Historical Society of Delaware - Celebrate the Holidays

From the simple decorations of the Read family Christmas, to the lavish displays of the Lairds, the Read House in Historic New Castle will showcase three different Christmas displays this holiday season while still focusing on The Etiquette of Tea exhibit now on display through December 31, 2003. For special tours featuring guides in dressed Federal period costumes click here.

For a closer look, just click on any of the pictures below.

Early Christmas decorations were simple and spare, not the lavish displays we have come to associate with Williamsburg. The Read family parlors display the Federal period Christmas decorations much like they would have used 200 years ago.

Don't expect a tree, a few simple greens placed in a vase, or a swag on the mantle would almost be over-the-top in 1803.

With the introduction of the Christmas tree in the 1850s, the second family to own the house, the Coupers, may have used one. The Coupers lived in the house from1846 to 1920. One room in the house honors the Victorian era and displays an early Victorian tree.

In the 1920s, the last family to own the house - the Lairds, decorated for every holiday and season. The dining room depicts a twentieth century holiday tea reception while the downstairs Tap Room shows how fun a 1920s holiday could be!

Besides the regular tour, on December 26-28 and 30-31, visitors can view the rooms in the house dedicated to the Read family, including the bathing room, the nursery, and servant's rooms, to give the public a sense of how the Read family would have spent the festive time between Christmas and the Epiphany on January 6. The guides will be dressed in Federal period costume.

The Read House and Gardens is located at 42 The Strand,
in historic New Castle, Delaware.
Hours: Tuesday-Thursday and Sunday 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Friday and Saturday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Admission: $5 adults, $4.00 seniors/student, $2 ages 6-12.
For more information, call (302) 322-8411.