Open House highlights Christmases past
Published 3:16 pm Saturday, December 21, 2024
Lonnie McGough (left) and Gerald Hartin (right) entertain guests with festive music during the Crenshaw County Historical Society's Christmas Open House.
Refreshments await guests at the Crenshaw County Historical Society's Christmas open house.
A beautifully harvested Christmas tree from society member Pam Speed's family homeplace in Black Rock stands adorned with primitive and vintage décor, capturing the charm and nostalgia of a late 19th-century holiday.
Honoraville residents Cheryl Mason (left) and Gina Mason (right) chat with society member Barbara Frazier (center) at the Christmas Open House.
By Haley Mitchell Godwin
The Crenshaw County Historical Society (CCHS) welcomed visitors to its annual Christmas Open House Dec. 7 – 8 at the museum located at 994 Airport Road in Luverne. The event, held from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. each day, invited the public to experience the warmth and charm of an 1880s homestyle Christmas.
Attendees enjoyed mulled cider and homemade treats by the fireplace while sharing stories of Christmases past. The museum was transformed into a festive haven, adorned with live greenery and two cedar trees, the traditional Christmas tree of bygone days.
The trees, harvested from CCHS member Pam Speed’s family homeplace in Black Rock, were decorated with primitive and vintage Christmas décor reminiscent of the late 19th century. Speed, who provided Christmas punch in an antique crystal punch bowl, said that the decorations took visitors back to a simpler time.
“We want visitors to really feel like they are stepping back in time where they can experience the true Christmas spirit from a bygone era,” Speed said.
Live entertainment Saturday added to the festive atmosphere, with performances by Lonnie McGough and Gerald Hartin. A blend of Christmas, gospel and bluegrass music filled the museum, and McGough enriched the experience by sharing the history behind the songs and discussing traditional methods used to create musical sounds, such as using a piece of broom sage on a fiddle to mimic a banjo.
Over 40 guests attended the open house over the two-day span, including visitors from all across Crenshaw County and beyond.
Society members prepared for the event and volunteers, who contributed by decorating, providing refreshments, maintaining the warm fireplaces, offering tours and more included Pam Speed, Bobby and Martha Brightwell, Barbara Frazier, Kayle Sport, Patsy Owen, Oleta Owens, Pam Campbell and others.
Tommy and Dana Everage provided daily devotional books for visitors, while Donald Hilburn shared a basket of goodies with those present.
“When I look at the obituaries and see another longtime member of our community passed on, I think, there goes our history, another story not told,” Campbell said. “We have a great story here that needs to be told and the Christmas Open House gives us a chance to do that. We need to get these stories recorded and written down or they will be lost forever. By sharing family stories and connecting memories, we can uncover never-before-heard information to document.”
The museum itself is steeped in history. The building was donated by Dr. Donald H. Morgan, great-great-grandson of James Hurt Howard, who built the home around 1865 in Rutledge. In 1994, the historical society relocated the structure to its current location with the leadership of then-president Marshall C. Martin. Howard, a farmer, Mason, and member of the Constitutional Convention of 1867, also served as Crenshaw County’s Superintendent of Education.
The society remains dedicated to educating the community about Crenshaw County’s diverse history and preserving the stories that make the area unique. Memberships are $20 annually and include quarterly bulletins featuring a wide range of historical topics.
For more information about the Crenshaw County Historical Society, volunteering for next year’s Christmas Open House or any Historical Society event visit their Facebook page or website or email oowens@mon-cre.net.
