Contact:
Jenny Smith, Pita Communications
(860) 293-0157 ext. 15; jenny@pitacomm.com
Wethersfield's Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
To Showcase Three Centuries of Holiday Décor,
Hospitality and Tradition from December 6 to January 4
Tours available for extended Thursday evening and weekend hours
Special holiday preview party on Friday, December 5
WETHERSFIELD, Conn. (November 10, 2008) – This holiday season, experience three centuries of celebration in the heart of historic Wethersfield. The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum will put on its holiday finery and present holiday tours of three homes that re-create the festivities of centuries past. Guides will provide insight on the lives and traditions of the families and how celebrations of the holiday season have evolved since the 1700s.
Webb-Deane-Stevens Holiday Preview Party December 5
The Webb-Deane-Stevens museum will open its doors for a preview party on Friday, December 5 from 5 to 8 p.m. Visitors to the preview will get a candlelight tour of all three homes decked out in holiday decor, including a beautiful Christmas tree in the hall of the Webb House. The Stevens House will feature an extensive display of children’s toys, while the Silas Deane house will pay homage to traditions of the period surrounding the New Year. The candlelight preview party includes tours by costumed interpreters, elegant decorations, musical entertainment, wine and hors d'oeuvres.
Cost for the holiday preview party is $15 per person or $25 per couple, payable by cash or check to the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum, 211 Main Street, Wethersfield, Conn 06109. Advance reservations are strongly encouraged.
Holiday Tours of the Webb-Deane Stevens Museum
December 6 to January 4
The three holiday- decorated homes of the Webb-Deane-Stevens museum will open their doors to visitors from December 6 to January 4. All homes are open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Thursday Dec. 11 and Thursday Dec. 18, and Sundays from 1 to 4 p.m.
The Isaac Stevens Home will be decorated to depict holiday celebrations during the 1820s. The dining room will be set for a holiday feast; best parlor will feature a tree decorated in keeping with the period. On the second floor, the children's exhibits and toy museum will feature 19th century clothing, toys and games.
At the Joseph Webb House, visitors will see decorations that were part of the Colonial Revival style of the 1920s and 1930s. The parlor will be converted to a bountiful dining room with a holiday dessert course of sweets, cakes and puddings, along with pyramids of candy, fruit and nuts. The other rooms will feature decorations and ornaments from the 1920s.
For the first time, the Silas Deane House will be open to visitors. The home's surroundings will emphasize how the family celebrated the period surrounding New Years, when those who were owed money invited their debtors into their homes and businesses to both settle their debts and partake of food, drink and conversation. A ledger of the period will be on display as a memento of the financial activities of that period which have since evolved into our modern tradition of making personal New Years resolutions.
Cost for guided holiday tours of all three Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum homes are $10 per person, $8 per person for members or groups, $5 for children and $25 per family (Two adults and children).
For more information or to schedule a group tour, call (860) 529-0612 or visit webb-deane-stevens.org
About the Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum
Located in the heart of Connecticut’s largest historic district, the museum, which consists of three authentically restored 18th-century homes, brings Wethersfield’s rich history to life, from the American Revolution to the early 20th century. The museum includes the 1752 Joseph Webb House, which served as George Washington’s Revolutionary War headquarters in May 1781, when he met with French General le Comte de Rochambeau; the 1770 Silas Deane House, built for America’s first diplomat to France; and the 1788 Isaac Stevens House, which depicts life in the 18th and 19th centuries through original family objects and includes a new children’s museum.
The Webb-Deane-Stevens Museum is located at 211 Main St., Wethersfield. For information about current exhibits, upcoming events or Museum School classes, call (860) 529-0612 or visit www.webb-deane-stevens.org.
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