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player ready...Visitors to the historic Durant-Peterson House and Sholes School sites in St. Charles got a chance to step back in time over the weekend for a taste of the holiday season in days gone by.
The ticketed event which ran Saturday and Sunday included “the sounds of holiday music, the scent of fresh-cut evergreens, the warmth of a glowing fire, the flicker of candlelight and the flavor of old-fashioned treats,” according to a press release from the Preservation Partners of the Fox Valley group, which operates the sites, as well as the chance to view a 20-minute pageant that was offered every 45 minutes inside Sholes School.
Live music was provided in the parlor at the Durant-Peterson House including volunteers playing flute, oboe, recorder and a pump organ.
Debra Corwin, director of the Durant-Peterson House Museum, said the annual holiday season event has been held since 1972 and that the focus “is to take visitors back in time when the original settlers lived in the home.”
“It was built in 1843 and we want people to experience how they would celebrate Christmas using candles,” she said. “There’s electricity in the house but we don’t have lights. We use candles, kerosene lamps – it’s very warm and cozy. We’ve got a fire in the fireplace and a wood burning stove in the kitchen, giving us some extra heat.”
Corwin said the entire house is “decorated from items found in nature, ranging from fresh cut evergreen, pine, spruce, dogwood branches and those beautiful white birch sticks, pine cones – anything that is from nature.”
“We don’t have any modern-day decorations in the house,” she said.
Nick Duda of Batavia said he has been visiting the historic house “over the past 10 years” and admitted it is a way of walking back in time.
“It’s beautiful. It’s always a good reminder of the important things in life. There’s not a lot of frills here,” he said as he stood in the parlor of the house. “Here, there were good times with family and a nice, warm place to be. This is typically more fulfilling than what kids today get from screens because of the relationships.”
Duda’s son Sam, 8, said the house seemed like a good place to explore.
“I like the wood burning fireplace,” he said.
Alice Maupin of St. Charles said she has been volunteering for nearly 20 years at the historic house and noted “to be in a house that was built right where it sits in 1843 is just magical.”
“Being nestled in the forest preserve here is wonderful,” she said. “This does refresh your soul and it takes you back in time. We need to learn from our history and it’s just simple. It’s a simpler time and I love to be able to teach the kids and learn about the history and all that.”
Maribeth VanLoon of Batavia also serves as a volunteer at the house and said she has put 30 years in giving back to the community.
“I started doing this because I love history and started doing school tours,” she said.
Dave Aldridge of Woodstock offered more of a carpenter’s perspective on his visit the the historic house on Saturday.
“I love the history and love the era and the pioneer spirit and the craftsmanship. It’s very inspiring,” he said.
David Sharos is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.