Christmastime was a much different affair when train magnate John H. Barker founded Michigan City 160 years ago.
The holiday was celebrated in muted colors of cream and ivory and dulled silver, Barker Mansion Director Jessica Rosier said. Accoutrements included garlands of cranberry and popcorn; the days of glitter and excess wouldn’t touch the city’s well-known house and civic center on Washington Street until decades later.
Rosier, who’s been with the mansion for 2 years, hopes to push along the Christmas decorations’ eventual return to those simpler times. For the time being, however, visitors to the mansion during the holidays will continue to be treated to all the glitter and glamour they’ve come to expect over the years.
Christmas at the Barker Mansion takes place Dec. 1-31 in Michigan City. The mansion is closed Dec. 24 and 25 and Jan. 1.
In November, groups of all stripes — from not-for-profits to high school students — started rummaging through decorations the mansion’s amassed over time, Rosier said. Choosing what to use to decorate the 38-room abode isn’t an easy task considering there’s hundreds of thousands of ornaments from which to choose.
In fact, way back when, the Barkers used to have only one tree, Rosier said. Now, there are 12 major rooms which get the Christmas treatment, as well as all the other nooks and crannies.
“We have an entire storehouse devoted to nothing but Christmas decorations, so even though the rooms may look somewhat the same, we never use up everything they have,” Rosier said. “We don’t want to shock anyone (by the planned return to the 1900s-style Christmas decorating); we want to honor the past as well as the contributions everyone who’s touched the mansion has made. The transformation will happen over time.”
There is a small amount of ornaments from the original era that gets used each year, Rosier said, as a comparison to the modern ways of decorating. That’s but one of Rosier’s favorite parts of the displays.
“They always bring back memories for me of the ornaments we used to have at home,” she said. “I think it’s fun for everyone to think about the past that way.”
An added bit of fun for Saturday visitors to the mansion are the Glowing Light Nights, which will be held each Saturday in December. On those days, Christmas tree lights will be the only light source in the entire home, Rosier said, and the public is invited to take their own tour of all three of its floors and bask in the seasonal glow.
In order to honor the Barker family, who were huge proponents of giving back to the community, mansion staff sweetened the deal last year and started a room-decorating contest including area nonprofit organizations, Rosier said. Visitors who come to enjoy the mansion vote, and the winning not-for-profit gets a cash prize.
Last year, Healthlinc Community Health won the $250 grand prize, and it’s back to defend its honor this year, Rosier said.
Linda Simmons, spokeswoman for the LaPorte County Convention and Visitors Bureau, said Rosier has done “fantastically” since she came on board with the Mansion.
“The mansion is a huge draw to the area; I would say in it’s in our top five of places people absolutely must go,” Simmons said. “It’s clearly an opportunity for us to show our history and give visitors a full appreciation of what we have here. And Jessica has been working toward bringing the complete history back to the mansion.
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“When you walk in and take the tour, there’s just so much to highlight.”
The Barker Mansion, when the senior Barker built it, started off with 17 rooms, according to the mansion’s website. John H. Barker the younger was the one who embarked on turning the house into the behemoth it is today — a process that took five years, from 1900-1905. Using a Chicago architect, Barker Jr. remodeled the house into an English manor home and furnished it in turn-of-the-century style.
Michelle L. Quinn is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.
Christmas at the Barker Mansion
When: Dec. 1-31. Hours are 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday-Sunday; 1 p.m. tours Tuesday-Friday
Where: 631 Washington Street, Michigan City
Tickets: $8 for adults; $5 for seniors and children
Information: 219-873-1520; barkermansion.com
Nearby fun
Thomas the Tank Engine and steampunk enthusiasts alike will be happy to relive antique automation with everyone’s favorite Fat Man in Red by taking a ride on the Hesston Candy Cane Express at the Hesston Steam Museum, 1201 E. 1000 North, Hesston. The Candy Cane Express will run from noon to 5 p.m. Dec. 2-3 and Dec. 9-10. Admission is free. Go to hesston.org.
There are plenty of light shows around the holidays, but Michigan City’s Festival of Lights claims to be the biggest, with more than 5 million individual bulbs lighting up the lakefront in Washington Park, 2 On the Lake. The exhibit runs from Dec. 2-Jan. 8, 2018; park hours are 5 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 5 a.m.-midnight Friday and Saturday. Admission is free, but donations accepted. Call 219-873-1506 or go to michigancityparks.com.
— Michelle L. Quinn