Photography by Donovan Roberts Witmer
On a hill in Oxford sits a tall, brick mansion with lots of windows. It towers high, stretching towards the sky, and stately columns frame its pale blue door. Inside, designers scramble about the massive home, toting fabrics and idea boards. They measure and envision fanciful spaces within the house, seeing past the dust of construction.
Sue Smith gingerly climbs the tall stairs, stepping over ripped out carpeting and passing by designers in the winding halls. She carries a thick book with her, titled “What Love Can Do.” It’s the history of a prominent family who once called this mansion their home. She stops in one of the rooms and plops the book down on a mantle. She then flips through the pages, admiring old photographs of the couple and their wedding certificate. She points to a black and white photograph.
“This is the first house they lived in, and he built it. They called it ‘the house that Jack built',” she says.
She rolls through nicknames and anecdotes, stopping at a photo of a large Christmas tree with gifts from Tiffany’s underneath. “To me, when you see the house…it’s one thing to see the architecture, but another to see pictures of the family, the kids,” Smith says. “They breathe life into the home.”
The home is the Ware mansion, built in the late 1800s. It sits on the campus of Ware Presbyterian Village, a continuing care retirement community in southern Chester County. And in May, the historical home will be transformed into a showhouse: Visitors will flock to see local designers’ updates of rooms. They’ll also take in the architectural details and dive deep into the rich history of the Ware family.
The Mansion and The Move
In 1926, John H. Ware Jr. purchased the home, which was then a half-mile away on Mount Vernon Street, for himself and his wife, Clara. Historians say that it was a spat with a neighbor that prompted the Wares to pick up and move… their entire home. While John was from a poor background, he was an entrepreneurial man with a mind for the bigger picture. He made money through bringing much-needed utilities, like clean water and electricity, to the rural area. And by the age of 36, he became a millionaire.
In 1931, in the heart of the Great Depression, the couple raised their home up on steel beams, laid railroad tracks and purchased a small locomotive engine to move the mansion a few hundred feet a day. On the first day of the move, the Wares threw a huge party with forty guests, calling the bash, “Flittin O’ the Wares.” When guests had their fill and left the party, the house had moved 200 feet.
“She was the consummate hostess, but wasn’t a socialite,” Smith explains of Clara. “She was really his anchor in a lot of ways. He strikes me as slightly eccentric, but very brilliant. Maybe they balanced each other.”
When Smith, a former Colonial Williamsburg guide turned mission support director for Presbyterian Senior Living, talks about the Wares, it seems as though she’s describing old friends. She has read some sections of the Ware family history book five or six times over; she recounts their tales with ease.
“I look at myself as the resident historian,” says Smith with a chuckle.
Clara passed in 1962; John died just one year later. And in 1967, their son, Congressman John H. Ware III, donated the family’s Oxford residence to Presbyterian Homes. But it’s more than the mansion that captivates visitors. It’s also the history of the family, a rags-to-riches tale, that stirs intrigue.
John’s backstory, poor but entrepreneurial, certainly strikes a chord with Smith. It makes her think of her own family, their values. “During the turn of the century he realizes he wants more out of life and wants to help people with utilities that could be brought to this part of Pennsylvania,” she says. “It’s the American ethic of hard work, application, taking all things for the greater good. I admire that. It epitomizes the American Dream.”
Sherry Smith, Design Elements Ltd.; Diane Replogle, Replogle House Interiors; Anita Yoder, Heritage Design Interiors
Dream Rooms
With “The Masterpiece of Historic Oxford Showhouse” on the horizon, Susquehanna Style sat down with the talented designers who are re-decorating rooms in the palatial brick Ware mansion for a preview of their spaces.
Anita Yoder, Heritage Design Interiors: Second Floor Guest Room
When Anita Yoder first saw her second floor corner room, she couldn’t help but marvel at the vast amount of light streaming into the space. “I loved the windows,” she says of the row of six that encircle the room. “Even though it was a gloomy day, there was lots of natural light.”
Yoder will be transforming this space into a relaxing, “breathtaking” guest room, decorating with a palette of spa blues and greens. Yoder chose pieces embellished with antique mirrors; mercury glass on a table and a chest of drawers, with platinum and metallic trim, will reflect the light. Coordinated, puddled drapery will be opulent, as will the crystal chandelier that will hang in the center of the space. Crackle faux wallpaper with gold tones will complete the look. “I was trying to bring a mix of old and new. And the bedding will be to die for,” Yoder says of the bed, loaded with pillows. Yoder wants the space to feel soft and luxurious, with a definite nod to vintage. “I want them to feel like, ‘Ah, I would love to stay here. I could stay in this bed all day and read a book.’”
Kate Fitzgerald-Wilks, Timeless Design: Library
The Ware family’s love of the sea and their yacht inspired the handcrafted woodwork and details found in the Library. Cherry wood panels line the room; leaded glass doors reveal intricate additions, like lobsters, anchors and lighthouses.
