Designers Revive Historic Home for 'Mansion in May'

This region of New Jersey is home to a wealth of riches. From million-dollar estates, to political influencers, to professional sports team training facilities.

And, this area–specifically, Morris Township–is home to a castle.

That castle, the Glynallyn mansion in the section of the township known as "Millionaires' Row," will be open for tours throughout May as this year's selection by The Women's Association of Morristown Medical Center's "Mansion in May" fundraiser. Proceeds from the event will go toward a new inpatient hospice and palliative care center at .

The 16th "Mansion in May" fundraiser, the Women's Association of Morristown Medical Center has since the early 1970s transformed historic but often run-down, worn out residences into showhouses for many of the area's top designers every two-to-three years.

This year, designers from Morristown, Boonton, Madison, Clinton and New York City, among others, set their sites on the country estate of George Marshall Allen, who had made his fortune at the turn of the 20th Century through color printing, Bermuda Electric Light, Power & Traction Co., The National Starch Co. and a share in the Old Crow Whiskey distillery.

Constructed between 1913 and 1917, the English Tudor-themed Glynallyn–a romanticized derivation of the glen it was built upon and its owner's surname–is 32,000 square feet, with hundreds of stained glass windows, stone arches, gargoyles, servant's quarters, even a "dungeon," encompassing 66 rooms.

While the Allen family owned the house until 1952, and was attentively cared for by its next owners–General Drafting Company–until the early 1990s, Glynallyn had over time fallen into disrepair.

"It looked nothing like this," said Gregg Spadaro, of Land Identity of Westfield. 

"There were overgrown trees, an above ground pool," said Mo Soliman of Curb Appeal Design, of Morris Plains. "Now, this is back to [how it was] 100 years ago."

"There's nothing here that's not outstanding," noted Jane Meehan, gala chair of The Women's Association of Morristown Medical Center. She said the association, which is estimated to have over the years contributed over $5 million to the hospital through its Mansion in May program, has pledged to donate at least $1 million this year to the hospital's new hospice and palliative care center.

Rooms in Glynallyn range in styles from modern to traditional. Katja van der Loo, participating in her seventh "Mansion in May" called her space–"The Greenery"–a dark, scary and boring place before getting an overhaul.

"The house is gorgeous," said van der Loo, of Papyrus Home Design in Boonton. "This is a fabulous cause. The women who run this are amazing."

But, let's not forget the boys involved in the extreme makeover, including partners Davis Tamburin and Kenneth Wilkinson, who turned a plain old "Morning Room" into one of the brighter, more modern spots in the whole home.

While most designers did not talk about costs associated with their projects, Tamburin, who has participated in seven "Mansion in May" projects, estimated his and Wilkinson's room to cost about $250,000.

With participation comes the risk of loss, in that future homebuyers can opt to keep everything that has gone into "Mansion in May" or can request that it all be white-walled (save the main floor kitchen, a permanent installation designer Sara Dickinson of Morgan House Interiors said was "not chump change"). "That's always a possibility," Tamburin said. However, the designer noted, it's never happened while he has been a participant.

"It would be their loss," he said. "We want to show what we can do."

What they, and the other over-50 landscape and interior designers did will be on display through May 31. The mansion will then return to the market, where it currently is listed for $5.7 million.

"It was an empty canvas, it needed a ton of renovation," said Laura Decker, of British Home Emporium. "A lot of love went into it."