Masquerade Ball and Seance at Morris-Jumel Mansion this Thursday

The Morris-Jumel Mansion Hosts Haunted

Masquerade October 27^th with Best-Selling Gaslight Fantasy Author Leanna Renee Hieber

New York (October 24, 2016): The Morris-Jumel Mansion, the oldest house in Manhattan, and reportedly haunted, will host a masquerade ball and séance on Thursday evening, October 27^th.

Guests will be asked to don appropriate mourning attire and will be treated to an evening of live music and dancing, liberal libations and ample hors-d’oeuvres. In addition, for those purchasing VIP tickets, an intimate séance will be led by Jesse Bravo, the celebrity on Psychic in NYC who has been featured on MTV, in The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, ABC News, VICE Magazine and the Associated Press. 

Author Leanna Renee Hieber, actress, playwright, artist and award-winning, bestselling author, will be the guest of honor at the evening’s soiree. She is the introductory author in the newly published Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Fantasy and Paranormal Fiction. Hieber has written ten Gothic Victorian paranormal novels for adults and teens set in 1880s New York City and London. She is a devotee of the Mansion and its mission: to preserve, collect and interpret American life from the Colonial Era to the present, and to use the arts to engage and inspire diverse audiences.

"As the author of ten award-winning historical fantasy novels, I find that my imagination is at its best whenever I immerse myself in historical properties,” said Hieber. “There is no such property as important or immersive in beauty and spirit as the Morris-Jumel Mansion. It is my very favorite place. Having enjoyed several book launches under its eaves, I am a passionate advocate for this great New York treasure, and I am so very honored to be this year's Gala Guest of Honor. I look forward to joining fellow aficionados of history- and hauntings- as we share a thrilling evening in New York's oldest house.‎"

In addition to the music, séance and readings, The Mansion will offer its signature raffle with prizes, including tickets to “Fancy Me Mad,” the Mansion’s current production written by the Mansion’s events coordinator and resident ghost buster, Vincent Carbone, about Edgar Allen Poe. Other prizes include signed copies of the newly published Morris-Jumel Mansion Anthology of Fantasy and Paranormal Fiction, original jewelry by the guest of honor, and a custom corset sculpture by renowned couturier and artist Camilla Huey.

According to Carol S. Ward, Executive Director of the Mansion, “Building on the success of our spring Lady J's Gala, our Haunted Masquerade combines theatrical elements with history to highlight the Mansion’s longest occupant: Madame Eliza Jumel. Our current reinterpretation of the interior brings the Mansion back to its mid-nineteenth century splendor, when Eliza made the house her home. Guests’ donations will go directly to the restoration of Eliza Jumel’s bedchamber and parlor."

For further information on this exciting evening, please visit http://www.morrisjumel.org/upcoming-events/2016/10/27/madames-masquerade-2016-fall-fundraising-gala

About Morris-Jumel Mansion

Located in Washington Heights, the Morris-Jumel Mansion is the oldest standing house in New York City. It is a not-for-profit museum open to the public Tuesday through Friday 10 am‒4 pm and weekends from 10 am‒5 pm. It was built in 1765, and served as headquarters to General George Washington during the battle of Harlem Heights. It has been host to presidents, senators, cabinet members, and royalty. The Morris-Jumel Mansion is a member of the Historic House Trust of New York City and the American Alliance of Museums. Find it at http://www.morrisjumel.org.