“I was thrilled, really thrilled by the importance of this room,” says Kate Fitzgerald-Wilks. “It was a definite deal maker when I signed on.” The designer’s goal is to freshen and clean the space so visitors can appreciate the artful architecture. She aims to do that through design that is subtle and nautically-inspired, without looking kitschy. “There will be no [additional] anchors or ropes,” she says, “so it doesn’t look like a theme room at the seashore.”
For the space, Fitzgerald-Wilks has chosen a cream sofa, two French chairs and a long, narrow bench, custom-upholstered with a blue and cream Ikat pattern and with a carved base, that will serve as a coffee table. Solid, reflective wallpaper resembling the alabaster of a shell will be applied to the ceiling; six or seven large nautical charts will serve as artwork, and a silk window treatment will be light and colorful. On top of the built-in mirror above the fireplace, Fitzgerald-Wilks will apply another mirror with a starburst in the spirit of a compass rose, channeling a nautical vibe in a tasteful fashion.
Sherry Smith, Design Elements Ltd.: Third Floor Wine Bar
While many designers had months to plan out their spaces, Sherry Smith came on board much later. Yet the seasoned designer threw herself into plans to deck out a third floor space into a wine bar lounge. “I feel like I’m catching up quickly; I know my vision and theme,“ says Smith. “I’m now just pulling all my resources together.”
For the unique space, comprised of a former living room area, kitchenette and closet, Smith is going for a relaxed mood, hoping to juxtapose her space with the bedroom space across the hall. Her design will be on the masculine side, but will include the layering of textures, colors and shimmers. A contemporary wingback chair, decked out in an animal print, will be one of many additions from her palette of tans, neutrals and metallics. Smith will add a fireplace in one corner, with two leather chairs with tufted backs angled in. Two drum lights, almost flush to the ceiling, will add to the ambiance; a barrel table with bistro chairs and an area rug in a darker color will anchor things together. “My vision is for people to feel warmth, feel welcome in this space, like they can sit down and have a beverage,” she says.
Kate Fitzgerald-Wilks, Timeless Design;Karen Viscito, Karen Viscito Interiors
Karen Viscito, Karen Viscito Interiors: Second Floor Bedroom, Dressing Room and Bathroom
After years of doing major design overhauls for friends, last year Karen Viscito turned her passion for design into a career. Viscito’s vision for her Ware mansion space, a bedroom, dressing room and bathroom, is new Hollywood glamour, executed through sleek lines and minimalism. Viscito plans to work from a color palette of mixed metals, which she says are right on trend. “That’s what we’re seeing today in design. It’s warmer, with goldish-brass coming back,” she adds. The designer will use three distinct wallpapers to elevate the spaces: In the bedroom, purple and grey chrysanthemum print wallpaper embellished with glitter; for the bathroom, metallic silver wallpaper of oversized damask florals; and in the dressing room, Chinoiserie wallpaper panels in grey and white that depict exotic pagodas. The room will include a vintage pagoda chandelier with a bamboo look. Meanwhile, tufting on the bed and chairs will elevate the chicness of the space.
The bathroom will feature angular fixtures and blue hexagonal tiles on walls. Viscito also had crews rip out the tub; they will be installing a full shower in its place, conjuring a spa-like atmosphere. “I want people to feel relaxed, like they’d want to stay there,” she says, “I would think it would be a cool place to stay.”
Alison McIndoe, A.K. Interiors; Christine and Donald Connelly, Connelly Remodeling and Building
Alison McIndoe, A.K. Interiors: Third Floor Bedroom
When visitors walk into Alison McIndoe’s space and see her design, she hopes one word will come to mind: pretty. And while she’s not an antique connoisseur, the designer believes that items have stories to tell. She’ll include personal photos in gold and crystal frames within her third floor bedroom, as well as other vintage items layered to look like they’ve been acquired over time. “It gives the room depth,” she says. “I like to come up with unique, interesting pieces that won’t be dated. Ones that will stand the test of time.”
McIndoe’s palette includes grays, creams and soft, watery blues; the mood is luxurious and feminine. The room will include upholstered chairs in silver, and mahogany dressers and a headboard with nail head trim detail. “Things that have definite historical detail to them, but in a new, fresh way,” she explains. Two circular crystal light fixtures will hang over bedside tables and a semi-flush mount fixture, a mercury glass globe encased by delicate gold leaf, will be positioned over the foot of the bed. “My inspiration was to stay true to the historical nature of the home, but introduce soft and feminine touches to make it more inviting,” she says, adding, “I’m famous for always having touches of bling, so that’s part of it.”
