Looking Back: Celebrate a Victorian Christmas at the Clague House Museum

Christmas in the late 1800’s was not commercial – it had more to do with family, food, and the exchange of handmade gifts. Christmas trees in that time period were more simple. People often made homemade ornaments such as cornucopias of paper filled with fruit, nuts and candy. Strings of popcorn and berries were draped across the branches of trees. Beautiful shaped cookies were hung for treats on Christmas day. Often the gifts were also wrapped and hung from the branches. Also popular were molded wax figures of angels and children.

Many ornaments were made of cotton-wool wrapped around an armature of metal or wood and trimmed with embossed paper faces, buttons, gold paper wings and "diamond dust," actually powdered glass. You can experience a traditional Victorian Christmas Tree at Westlake’s Clague House Museum.

Bring your family and friends for an opportunity to enjoy the beautifully decorated tree. Bring your camera and capture a new family tradition. The Clague House (located at 1371 Clague Road) is open every Sunday through December 20th from 2 – 4 p.m., or by appointment. For more information, check our website at www.westlakeohiohistory.org or call 440-471-4090.

The Westlake Historical Society is selling a limited number of Clague House Christmas ornaments. These can be purchased at the Clague House, online at the website above, or by contacting Donna Nordgren at (440) 835–2726. The membership of the Westlake Historical Society would like to wish all of you a very happy & prosperous holiday season!

Read More on Local History
Volume 1, Issue 8, Posted 10:05 PM, 12.03.2009