A "painting party" at the Pohatcong Township property was organized after vandals spray-painted graffiti on the door and inside walls.
A resilient crew from Warren County wasn't about to let vandals spoil an open house for the historic Shimer Mansion in Pohatcong Township.
Volunteers on Wednesday took part in a "painting party" at the old homestead, which was vandalized ahead of this weekend's Pohatcong History & Heritage Society's Historic House Tour.
Caretakers found graffiti spray-painted on the door and walls inside the mansion Sunday, six days before the place was to be open to the public for the first time in years.
RELATED: Vandals deface historic Shimer Mansion
On Wednesday, volunteers from the Pohatcong History & Heritage Society scraped and painted over the vandals' graffiti at the property along New Brunswick Avenue.
Besides the historic society, a crew from Ferguson Brothers Paint & Supply in Alpha pitched in with workers. The paint was donated by Benjamin Moore, volunteers said.
Shimer Mansion will be on the house tour, which is being held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 17.
It's one of several properties on the house tour, which begins at Alba Vineyard on Route 627 in Pohatcong. Advance tickets for the self-guided tour are available at pohatconghistory.com or by calling 908-387-1493. Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 the day of the tour.
Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.