Nemacolin Castle to sparkle during holiday season
BROWNSVILLE – In the seven years she’s been decorating rooms for the Christmas candlelight tours at Nemacolin Castle in Brownsville, Nellie Mammarella has not found a favorite. “I think all the rooms are fun to do,’ said Mammarella, a member of the Brownsville Historical Society, which operates Nemacolin Castle. “You get to see how creative you can be.’
Mammarella and her husband, Bob, are part of a roster of volunteer decorators who let their imaginations loose on Nemacolin Castle for these holiday tours, which begin today from 4 to 9 p.m. and will continue weekends through Sunday, Jan. 5.
“It surprises us every year how neat the decorations are,’ said Mammarella, who got her start when a friend wanted to decorate a room and asked Mammarella to help her. “You wonder how do people come up with these things?’
The decorations showcase such simple pieces as evergreen garlands, pine cones, candles, ribbons and pearls.
Clever decorators – many of whom return annually – will stop visitors in their tracks with unique holiday displays.
The 2002 decorators include: trading post, Alyssa Ptak of Brownsville and docents; maid’s bedroom, The Candy Bouquet of Scottdale, owner Jennifer Grippo; the nursery, Nancy and Jamie Bogol of East Millsboro; master bedroom, Nancy Franks of Brownsville; tower bedroom, Diane Dolobash of Brownsville, east bedroom, Shelia Orlandi and Sandy Rummell of Brownsville; middle bedroom, Suzanne Lawver of Brownsville and Tresa Weiss of Centerville; bishop’s bedroom, Joanne John and Susan Thomas of Uniontown; library, Cameron Patrick Neth Designs Inc. of Brownsville and Lonna King, Kathy Gudac, Carmeline Neth and Tara Kimmell; the study, Maria Herre and Rick Mammarella of Brownsville; the sitting room, The Lenk, Brown, Ehlers, Black and Pellick families of Brownsville; the conservatory, Patty Redigan and daughters of Brownsville; the dining room, Brownsville Garden Club; the pantry, Maria Herre of Brownsville and Mike Avera of Uniontown; stairway, Eddie Stevenson of Brownsville; the hallways, Colleen Rawson of Brownsville; and gift shop, Richard Black of West Brownsville.
The Mammarellas will be decorating the drawing room this year.
“I’m doing the room in gold and silver. What I do is pick out a color and gather things with that color scheme. I don’t actually know what I’m going to do until I get there,’ she said.
Returning this year after a two-year absence is Cameron Patrick Neth, a renowned interior designer, who has decorated at the White House.
“I just love the castle. That’s where I got my start,’ Neth said.
Neth began decorating at the castle when he was 17. He worked for three seasons and then was so busy with his own business that he missed two years. Now he’s back and is doing the library.
“I tried to make it look like what it would have been if they were having a party,’ Neth explained. “I have chocolates and cakes – a dessert buffet set up with punch.’
Neth decorated the room in a traditional Victorian style with lots of rust-colored crushed velvet ribbons with gold gimp edging, crushed chiffon, dried hydrangeas and glittered fern pieces.
Asked why he came back, Neth said, “I just feel like it’s giving back to the community, and I want people to support this charity.’
In fact, Neth noted that tickets will be available for sale this weekend for a $400 wreath and a $450 Christmas stocking with proceeds going to the Nemacolin Castle Interior Charity Fund sponsored by Cameron Patrick Neth. The fund is raising money to restore the interior of the castle.
Mammarella said anyone who wants to volunteer to decorate a room can leave a message on the castle answering machine.
The historical society supplies trees and lights for the trees. Decorators provide the other decorations. There are few restrictions for doing the rooms.
“We used to go by themes, but I think that limits a person,’ Mammarella said. “You can do what you want to do as long as you keep it within the years of the house.’
Nemacolin Castle, which overlooks the Monongahela River, can trace its roots back to Fort Burd, a French and Indian War stronghold that was built on this site in 1759.
Jacob Bowman established a trading post on the remains of the fort in 1789. Eventually, it was absorbed into a room of the house that the Bowmans built on the property.
Bowman was Brownsville’s first postmaster and a wealthy businessman. He added onto the house as his wealth increased. Eventually, the home contained such amenities as a conservatory and library and such luxuries as crystal chandeliers.
The Bowman family retained ownership of the home for more than 170 years before Fayette County purchased it in the 1970s. The Brownsville Historical Society operates the structure and has conducted the Christmas candlelight tours for more than 20 years.
Decorators work on their rooms the weekend before Thanksgiving. Mammarella had planned to be there with her husband both Saturday and Sunday to do her room and help other decorators.
“The drawing room and the library are big,” she said. “They require more decorations and time. The trees in there are huge.’
The Mammarellas have tried their hand at the east bedroom, tower bedroom, master bedroom, library and sitting room. They’ve done the latter twice, but no decorator does the same room two years in a room.
And by encouraging the decorators to be inventive, the results are certain to dazzle the public each year.
“Some people come every single year to look at the decorations because they’re always different,” Mammarella said.
In order to make it easier for the public to enjoy the decorations, the historical society has extended its holiday tours this year.
“A lot of people don’t have time to see the castle before Christmas, and it’s already decorated,’ Mammarella explained why the historical society decided to maintain the tours through Jan. 5.
The schedule for tours will be Fridays from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturdays and Sundays from 2 to 9 p.m. Admission is $6 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
Today’s opening corresponds with Brownsville’s Light-Up Night. Today’s activities at the castle include Civil War re-enactors – both Union and Confederate – from 6 to 9 p.m.
Children who tour the castle today will be given a treat. Delores Martin will play her harp in the library from 6 to 9 p.m. And the grounds will be decorated with luminaries.
Hot wassail and cookies are served on the Christmas tours throughout the season. Musical entertainment will be available on various evenings. The Percival Pickers are slated to appear Dec. 20.
The historical society is hoping to receive several thousand visitors during the season, which will be the last time the castle is open until ghost tours are held again during the first two weekends in March.
“It’s a tradition for a lot of families,’ Mammarella said of the holiday tours. “Once you come to the castle, it gets you in the Christmas spirit.’
For more information, call Nemacolin Castle at 724-785-6882.