Visit Copshaholm To Experience a Victorian Christmas

By BethAnne Brink-Cox, house & home feature writer There is nothing like a beautifully decorated home to warm the spirit at Christmas, and when it is a historic home the pleasure is multiplied giving a peek into bygone days and traditions, wonder and delight. Copshaholm museum curator Kristie Erickson said, “For

Festooned fireplace mantels and stairways are a highlight of the Oliver Mansion’s Main Hall at the holidays. The mansion is part of The History Museum.

me personally, my favorite is the traditional tree in the Den with its candles and toys all around. You can just imagine the Oliver family gathering around during the season!” Copshaholm, 808 W. Washington St., South Bend, was originally known as the Joseph D. Oliver House, and was built for the Oliver family, founders of the Oliver Chilled Plow Works. Copshaholm was the name of the Scottish village of the patriarch.

Erickson said, “The museum has always done some level of Christmas decorations for the public! In the 1990s we celebrated St. Nick’s Night, an old tradition in early December where children put their shoes out for St. Nicholas to leave gifts in them. For the mansion, this meant decorations and special Christmas tours. In 2003, we began Christmas at Copshaholm, where guests could see actors performing a play during their tour. Every year we try to do something a little different and special for people to see.

“We only know a few things about what the Olivers did historically for Christmas. James Oliver remarked in his diary once that his son J.D.’s home looked “like a toy store” when he visited

A Christmas tree with Victorian-inspired decorations is shown in the Oliver Mansion’s Den, the room where the family placed their own Christmas tree for many years. The mansion is part of The History Museum.

near the holidays, and we know the family traditionally placed their tree in the Den. To honor that legacy, we decorate the Den as a traditional Victorian Christmas, something like the family might have seen. The tree is sparse, more like what the family would have had, and features electric candles and blown glass ornaments. You can also see toys all around the room, including Catherine Oliver’s doll from the early 1900s. In the rest of the home, we try to keep an aesthetic that is appropriate to the house and use vintage reproductions if possible,” said Erickson. “There are just a couple rooms that the public doesn’t see. But the house features decorations on all three floors, including 11 Christmas trees, garlands, lights, and lots of table decorations. Every room will be ready for the season!”

It is always a boon to the public when a historic home becomes a museum they can attend. Erickson said, “We began giving tours in 1990, which is an interesting time for how many families were celebrating Christmas. There was a strong feeling of nostalgia, and people wanted the holiday to have the same sense it did for them as a child. But the increasingly busy lifestyles of the ‘80s and ‘90s made that impossible for many and spreadapart families made it hard for people to be “home for the holidays.... At the Oliver Mansion, ... I think the variety we provide is also a great feature – you’ll see dozens of different Santa Clauses, snowmen, angels, and vintage ornaments all around the home. Our staff works very hard to make each room different and appropriate for the space, and their attention to detail is just phenomenal.”

Another old time tradition that is always welcomed today is not just outdoor decorating but live displays. Erickson said, “We have certainly had carolers and even carriage rides in the past, both outside and inside the home. In the last few years newer lighting technologies have let us do a lot more outside, and now passers-by can enjoy beautiful lights in our gardens during the Christmas season.”

What would such a tour cost? “Tours of the Oliver Mansion are available daily.

The History Museum is open Monday-Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. Admission to the museum is $10/adults, $8.50/ seniors, $6/youth 6-17, and free/members. For an additional charge, visitors can visit the adjacent Studebaker National Museum. For our Christmas at Copshaholm program, regular admission is $20, and $15 for members.”

“Our best-selling item is our Copshaholm book that features photographs and stories of the Oliver Mansion and family. Also popular are items relating to the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League, (as immortalized in “A League of Their Own” where South Bend was represented by the Blue Sox)....” said Erickson. Definitely put a bug in Santa’s ear! n

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