A Holiday Exhibition at the 
Read House & Gardens

November 29 - January 5, 2003
This exhibit is CLOSED - for reference only.

The front parlor of the Read House is decorated in the style of 1830 when the Reads were in residence.  On display is a leggy plant with bright red leaves which has recently been brought to America by the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, Joel Poinsett.  One of Poinsett's fellow ambassadors, Louis McLain, happened to be an uncle of George Read's grandchildren.   It is very possible that McLain received a cutting of this Mexican flower from his friend, Poinsett, and today the room is decorated to represent the grandchildren coming for a visit, bringing this rare flower to show their Grandfather Read.

The Victorian period is displayed in the Back Parlor representing the time period when the Couper family owned the house.  By the mid-nineteenth century a certain level of taste and refinement could be expressed by the display of several poinsettia flowers during the season.  The Coupers are linked to the poinsettia by way of their garden designer, Robert Buist.  Buist is generally recognized as the nurseryman that popularized the poinsettia.

By 1920 the popularity of the poinsettia had grown, adding a vibrant splash of red to holiday decors.  The Laird's dining room is set for a lavish holiday feast.  Poinsettias en masse create a festive holiday atmosphere.