A trip to Barclay Farmstead’s Holiday House last week was like a trip back in time.
An old style, Colonial-era house is decorated with fresh greens, holiday ornaments and crafts made by people in the local community.
There are no high-tech lights or flashy demonstrations to be found here. Holiday House harkened back to a much simpler day, where multi-colored lights hanging from a house were nowhere to be found and gifts were not purchased in large chain stores on Black Friday.
Holiday House combined the charm of the Colonial-era United States with the themes and symbols of the holiday season, allowing visitors to step away from the hustle and bustle of the shopping season and enjoy the sights, sounds and atmosphere of Barclay Farmstead.
The Holiday House was conceived shortly after Cherry Hill Township purchased Barclay Farmstead in 1974. After the township purchased the property, a lot of work needed to be done to restore it. The house was in very poor condition.
“They closed the shutters because the windows were broken,” Anna Marie Marino, the chairperson for Friends of Barclays Farmstead said.
“There was no heat in the house. There was only some electricity. There were holes in the floors.”
Despite all this, the township and Friends of Barclay Farmstead were able to restore the house and decorate it to hold the first Holiday House that winter.
“The house was beautiful,” Marino said. “Even though it doesn’t look like it does today, it was still beautiful.”
Barclay Farmstead has seen many improvements since that first year, but Holiday House has become an annual event. Friends organize and decorate the house each November and each year, they come up with a different theme.
For 2013, the theme revolved around the American Girl dolls.
The dolls, which have storylines that partially revolve around the Colonial period, could be found throughout the house, with each of them telling a story.
The dolls go hand in hand with the other hands-on activities that Barclay holds for students and visitors during their tours throughout the year.
“Every year it amazes me with what they pull off,” Laraine Allen, a member of Friends, said. “Every year is a different theme and every year it’s fantastic.”
The goal of the American Girl theme is to hopefully draw more girls to this year’s event.
Marino that the theme makes things more easily relatable to the younger demographic.
The focus on the Holiday House wasn’t just on the decorations and charm of Barclay Farmstead. Independent crafters from around the area appeared throughout the weekend to make and sell some of their works.
It provides alternative gift ideas for residents who don’t want to buy the same old holiday presents at another store.
Crafts filled the various rooms and consisted of holiday-themed decorations as well as homemade crafts that serve as gift ideas for all ages.
The importance of the event goes beyond providing an enjoyment and educational experience for visitors.
Along with the school field trip program, Holiday House is Barclay Farmstead’s largest event of the year. The donations taken at the door for Friends of Barclay Farmstead help to pay for the furniture, decorations and décor of the historical house.
Holiday House was open to the public through Sunday, Nov. 24.
Donations of $2 per person were taken at the door. The donations went to Friends of Barclay Farmstead.
