Colonial Twelfth Night Tours November 20, 2009

Beginning on November 21, 2009 and continuing until January 10, 2010, visitors who come to Pottsgrove Manor will experience the holiday season as it would have been celebrated by English colonists over 250 years ago. In the eighteenth century, from early December to the feast of Twelfth Night on January 6th, wealthy Pennsylvania families like the Potts observed not only the religious customs of the winter season, but socialized, gave and attended parties and balls, and visited friends and family.

A tour of the Manor will give visitors a glimpse of how the house would have been prepared for the holidays—don’t expect a Christmas tree or stockings hung from the mantel! Bayberry candles lend a sweet scent to the air, and window-panes are decorated with bright sprigs of holly. Tables are filled with displays of winter greenery and glass ‘pyramids’ loaded with delectable treats – nuts, candied fruits, iced cakes decorated with miniature fruits made of colorful marzipan, and molded sugar candies that sparkle in the candlelight. In the kitchen, an elaborate menu of once-a-year specialties is being planned. Upstairs, in the private chambers, elegant attire is set out in preparation for the formal events of the season, and all through the house the servants have prepared elaborate decorations of food and greenery to brighten a winter household.

Guided tours of the exhibit are offered during the museum’s hours: Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. & Sunday, 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Tours are given on the hour; last tour of the day begins as 3:00 p.m. Suggested donation: $2.00 per person. Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610.326.4014.