2012, and I am planning on returning soon for more pictures…because the last time I went, in 2008, all lights in the mansion and outside the mansion were on (I could see the Roman’s lining the reflecting pool perfectly) and there was a sign for “parking” with an arrow towards the back of the house. The mansion AND the landscape looked very new and taken care of, so it would be safe to say they are fixing it for potential buyers.

Last I read, in 2011, it was going for 4.9 Million. When back in 2004 it was said to be worth over 10 million. Kind of a shame, considering you cant find homes as sturdy and luxorious like this anymore going for WAY BELOW the worth. Anyway…

I have never ever even attempted to go through the Ravine Lake bridge entrance. Mainly because the grass was higher than me, there is no where to park your car, and in the dark it is dangerous and difficult to walk through.

The front gate on Main St/Peapack Rd will, most times, be open. Every time I’ve been there it was atleast. That road past that gate is considered BLAIR ROAD, it is infact a road, because it is a private road that leads to Blairsden AND also other houses on the land. No lights, just a road in the middle of trees. BLAIR ROAD also turns into BLAIR DRIVE………..

Please if you need any more information, I will be glad to provide you with my knowledge. Because some things are better not written on a public site

Also living at the Villa were aspirants. Aspirants were very young girls, age 12 to 18, who thought they may want to become nuns. These girls dressed in what were commonly known as postulant’s habits; postulants were (are?) the first of three tiers to becoming a full on nun. The aspirants were driven each morning to Mt. St. John Academy to attend school by a nun named Sister Loyola. Loyola drove them to and fro in a very long station wagon looking automobile – I believe the nuns got the vehicle from some airlines. They were a crafty bunch of women!

In my Junior year, my class, including day students, was forced to go on a three day retreat to St. Joseph’s Villa. Ordinarily, the religious retreats were held at school and lasted for the duration of the school day. For some reason unbeknownst to us students, the good nuns decided to hold it at the Villa. We all packed a suitcase and headed to the Villa. It was a most unusual experience; one I’ve never forgotten.

The room I stayed in was set up like a small dorm room. There were 4 or 6 of us in it. The room was wallpapered in a small flower pattern. In the middle of the wall was a glass door knob that led through two doors to our bathroom. It took us a while to find it.

We were what many considered the rowdy, delinquent bunch in the class and we had a blast at the Villa. The building was most curious. For example, in the main parlor, there were secret passageways on one or both sides of the huge fireplace. As I recall, the room was painted a very light teal.

The priest who led the retreat was a whack job. He was probably in his mid 50′s, with steel gray hair, not bad looking at all. His favorite topic was impure thoughts. He was encouraging the girls to “whip up those impure thoughts!” He told us that as a child he had a stutter and overcame it through prayer and public speaking. Also, I think he told us that he never stuttered when he sang. In any event, it turned out he tried to make out with two of the girls. That storm really gathered strength when it came to light that the poor man had been transferred by some holy person in power at the offices of the diocese or archdiocese to working with girls because he’d had “troubles” with boys. It was the least religious retreat I’d ever been on and as a result, it became one of my friends and my favorites memories of high school life.

To get to the Villa, one would drive past the Matheny Home, where many of us boarders would help out on weekends. The road narrowed and then one would come upon the entrance which was spectacular. In the middle of the driveway, there was a long reflecting (reflection?) pool; and on the outer sides of the driveway were stone busts of what appeared to be Roman or Greek gods. It was quite trippy for high schoolers.