Holidays Through the Decades - Hower House

Holiday celebrations and decorations have changed but the old standby toys are still popular. Fashion, music and style brighten the holidays at the Hower House. Each room of the 1871 Hower House mansion depicts the subtle decorating changes and toys that have thrilled and awed children of all ages since the 1870s. The 1870s introduces the hot new game of Parcheesi. Crayola Crayons arrived on the scene in 1903. Did Santa munch on the new Girl Scout Cookies in 1922? Perhaps he left Monopoly games and Mickey Mouse dolls that have been popular since the 1930s.

Volunteers, chaired by Gretchen Laatsch, will loan their talents and time to decorate the Hower House. Join the other guests in the Cellar Door Store Parlor where you can enjoy the complimentary wassail and cookies. Bring your dollars in exchange for the exciting gift ideas and holiday decorations in the Cellar Door Store. The store features features an unusual array of Victorian and unique gifts. The Antique consignment room in the Cellar Door Store has very collectable items including Whiting & Davis hand bags, Trifari jewelry, China painted dishes, oil paintings, Silverplate and sterling pieces, linens, hummel figurines and more. 

Hower House is a 28-room mansion capped with a mansard roof and soaring tower. The stately mansion has three floors with a ballroom on the third floor. Architect Jacob Snyder designed this house in the Second Empire Italianate style. The Hower House is one of the finest and best preserved examples of its style in the country. This house, on two and a half acres of lawn and stately trees, is a symbol of an era of elegance in America.

The floor plan features rooms radiating from a large octagonal center hall. The plan, known as " Akron Sunday School Plan," was used for churches across the United States. 

HOLIDAY TOURS BEGIN NOVEMBER 8!  

Visit Hower House, 60 Fir Hill, The University of Akron, Akron, OH Wednesday, November 8, 2006 through Saturday, December 30, 2006.

Crayola Crayons have been used since 1903.

Credit: http://soils.usda.gov/education/resources/k_12/lessons/crayons/crayon1.gif

Copyright: http://soils.usda.gov/education/resources/k_12/lessons/crayons/crayon1.gif