Barnhisel House returns to 1800s

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

GIRARD — Members of the Girard Historical Society are gearing up for another Christmas at the historic Barnhisel House — 1800s style.

Carley O’Neill, historical society member, said the group wants the public to come to the house for fellowship, conversation and to see how people would have celebrated the Christmas season in the 1800s.

“We want people to relax and enjoy themselves, see what it was like to have Christmas then,” O’Neill said. “Most people will stay and sit and have some hot cider and enjoy human interaction and company for a while.”

Then, with a smile, O’Neill added, “If we see anyone with a cell phone, we would probably have to throw them out.”

Those who come to see the holiday displays should not expect to see elaborate setups with intricate lighting and advanced holiday scenery.

What visitors will get is a taste of how a family in the 1800s would have decorated their home during the holidays, a chance to see what decorations of that period looked like, and the opportunity to hear how people lived and celebrated Christmas.

O’Neill said each room in the house, at 1011 N. State St., has been decorated by a different group, club or business.

“We try to get people to decorate how it would have been between 1840 and 1900, the years the Barnhisels would have lived in the house. It doesn’t always work out that way, but that is what we aim for,” she said.

Most rooms in the house are modestly decorated with pieces of greenery and some handcrafted decorations. There also is memorabilia from Christmas seasons long gone placed throughout the rooms.

The living room area contains the main 7-foot tree with older-style rocking horses situated next to it.

O’Neill said most families of that period would have likely used a much smaller table-top tree to celebrate the holiday. That tree, she said, would likely have been set up the day before Christmas, just after kids went to bed, and left up only long enough to celebrate the actual day. She said hanging candles were often used to light the tree.

There are also stockings hung from the fireplace as in many homes during the holidays. O’Neill, however, said stockings in the 1800s were likely of the worn variety with children selecting the largest ones they could find to hang from the mantelpiece.

Visitors to the house also will be treated to the sounds of a pump organ being played in the living room. O’Neill said such an instrument in the living area was a way of life for a family such as the Barnhisels.

“Every parlor had at least one piece of musical equipment, either a piano or an organ,” she said. “That is how people entertained themselves at night, by playing instruments and singing.”

The upstairs of the house has another large tree covered in homemade decorations. Bibles are on display throughout the house as well. O’Neill said the religious aspect of Christmas was prominent with people of that era.

The house will be open from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Dec. 9. There is a $5 donation for adults and a $2 donation for children.

jgoodwin@vindy.com