Donors pick up Drumthwacket rehab tab

Costs balloon to twice the original $300,000 estimate.

By: David Campbell
   Renovations to the governor’s residence at Drumthwacket cost almost twice the original $300,000 estimate, according to a statement recently released by the Drumthwacket Foundation.
   The renovation work to the 19th-century Greek Revival mansion cost about $590,000 and included removal of lead paint, installation of new flooring and carpets, and the redecoration of the private residence on the second floor.
   In addition to donations of money, contractors, union painters and an interior decorator donated labor and materials to the Drumthwacket Foundation, the nonprofit agency that maintains the mansion. A muralist donated her talents to decorate the family nursery, a converted workout room.
   First Lady Dina Matos McGreevey, who oversaw the redecoration, thanked the corporations and individuals that have contributed to the ongoing renovations.
   "We are touched by the many generous individuals who have made these improvements possible," Ms. McGreevey said. "They’ve allowed us to make a safe, comfortable home here at Drumthwacket without burdening the taxpayers."
   Contributors include: Allendale Nursing Home, Bildisco Mfg., BNE Millennium Homes, Carpenters Resilient Flooring, Jim Cline Interiors, Conectiv, Licinio Cruz, Cruz Construction Corp., Cruz Golf Country Club, Elizabethtown Water Co., Epic Interiors, Filipe Custom Woodwork, Inc., General Greene Village Associates, Heather Guarraci, Home Depot, Innerasia Trading Company, International Union of Painters, Jumping Brook Associates LLC, Lisbon Cleaning, Longbrook Associates LLC, Lowe’s Home Centers, Marble Factory, Marieton Building Associates LLC, Merck & Co., Daniel Minzer Custom Hardwood Furniture, M-Kay Furniture, Mt. Arlington Apts. Associates, Timothy Murphy, National City Trust Operations, NJ Resources Corp., PSE&G, Public Financial Management, Ricciardi Bros., Inc., Roche & Carter, Silcon, Inc., Silcon Air, Silcon Floors, West Fair Electric Contractors, Inc., United States Environmental/Universal Services, Inc., Waste Management and The Whitman Companies.
   The First Family moved into the mansion April 4. The McGreeveys had planned to take up residence in January when the governor took office, but the discovery of lead-based paint, which can cause health problems, throughout the private residence and in portions of the first-floor rooms open to the public delayed the move.
   Gov. McGreevey is the second governor to live in Drumthwacket since it became the official residence in 1981, but he is the third governor to live in the mansion since it was built in 1835.
   Gov. Charles Smith Olden built the estate on the site of the original Olden family cottage, which stands today on the front lawn of Drumthwacket, and lived there during his Civil War-era term of office. The name of the mansion comes from two Scottish words: "drum," meaning hill, and "thwacket," meaning woods.
   Gov. Jim Florio and his wife, Lucinda, lived at Drumthwacket during the governor’s 1990-1993 term. The mansion stayed vacant during the terms of Govs. Tom Kean and Christie Whitman, who chose to live in their own North Jersey estates instead.
   Since 1990, the Drumthwacket Foundation and private sources have raised around $1.5 million — including the latest funds and services — to renovate the private residence and the Olden House, according to the foundation.
   Services and supplies represent nearly 80 percent of the total current contributions. Restoration work associated with the lead paint removal accounted for around a third of the funds raised, the foundation said.
   "The State of New Jersey deserves to have an official residence that reflects the dignity of the Governor’s Office and the distinctive history of our state," said foundation Chairman Al Koeppe. "We thank the many organizations and individuals who have given of their time, resources and dollars to support this important work."