Historic house prepared for a Victorian Christmas
Visitors to the Butler County Historical Society's Dec. 4 Christmas Cookie Tour will find a lot familiar about the Victorian decorations in the Senator Walter Lowrie House, 123 W Diamond St.
That's because many of the traditions and sights of what we now consider a good, old-fashioned Christmas were started by the Victorians, said Jennifer Ford the society's director. And the Lowrie House is decorated as it would have been when the Sullivan family lived there in the years 1880 to 1910, the High Victorian period.
“This is the height of exuberant decor,” said Ford.
“The Victorians didn't have Michael's. They made decorations out of the same fabrics they used for their clothes,” she said. “Now the Sullivans had some very nice clothes.
“For example, the bows in the corners of the room are made of reproduction French taffeta. The velvet ribbons used on the tree is the same fabric as in their clothes.”
Forget about a tree garlanded with popcorn strings. That may have worked in the homes of less well-off, but not in Lowrie House.
“These high-end fabrics are as much a statement of prosperity as decoration,” said Ford. And the Sullivans were a prosperous family of lawyers, judges and politicians.
“Every man who owned or lived in this house was a lawyer, judge or senator,” she said.
Another Victorian decorating touch would have been the use of dried flowers in the Yuletide decorating.
“The Victorians grew their own flowers, harvested them and used them in their decor,” said Ford.
Cookie tour visitors will see rooms decked out in holiday finery much as they would have looked when the matriarch, Susan Sullivan, lived in the house with her son Moses Sullivan, his wife Louise, and their daughter Mary.Their descendant, Isabelle Sullivan Shaw, was the one who bequeathed Lowrie House to the historical society when she died in 1986.Ford said the origins of many of today's Christmas traditions — trees, parties and church services — originated during the time the Sullivans were living in the house.“By this point in time, Prince Albert, the Royal Consort to Queen Victoria, introduced German Christmas traditions to England,” said Ford. “These were exuberantly embraced in America.”For example, the idea of an indoor Christmas tree, was a custom introduced by Prince Albert. Indoor Christmas trees originated in Germany, where Albert was born.“All the fun things we associate with Christmas originated with him,” said Ford.However familiar Christmas sights and sounds look to us, the Victorians would be appalled at the rampant consumerism surrounding modern Christmas, Ford said.Victorians would give each other small gifts. The Sullivans, in particular, gifted each other books because they were a well-educated family. Children would get a doll, top or other small toy.The thought of standing in line to buy a hard-to-find item would never occur to the Sullivans or any of their peers.One thing the Sullivans did do that might be termed extravagant was the Christmas dinner.A menu for a holiday meal at the Lowrie House would include: raw oysters, clear consomme, fish and cucumbers, olives, cranberry jelly, a roast goose or turkey and a standing rib roast, sweet potatoes, corn, peas, individual molds of macaroni and cheese, and fruit and cheese.“The pinnacle or high point of the feast would be a plum pudding brought into the dining room ablaze, having been soaked in brandy and set afire,” said Ford.“This could take months to prepare,” she said. “Dried fruits and nuts and batter would be left to soak in alcohol.“The fruit cake that we make fun of is a nephew of the original plum pudding,” she said.
The Victorians also didn't attach too much importance to either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day.Instead, the Victorians observed Twelfth Night, meaning the 12 days after Christmas culminating on Jan. 6. They would use this time to visit friends and relatives.Visitors to Lowrie House for the Dec. 4 Christmas Cookie Tour, which runs from 4 to 7 p.m., will find five rooms done up in the best Victorian Christmas decorations.Ford said their is no admission fee for the tour, but visitors will pay $10 and get a bakery box in return.There will be tables containing trays of cookies in each of the rooms.“These are cookies baked by the staff and volunteers. There are no store-bought cookies,” said Ford.Because of COVID considerations, gloved volunteers at each table will fill the visitors' boxes with the cookie, fudge or candy the visitor has picked out.“The box lid has to close. When your box is full and you want more cookies, buy another box,” said Ford.The society hopes to have at least 250 dozen cookies for sale. Signs will indicate which cookies contain nuts, dairy or other ingredients for those who have dietary restrictions.Ford said the parlor and dining room were decorated by Jeff Double, the owner of All About Reclaimed in Mars. In fact, the fully decorated artificial tree in the parlor will be sold for $1,500 with $500 of that going to the historical society.She said the tour greatly benefited from the donations of live trees from Heasley's Nurseries and Cypher's Christmas Tree Farm and a donation from Howard Insurance to buy decorations.Ford said the Christmas decorations will remain after the cookie tour and can be viewed when Lowrie House is open: 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesdays, Thursdays and Fridays or by appointment.For more information, about the cookie tour or to schedule a tour, call 724-283-8116.
