictions.

Video: Couldn’t make it to ‘Splendor in September’? Here’s your chance to take the tour, and support the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute:

“There was an ever-present possibility hanging over our heads that there would be NO Mansion this year,” said WAMMC co-chair Kathy Ross. She described how the committee watched the governor’s mandates and kept an eye on how museums were handling the situation.

Nothing could be settled until visitor safety was assured. In July, eight WAMMC members and four representatives from the Atlantic Health System visited Tyvan Hill to determine if it was possible to guide people through three floors of the 10,000-square-foot French-Norman house without a problem.

“We felt it was vitally important to have their input and support,” said Ross, “and once we received their blessing, we felt confident that we could proceed and offer our visitors a safe experience.”

Great care was taken to route visitors through the mansion so that there would be minimum congestion in hallways. Part of the strategy was to keep social distancing by timed ticketing that limited attendance.

May flowers? Almost. It’s Splendor in September, the rescheduled Mansion in May 2020. Photo by Kevin Couglhin

“We normally have 25,000 visitors, but were THRILLED to have 8,614 this year,” Ross said. Logistics worked smoothly but there was a price to pay – a huge drop in fundraising, and disappointed visitors unable to purchase tickets.

Fortunately there is another chance to make good on both. WAMMC has created Treasures of Tyvan Hill, a 30-minute video tour of the house and gardens, that captures the essence of the mansion.

“Our goal with the video tour is to reach many more who were unable to visit or perhaps enjoy seeing a WAMMC mansion for the first time,” said publicist Kathy Hobbs.

Even more importantly, the film offers an opportunity to donate in support of expanding the Gagnon Cardiovascular Institute, the designated beneficiary this year.

“Our increasing patient volume has outpaced the capacity to meet demand, and we are extremely grateful to the Women’s Association for their support of our campaign,” said Morristown Medical Center Trish O’Keefe in a statement.

“This support will help us continue to position Morristown Medical Center to meet the current and future growth of our heart hospital.”

The mansion was closed in March, and reopened on July 21, allowing designers to resume work on their spaces. Thirty-seven designers had been selected from 103 applicants, and three did not return, most notably Barbara Ostrom, who has been a frequent contributor to the show.

From left: Pat O’Connor, co-chair, Mansion in May 2020; Katie Nolle, president, Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center; Marc Adee, chief executive officer, Crum & Forster; Nicole Bennett, chief of staff, Crum & Forster; Kathy Ross, co-chair, Mansion in May 2020. Photo by Dianne Ahto

Somehow, WAMMAC made lemonade out of lemons. Ostrom’s space, the Living Room, became a history room. It was filled with images and memorabilia of the Castle and McGraw families who lived at Tyvan Hill for many years.

“Never in mansion history have we been able to designate a space to showcase the enormous amount of work our History Committee puts forth to bring the fascinating history of a mansion to our visitors,” Ross said.

Tyvan Hill is still on the market, listed by Weichert Realtors at $2,975,000 and just waiting for another chance to shine. May we look forward to another Mansion in May in the near future?

“We are going to wait for the dust to settle from the pandemic before searching for another mansion,” said Ross. “We can all hope for the best and look forward to our next mansion, whenever and wherever it may be.”

This story has been updated with the amount raised by Splendor in September, and a comment from Morristown Medical Center.

MORE ABOUT MANSION IN MAY/ SPLENDOR IN SEPTEMBER 2020

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