History of The Dome & Rooftop Lounge

Stevie Wonder and some friends of The Manor in The Dome, circa 1982.

Since the mid-1970s, the domed structure above the elegant à la carte dining room at The Manor has hosted live music, DJ dance parties and the occasional vaudeville or specialty act.

It was also the occasional hangout of local and international celebrities including Joe Pesci, Erik Estrada, Mary Travers (of Peter, Paul and Mary), Stevie Wonder (see attached photo) and the one and only Liza Minelli who performed two full sets in 1982, the same year she was performing in Tony Award-Winning “The Rink” on Broadway.

The Dome, originally designed for but never integrated into the White House during the Benjamin Harrison administration (1889-1893), was adapted for The Manor and added to the West Orange landmark in 1975.  A rooftop lounge with ample seating that overlooks The Manor’s formal gardens was renovated in 2010.

Mary Jane Frankel, former special events director for The Manor/The Dome sadly passed away this past summer (2010) after having worked at The Manor for more than 30 years.  Taking over is Mr. Harry Knowles’ granddaughter Keri, who recently returned to the States after earning her Masters degree in New Media at the University of Art & Design Helsinki (Finland).  Mr. Knowles and his sons Kurt and Wade to this day operate The Manor, Highlawn Pavilion and Pleasantdale Château in West Orange and Ram’s Head Inn in Galloway.

Since coming on board, Keri has, with General Manager Michael Cammarano and Assistant General Manager, Adrien Bresson, hosted a number of wine tasting events and dinner-dance events including a Holiday Concert and Valentine’s Day Concert featuring performances by Wayne Erik Geisen’s talented ensemble.

There is no cover charge for enjoying The Dome. Specialty cocktail menus are available as well as a special bar menu. The party gets started at 9:00pm on both nights. Interested attendees are encouraged to “find us on Facebook” and join The Manor’s mailing list. 

The cutting board station at the buffet.