Mansion in May will raise money for Morristown Medical Center. Photo by Dannette Merchant

As the weather turns balmy and you’re beginning to think about spring outings, one place takes center stage: the 2023 Mansion in May, a Designer Showhouse and Gardens in the Borough of Mendham with a name that reflects its green expanse: Three Fields.

The Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center presents a splendid showhouse as its signature fundraiser every two (occasionally three) years. Three Fields, where finishing touches are now in place for over 9000 square feet of indoor space and acres of gardens, is one of the premiere examples of its kind in the country. The showhouse and surrounding acres, which may be almost bare in January, are transformed by teams of interior and landscape designers into a magical kind of alchemy. What results are exquisitely designed rooms, from bedroom to library to dressing room, each with its own unique designer imprint, Jersey’s Best is proud to be a media partner of this exciting event.

The mansion is open every day in May and visitors may stroll through 31 different spaces, with names such as “Birds of Paradise” and “Sous les Fleurs.” The stone, brick and tile-roofed French manor-style home, designed by the prominent architect Greville Rickard, was built between 1928-1930. Situated on 36 acres of gently rolling fields and bordering forest, Three Fields combines many architectural elements such as tall, steeply-pitched roofs with dormers, wood casement windows and French doors opening to the green vistas beyond. The home’s façade combines several conjoined structures, as if the house had been added to over time, along with roofs with built-in sags and bumps, all blending together to give the romantic appearance of a centuries-old retreat. Lunch in the cafe and shopping in the boutiques in the adjacent carriage house add to the experience of being in a sequestered country setting.

A team of 14 landscape designers has taken full advantage of the countryside to create gardens that incorporate flowering plants, shrubbery, sculpture and water features, extending from the stone patio and flowing into the fields.

The Women’s Association was fortunate to receive proposals from some of the leading designers in the tri-state area. Many of the interior designers are repeat participants, all with the creativity, vision and inventiveness demanded by this sprawling project. The landscape designers, also often repeat participants, have combined functionality with aestheticism as part of a master plan created by Susan Cohan. She was named Designer of the Year in 2021 by the Association of Professional Landscape Designers and exhibited at the Philadelphia Flower Show this year.

Benjamin Mosser, who commissioned the estate, and his family lived at Three Fields for more than 20 years. Mosser was a partner in the Wall Street firm of Clark, Dodge & Co. The original owners sold the estate to Andrew Fletcher and his family in 1949. Both Andrew and his wife, Dorothy, were active participants in Mendham life. He was a Mendham Borough councilman and then mayor for three years while Dorothy was on the board of St. Barnabas Hospital. In the mid-60s, the Fletchers gave Three Fields to the borough and the trust holding the proceeds of the sale of the property continues to benefit the community.

For Three Fields Designer Showhouse and Gardens, a team of 14 landscape designers has taken full advantage of the countryside to create gardens that incorporate flowering plants, shrubbery, sculpture and water features, extending from the stone patio and flowing into the fields. Photo by Dannette Merchant

The Women’s Association for Morristown Medical Center (WAMMC), now over 400-strong, has for 130 years helped the hospital respond to the changing health care needs of the community. U.S. News and World Report ranks the center as number one in the state. The Association hosts a number of fundraising events and has raised more than $30 million to date for the Medical Center, including $12 million from Mansion in May alone. This year, proceeds from Mansion will go to support the expansion and modernization of the Institute of Bioskills Training and Innovation. The institute allows health care professionals to hone their skills in high-tech and other procedures using simulation training. For more information about WAMMC, visit www.wammc.org.

Mansion in May offers an opportunity to tour the metropolitan area’s preeminent Designer Showhouse and Gardens and more than 20,000 visitors are expected. Tickets are $50, now available online at Mansion in May. Private tours may also be scheduled online.

— Nanci Healy