[Scmusenet] PR - SCHA's Historic Christmas

[Spartanburg County Historical Association]

Please help us promote our Christmas activities.  Feel free to contact me or
the sites directly for more information.  Contact info is located in the
"Additional Event Information" section of this press release.

Thanks!

Becky Slayton, Executive Director
Spartanburg County Historical Association, 864-278-9664

*
*

*A Simpler Christmas Comes to Price House, Walnut Grove Plantation, and the
Regional History Museum*

**Take a break from the modern holiday hustle and bustle to experience a
more modest early American Christmas.  Come visit the Price House and Walnut
Grove Plantation to see the simple wreaths, greenery, fruits and berries
used by both the Price and Moore families to mark the holiday season.  Drop
by the Regional History Museum in the Chapman Cultural Center to see
Victorian Christmas postcards and a cozy home scene.



Christmas by Design: Ye Olde Christmas Time

Spartanburg Regional History Museum

Exhibit: December 1, 2009-January 9, 2010; Christmas Reception: December 17,
5-7 pm

Admission: Adults $4.00, Youth $2.00, Ages 0-5 Free; The Dec. 17 Reception
is FREE, though donations are appreciated.


Christmas in the Backcountry at Price House

Saturday, December 5, 11:00-4:00

Admission: $4.00 for adults, $2.50 for ages 6 to 17, and free for ages 5 &
under



Christmas on the Plantation at Walnut Grove

Saturday, December 12, 11:00-4 :00

Admission is $6.00 for adults, $3.00 for ages 6 to 17, and free for ages 5 &
under


Additional Event Information:

Price House & Walnut Grove:  Guided tours of each home focus on Christmas
traditions from the late 18th and early 19th centuries and how those
traditions differ from today’s celebrations.  At the same time, visitors may
find that, much like the today, the holiday season in early America was
often spent feasting with family and friends.  After the guided tour, guests
may enjoy a cup of wassail and some shortbread cookies and tour the grounds
at their leisure.  Planned living history demonstrations include blacksmith
Bruce Mills as well as carpentry and hands-on weaving.  At Walnut Grove,
Revolutionary War reenactor Gary Pender will describe an 18th century
soldier’s life during the holidays.  At Price House, visitors can learn how
enslaved African Americans spent their Christmas.  The decorations will
remain throughout the month.

For more information for the Price House and Walnut Grove events, phone
864-576-6546 or email either walnutgrove at spartanburghistory.org or
pricehouse at spartanburghistory.org.  Photos are available upon request and at
flickr.com/spartanburghistory.


Regional History Museum: The Spartanburg Regional History Museum will
display an old-fashioned Christmas - a warm and hearty expression of family,
friends, and community.  This exhibit highlights how southern traditions
evolved from the British traditions and were modified for the country.  We
have adjusted traditions over the years based on our own unique
experiences.  Come browse a collection of old Christmas cards, postcards,
toys, and an old-fashioned Christmas tree.  When you see the detailed
artisanship in the beautiful cards, from the fine detailed art work to the
graceful writing, you will be transported to an earlier time!

For more information for the History Museum exhibit, contact Nannie
Jefferies at 864-596-3501 or njefferies at spartanburghistory.org.


Background: Price House

Thomas and Ann Price built the three-story brick Price House on their 2,000
acre plantation in 1795.  Thomas operated a general store and a post office
as well as a “house of publick entertainment” (a tavern or inn), which
provided room and board for stagecoach travelers.  The plantation’s
two-dozen enslaved people performed much of the work for these enterprises.
In addition to the house, the site features a kitchen building and a slave
cabin.


Background: Walnut Grove

Charles and Mary Moore built their house at Walnut Grove - the house where
they raised their ten children - in 1765.  The nearby family cemetery is the
resting place of at least 146 people, including the Moores; their daughter
and Revolutionary War heroine “Kate” Barry; other friends and family;
soldiers from the War of Independence; and, perhaps, some of the enslaved
men and women who worked on the Plantation.



The Spartanburg County Historical Association is supported in part by The
Arts Partnership of Greater Spartanburg, the SC Arts Commission, The
National Endowment for the Arts, the City and County of Spartanburg, and
corporate and individual partners.  Both sites are owned and operated by the
Spartanburg County Historical Association (SCHA).  Founded in 1957, SCHA
explores and preserves our region’s history by collecting and sharing the
stories and artifacts of the people who shaped that history.  In addition to
Price House and Walnut Grove, the Historical Association operates the Seay
House and the Spartanburg Regional History Museum.
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