Leland,

The Blanchard family approached the local arboretum (of which I am a board
member) asking for advice about how to deal with their estate in
MIllburn/Short Hills following the old man's death.  The family had evidently
agreed with the old man's wish to make it some sort of an arboretum/nature
preserve,and were trying to figure out how to make this happen.   .Part of
the problem is that we in Summit (next town over) have an Arboretum on a
former estate; Short Hills has an arboretum (which doesn't amount to much,
but it's there, and we've got a pretty good (and large and well-funded one in
Morristown a couple of towns west.

The Blanchard property (20 acres, or maybe 50, who knows?) was clearly a
fabulous estate from the 1880's or so until the family gave up maintenance 20
or 30 years ago.  They had also demolished (perhaps after a fire) what was
probably a nice old mansion and replaced it with a c.1950 "Colonial."  There
are still all sorts of 1920's concrete tempietti, stone chessmen 6' high,
formal (but overgrown) landscaping, an interesting barn and farm
outbuildings, etc.  But nobody seems able to decide what to do with all of
this, how to operate it, who should operate it, with what money to restore
and operate it, etc. The Blanchards seem willing to provide some sort of
endowment along with the property, but  want to get out from under it and see
it restored and perpetuated. The local city gov't would like it, but can't
possibly afford to treat it as it should be, or commit themselves to not sell
it off if they need the money someday. Developers would pay a fortune for the
property, but would carve it up into McMansions, which is what the Blanchards
want to prevent.

Our Arboretum (the Reeves-Reed) was all excited about this, but we've already
got our hands full with what we already have, and have just raised a bunch of
money in a capital campaign to keep what we've got.  But we all decided that
we would be swamped by taking on the Blanchard property, wonderful as it
could be, and that turning our attention (and money, and most importantly,
volunteeer efforts) could only be done to the detriment of our own
recently-restored 1890's Calvert Vaux landscaping, 1889 Babb, Cook& Willard
house, and (my) 2000 barn.

It's a very interesting site, and a very interesting problem.  Anybody got
any good ideas?

Ralph

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