{ SPECIAL FEATURE } “Before I was born my parents inherited The Hillcrest Estate, a 120-acre property set back in the woods surrounded by corn fields. We lived in the mansion in the back of the property and it was one of the coolest places to call home.”
As a family, we did what we could to maintain The Hillcrest Estate mansion and grounds. The portion of the mansion we lived in was the main living quarters, which is the insulated portion of the home, totaling about 2,500 square feet. The other portions of the home are the servants’ quarters in the back, and the ballroom and large guest bedrooms in the front that were utilized for entertaining summer guests in the early-mid 1900s. The best part about our home, to this day, is its ability to bring people together to celebrate momentous occasions. My mother hosted many weddings and events for friends and family in the ballroom beginning in the early ‘90s. The fun and joy guests would have celebrating these special occasions was amazing to be a part of. As a kid I remember dressing up in dark clothes at night and sneaking around the outside of the house to peek in the ballroom windows to catch a glimpse of the bride and groom during weddings. I also recall holding my ear up to the crack in the big chestnut doors separating the living quarters from the ballroom to try and hear the music and conversation. And the excitement that would build knowing that my mom would be bringing us a piece of wedding cake was unparalleled. I moved away from home after graduating from high school, and I attended SUNY Oswego and studied marketing. As a junior in the honors program, I took the unconventional 154
ROCHESTER WOMAN ONLINE :: JULY/AUGUST EDITION 2019
route of making my honors thesis project the creation of a business plan for running The Hillcrest Estate as an event venue. I had known for years the only way to save the mansion was to find a way to have it generate income that could be reinvested back into the property. I received high marks on the plan and after college graduation in 2011, I went to work in Rochester in various sales and marketing roles. Shortly after I met my husband Matt in 2012, I told him all about my childhood home and that, someday, I hoped to restore it to its former glory. To my surprise, someday was only a few years away! In the summer of 2015, my parents announced their plans to move out of the mansion. Around that same time my mom had asked me to come home to help set up for an August wedding she was hosting. She said the mansion’s ballroom and terrace had never looked so beautiful and that I had to see it to believe it. That moving announcement coupled with the sheer beauty of that wedding made me realize it was now or never. I took my college business plan and expanded on it. I eliminated my negative thoughts and found ways to navigate through potential obstacles. And most importantly I stopped making excuses such as not having the time. I’m a firm believer that if you really want something, you find a way to make the time and put in the effort.