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2008 Mansion in May Celebrates
Historic Home of Grant & Evander Schley
The mansion is open the entire month of May, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. and on Sunday from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. Please visit the Ticket Sales tab on this website for more information on purchasing tickets to the 2008 Mansion in May at Froh Heim.
 The Women’s Association of Morristown Memorial Hospital once again hosts their 14th Mansion in May Designer Showhouse and Gardens tour at Froh Heim in Far Hills, New Jersey. The event showcases the talents of prominent area designers in the extraordinary setting of a historic mansion. A month of Special Events at this year's Mansion In May means visitors will enjoy an entire day full of fun when they visit Froh Heim in Far Hills. Scheduled for each day of the month are a host of themed special activities, demonstrations, talks, and entertainment - something wonderful for every day in May.
Of special interest to HSSH members, please note Judith B. Tankard's lecture on the historic gardens at Froh Heim, designed in 1923, by garden designer Ellen Biddle Shipman. Judith B. Tankard will present her lecture on Sunday, May 4 at 2 p.m. at Froh Heim. Admission to the lecture is free with the purchase of a mansion admission ticket. Also, W. Barry Thompson will be speaking about the history of the Froh Heim, the Schley family and the founding of the Far Hills area.
Froh Heim History
 Froh Heim is located on Liberty Corner Road, in Far Hills. The circa 1923 Spanish-style stone and stucco house with a red-tile roof, was designed by architects Peabody, Wilson & Brown of New York. Froh Heim (German for “happy home”) was home to Evander B. Schley, a mining industrialist. This is the second house to be called Froh Heim – The first being an 1888 rambling country house, built by Schley’s parents, Grant and Elizabeth Schley. Elizabeth is said to have exclaimed over the beautiful view of the “far hills,” thus naming the place where there was not yet a village. Most of the original Froh Heim was demolished after Grant Schley’s death in 1917 and the new Froh Heim was built partially on the existing foundation. In the 1930s, alterations to the main house were made by architect F. Burrall Hoffman Jr. The house boasts 7 bedrooms, 8 baths and 8 fireplaces. The library paneling was imported from Czechoslovakia and the parquet flooring in the dining room was acquired from a house in France. The 11.4 acre property also includes a large barn, smoke house and well house. Mansion historical information is taken with permission from New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills, Volume 1 by John K. Turpin and W. Barry Thomson. The committee graciously acknowledges their valuable contribution of the historical documentation.
The Gardens
The gardens at Froh Heim were designed in 1926 by noted garden designer, Ellen Biddle Shipman (1869-1950). Within the walled gardens at Froh Heim, E.B. Shipman employed her signature style to create an “intimate outdoor room” with appealing simple lines and carefully proportioned axial layouts; her gardens at Froh Heim contain lush perennial plantings, a pergola, fountain, brick terraces and specially designed wrought iron elements, which include gates, railings, and an unusual vine holder. E. B Shipman designed over 40 personal gardens in New Jersey and more than 650 nationwide. Significant Shipman commissions include the Longfellow House gardens, Sarah P. Duke Gardens and Longue Vue Gardens in New Orleans. The E.B. Shipman gardens at Froh Heim are being faithfully restored. The restoration of the gardens is being coordinated by Master Landscape Architect Brian W. Bosenberg, CLA, of B.W. Bosenberg & Co. Far Hills. The implementation of the restoration plan is being executed by John Charles Smith, CLA, Landscape Historian; John Todd and Neil LeBlond of Statile &Todd; and Tim Foerster of Foerster Landscape Inc.
Volunteers Needed
Volunteers are still needed to support this month long event.
Volunteers are needed to work as Room or Landscape Docents, to help in the Tulip Hill Cafe, and to assist with Parking, Admissions, Special Events, Private Parties and the Preview Gala. Please note that Landscape, Admissions, and Parking are outdoors and will be staffed regardless of weather. Room Docents are asked to stand for the shift, although a chair will be provided should it be needed. The Preview Gala is a one-night event, to be held Saturday, April 26th. Daily Special Events are planned and evening Private Parties, with day or evening shifts at times to be determined.
Volunteers will be required to purchase a Volunteer Pass at the reduced rate of $10; regular admission is $25. The non-transferable pass allows unlimited access to the Mansion during the month, after the volunteer's first shift has been completed. To volunteer or for more information, call the Volunteer Hotline at 973-971-8800 or email MIM2008Vol@optonline.net.
The Mansion in May volunteer schedule is: Thursday, May 1st through Saturday, May 31st Monday through Saturday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. and Sunday 10:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Volunteers may sign up for full or half day shifts.
For additional information please visit the Mansion in May website - Click Here.
The Women’s Association of Morristown Memorial Hospital (WAMMH) is a seven hundred member volunteer-based organization, established in 1893. This makes the Association one of the nation’s oldest and largest hospital auxiliaries, with a growing membership and broad spectrum of fundraising efforts and services. The mission of the Association is to support Morristown Memorial Hospital in advancing the quality of healthcare in the community. This mission is fulfilled through fundraising endeavors and by providing caring services to patients and visitors. Morristown Memorial, a 629-bed hospital and regional trauma center, provides local access to world-class healthcare with excellence in cancer, cardiac, pediatrics, diabetes, orthopedics, and arthritic care.
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