Christmas celebrations return to Barnum House
By Cecilia Nasmith
For the first time in years – since those popular Christmas dinners that were a beloved annual tradition back in the day (and which so many still remember with pleasure) - Barnum House opens its doors to celebrate the season.
Christmastide At Barnum House on Dec. 1 offers seasonal refreshments and musical delights from 1 to 4 p.m. at a property that ran for many years as a local museum until the early 21st century.
The property is owned by the Ontario Heritage Trust, whose purchase of the house was the genesis of the Architectural Conservancy of Ontario. The ACO is now leasing the house from the OHT as of March, and the Cobourg and East Northumberland ACO branch is charged with facilitating its reopening. Programming and preservation are their focus.d
It will not be the Barnum House you knew, programming committee head Jackie Tinson said - a heritage home on County Road 2 in Grafton that is run as a museum. This model is no longer viable, even in larger American landmarks where visitor volume is relatively high.
People today are looking for an experience, and Tinson hopes their events-driven agenda will provide just that.
The Christmastide gathering is the first big public event since the lease was signed. There have been smaller occasions to open the Barnum doors, such as executive meetings and the tours that are made available. There's a sign on the door with information on how to arrange such a tour, and they have done several (including a recent ESL) group.
So far, she reports, the OHT is very pleased with the numbers going through the house. This should only grow as they embark on bigger public events such as this.
It's not a fundraiser, she said, as it's planned on a break-even budget. But it's a wonderful occasion to get people back into Barnum House – as Tinson said, to put it back on people's radar after being closed for so long.
“I have a dynamite committee with lots of expertise and a lot of enthusiasm, but under the auspices, always, of our branch.”
The 1819 home of Eliakim Barnum is an outstanding example of a structure from the Regency Period of Jane Austen novels. It was unusually elegant for its time, and Tinson can picture the neighbours watching in envy as it went up.
Though it is widely reported that Barnum was a Loyalist, further research has now disproved that. Originally from New York State, the entire family fought on the American side during the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately, they lost everything after converting their funds to the Continental currency issued to pay for the war effort. It was supposed to be redeemable at face value after the war, but in the end proved worthless.
Barnum probably came north looking for land and, as he found the good life in Canada, certainly became loyal to his new homeland. He even joined the militia and almost immediately became a colonel.
His fortune came through a grist mill, a still and his friend (and future -in-law) Benjamin Ewing, the army's quartermaster. This is the officer in charge of supplying the troops, Tinson said.
“Guess who he turned to for supply!”
Now the stately house built by this wealth will be decked in beautiful natural Yuletide decorations for the first time in years.
Township crier Liam Cragg will be part of the festivities, and strolling musicians will add the holiday music. That would be the Arcadian Duo (musicians Deborah Henderson and Fred Cory) doing regency music and Christine Sharp's beautifully costumed C Sharp Singers.
Tickets are $20 or two for $35 for adults, $5 for students and free for children. They are available in advance from Tinson at jackietinson@gmail.com or 905-885-1768, or (cash only) at the door.