Christine and Donald Connelly, Connelly Remodeling & Building: Second Floor Gentleman’s Quarters
Together since the early 1990s, married design duo Christine and Donald Connelly balance each other out. “I have the mechanical side; she has the artistic side,” explains Donald. “You have to have both parts.” And their room on the second floor of the Ware mansion will be a blend of masculine and feminine; it’s an ode to the past with a modern-day take.
The Connellys plan to convert a small space into an elegant gentleman’s quarters, complete with an office and bathroom. “Even though it’s masculine, I wanted some woman’s touch,” says Christine. The focal point of the bathroom will be a strip of exquisite tiling with a crackled finish, visible through the seamless shower. “To me, it will be like a little jewel,” says Christine. Mosaics in grays and beiges will make up the floor of the shower, while paisley print wallpaper will contrast an opulent carved wood mirror that’s long and rectangular. The bathroom will also feature brushed nickel hardware, granite countertops and rich, dark cabinetry. As for the office, the designers are still deciding on furniture, but are certain they will include a large glass desk and nautical print wallpaper with gold leafing to balance out the small size of the space.
Diane Replogle, Replogle House Interiors, and Leslie Moyer, Allied ASID, McTavish Interiors, Inc.: Kitchen, Dining Room and Living Room
Designers Diane Replogle and Leslie Moyer are charged with a somewhat weighty task: designing the expansive kitchen, beloved dining room and opulent living room, the first room visitors will see. Yet, they are confident that they have laid out an impeccable plan: fresh paint colors that will enhance the intricate architectural details of the rooms and furniture that will keep the integrity of the space.
Showhouse visitors will see a palette of creams and tans, complementing the five types of plaster molding, all original, which frame the ceiling. “These days, it’s rare to find a home with such architectural detail,” says Moyer.
Furniture in the living room will be Winterthur replicates, made by Andersen and Stauffer Furniture Makers of Lititz. “Their pieces are so beautiful, we felt that period pieces were appropriate. When you come in, it will be the first thing that greets you,” says Replogle.
In the large kitchen, surrounded by twelve windows, the designers will work from a palette of rich, soft golds that complement the living room. The space will feature a lounge area with a sofa, window seat and island. The stainless steel appliances, granite countertops and hardwood floors will update the former bistro space, while simple, painted Shaker cabinets and a long wooden farmhouse table with eight traditional chairs will serve as a reminder of the past.
Through a set of French doors sits the two-tier Crystal Dining Room, Replogle and Moyer’s third space. Beautiful Italian marble floors, ornate pilasters and murals will serve as the backdrop for their design. A traditional round table with upholstered chairs and wooden chairs will be set with porcelain and crystal, conjuring up elaborate Ware family holidays of the past. There will also be a wine bar and a sideboard with an ornate lamp. “We’re not going to overfill it with furniture,” says Replogle. “The space has the feel of a garden solarium, so we want that feeling.”
Christy Carroll, House Keys Custom Sewing & Home Staging; Anne Joyce, SpringHouse Furnishings
Anne Joyce, SpringHouse Furnishings: Second Floor Living Room, Bedroom and Bathroom
“This is going to be 50 shades of green,” explains Anne Joyce about her second floor space, “and not just the color, but the lifestyle. It’s a concept.” Joyce will be designing a living room, bedroom and bathroom that is eco-friendly, based around reclaimed goods and woods. To go along with her theme of rustic and refined, the designer plans to set the stage with a reclaimed vintage sofa of green velvet in the living room. A bold patterned wallpaper will be applied; graphic print curtains will add to the effect. The artwork will be locally-found pressed ferns and leaves in reclaimed frames.
The bedroom will feature a chest of drawers made from reclaimed pine, as well as a single bed fashioned from barn beams from an 18th century Chester County barn. Joyce bought the wood and designed the bed herself: “You can still see the axe marks on it.” A birch branch will serve as a curtain rod, bringing a natural effect to the space, and Joyce will also make grommeted curtains. The designer says she loves adding found items into her designs and showing ordinary objects with a fresh point of view. “I want people to think about what’s in front of them, repurpose, rethink it,” she says.
Co-chairs Leslie Moyer and Judy Hastings
Schedule of 2014 Showhouse Events
The Designer Showhouse and Gardens will run Sunday, May 18, through Saturday, June 7, at the Ware mansion. Tickets are $25 per person.
Other featured events include:
Saturday, May 17: Gala at the Wyncote Golf Club | Tickets are $125
Friday, May 23: Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library Presentations at Vista Ridge Pavilion Auditorium | Tickets are $10
Thursday, May 29: Longwood Gardens Presentation at Vista Ridge Pavilion Auditorium | Tickets are $10
Saturday, May 31: High Tea with Susquehanna Style at Vista Ridge Dining Pavilion | Tickets are $15
Proceeds from the Showhouse and complementary events will benefit ongoing care of Ware Presbyterian Village residents.
