Mark your calendars, it’s time for the Christmas season at the Highland House Museum. As this is going to press, local organizations that volunteer to decorate are putting the finishing touches on their rooms. The theme for 2024 is “A Country Christmas.” Exactly what is a country Christmas probably depends partly on your age. Most of us recall visiting older relatives during the holidays and our memories are reflective of those and how our parents observed the holidays.
Strings of homemade popcorn, nuts or pinecones, handmade ornaments of cloth or wood, gingerbread men, and those precious school projects the children made in class to give Mom or Dad would have decorated fresh pine trees. More greenery decorated fireplace mantels, doors and tables. Sleigh bells no longer used on horses served as decoration or hung on a door to announce a visitor in a red suit. Candy canes might have been not only a Christmas treat but also a tree decoration. Maybe an electric train made a loop underneath the tree.
You’ll see these and more as you walk through the museum. The Altrusa club in the Children’s bedroom has again provided wrapped books under the tree and invite children to take one home. This year they plan to mark the book by age group and whether the topic appeals more to boys or girls. The Lynchburg Three Arts Club located in the pioneer kitchen has pictures and markers for children to color.
In honoring the country lifestyle, we are also recognizing our historic farming community. The stairs will feature the Century, Sesquicentennial and Bicentennial farms of Highland County. Highland County currently has 49 historic farms ranging from the Surber Farm established in 1802 to the Yochum Farm in 1923. The requirement to be an Ohio Historic Family Farm is to have at least 10 acres of land that have been owned continuously by a family for a minimum of one hundred years. The names may have changed as it has passed down from one generation to the next but the current owners must be able document the chain of ownership to prove it stayed in the family. This can be done either with copies of the deed or documentation from the County Recorder. Please note that while the farm stayed in the family, it may not have originated in Highland County since county lines were reworked as Ohio was settled. For more information on how to become a historic family farm you may contact Ohio Department of Agriculture or program ambassador John Levo at 937-393-4951. There is no charge for actual designation by ODA but there is a charge for copies from the Recorder’s Office and for an official Historic sign.
Come explore the museum not only for the history of days gone by but to relive those Christmas from another time. A visit will be sure to elicit questions from the younger generation as to what your family used to do when you were a child. Think of activities you can do together: popcorn or paper chains, homemade cookies the children decorate, maybe a handmade Advent calendar to count down the days to Christmas.
Hours of business:
November 2 Holiday Open House from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Weekend Hours in November and December: Thursday 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., Friday 1 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 11 p.m. to 4 p.m.
Check our website or Facebook for additional information regarding special events hours during the holiday season. The last day for shopping for that one-of-a-kind unique gift will be December 24.
Author’s hint: You need a sheet of poster paper, yardstick to measure off the squares, crayons or markers to decorate and wrapped Christmas candy. Create the countdown by numbering each square, have each family member decorate an equal number of squares allowing space to glue the wrapped Xmas candy to enjoy each day of the countdown.
