Pottsgrove Manor by Candlelight Sunday

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by Pottsgrove Manor

The Pottsgrove Manor by Candlelight Tour will 

feature colonial music played on historical instruments

Revel in the spirit of the season at historic Pottsgrove Manor for the annual
Pottsgrove Manor by Candlelight Open House Sunday, from 2 to 8 p.m.

The public is invited to take a self-guided tour of the elegant 1752 manor house, where costumed interpreters will depict the colonial residents of Pottsgrove Manor.

As visitors make their way through the house, they will hear the strains of music played on historical instruments, see English country dancing, catch a whiff of the delicious smells in the kitchen as historical cook Deborah Peterson prepares authentic dishes at the open hearth and enjoy the beauty of the mansion lit by candlelight and bedecked with greenery.

Examples of colonial treats John Potts would have served.

Complimentary refreshments of hot spiced cider, colonial-style chocolate drink and cookies will be served at the end of the house tour.

Also, young visitors will be able to make free seasonal crafts to take home.

After exploring the house, guests may visit the museum shop for unique, historically-oriented gifts like locally made redware pottery and ornaments, reproduction glassware, handcrafted candles and soaps, along with books, toys and games.

Outside the manor house, built by Pottstown founder and ironmaster John Potts, the courtyard will be filled with the sounds of historic carols sung by colonial revelers (performing from 2 to 5 p.m.) while warming themselves by a bonfire.

The manor house will also be featured as a stop on the Pottstown Historical

English country dancing will also be on display Sunday.

House Tour, held that same evening at historic homes throughout the borough and requires the purchase of tickets.

However, a donation of $2 per person is all that is suggested for the Pottsgrove Manor event, which will be held weather permitting. No reservations are necessary.

Visitors are asked to park in the Carousel at Pottstown, 30 W. King St., or at Memorial Park, 75 W. King St.; a shuttle will transport visitors to and from Pottsgrove Manor throughout the event.

Handicapped parking is available in the museum's parking lot.

It looks too good to eat doesn't it? It is, these are not for

visitors to consume, but for display only.

Even if you can't make it Sunday, know that the house will remain decorated for the holidays in colonial fashion through Jan. 10.

Twelfth Night Mansion Tours are offered during regular museum hours, Tuesday through  Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, from 1 to 4 p.m.

Tours are given on the hour with the last tour beginning at 3 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014.

Pottsgrove Manor is closed Mondays and Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 W. King St., near the intersection with Route 100, just north of the interchange with Route 422.

It is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails and Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department.

For more information, call 610-326-4014 or visit the web site at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor and like their page on Facebook at www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor

Homes for the Holidays

Photos by Evan Brandt

The second floor front room of the Elks Club on High Street was decorated for this year's house tour.

Once again, Pottstown's holiday house tour showcased some of the borough's most historic and most gracious homes.

It's probably my favorite holiday tradition here in town.

I have been on the tour many times over my 17 years in Pottstown and always marvel not only at the

Many of you have driven (or walked) past
this home hundreds of times. Haven't you
always wondered what it looks like inside?
The house tour is your chance to find out.

imagination and skill of homeowners in how they renovate and decorate their historic homes, but also their willingness to let complete strangers come in and look around.

I of course, just love to do that and, seeing as I am particularly fond of the historic homes along North Hanover Street between King and Beech streets, I always look to see if one I have not yet been inside is on the tour.

This year is was the home of Jim and Susan Kane whose 1883 Victorian is both beautiful and extremely homey and comfortable feeling.

But although I have a personal preference for that period, I was on the clock for The Mercury and so, in the interests of fairness, I made sure to visit every home on the east end of town for the tour.

I was once again wowed by how graceful and elegant some of the town's twin homes can be, sucyh as the Queen Street home of Sandros and Rosemary Roseo; as well as grateful for a chance to get a look inside some of the Rosedale homes of some of Pottstown's former business leaders -- in this case homes built by the Schulz family, who owned a bakery, and the Prince family, who founded Bally Case and Cooler.

Inside Trinity Reformed Church.

And I was also able to cross another of Pottstown's classic churches off my list. This year, it was Trinity Reformed Church. I am somewhat embarrassed t confess that despite working across the street from this church for 17 years, I had never been inside ... until now.

I was not disappointed.

The woodwork and stained glass windows were wonderful to behold, as has been the case inside Invictus Ministries, Inc., Emmanuel Lutheran, Zions UCC and First Presbyterian.

So before you get to my Tweeted photos below, I experimented today with a new way to make a Tout video. Although I could not figure out how to make the voice overlay work, I did manage to make a kind of slide show and put some text over it.

So have a look and tell me what you think.



And without further ado, here are the Tweets!

Pottstown is Home to the Best Holiday House Tour Sunday

Historic re-enactors in period clothing will populate Pottsgrove Manor during the popular "Pottsgrove Manor by Canldelight" holiday house tour on Sunday. As usual, it will be combined with a guided tour historic homes in Pottstown.

The historic Holiday House Tour in Pottstown will once again be paired with Pottsgrove Manor's candlelight tour and will be held on Sunday, Dec. 8.

This year, the Pottstown tour has been taken over by the Pottstown Downtown Improvement District Authority, or PDIDA and is paired up with several other holiday events downtown.

The holiday house tour will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. and starts at The Elks Club on High Street for high tea event, which begins at 1:30 p.m.

Tickets for the tour itself will be sold at the PDIDA office, 17 N. Hanover St. or the Pottstown Parks and Recreation office on the second floor of borough hall, 100 E. High St.

A free trolley will travel between the buildings on the tour.

You can start the day at 10 a.m. with a Brunch With Santa event, to be held at Grumpy's hand-

Learn what John Potts and friends ate
for the holidays in colonial times.

Carved Sandwiches, 137 E High St.

The event runs until 1 p.m. and costs $7 each and reservations are required and can be made by calling 610-323-5400.

Carriage rides along High Street will be held from 2 to 7 p.m. and will cost only $5 per person. Tickets will be sold at Smith Plaza, right in front of borough hall, which of course, is where Santa Claus will arrive at 5 p.m.

A community tree lighting in the plaza will follow his arrival.

In addition to enjoying a tour of the historic Victorian homes throughout Pottstown, decorated for the holidays, isitors can also visit Pottsgrove Manor from 2 to 8 p.m. and enjoy a colonial Christmas celebration as part of the "Pottsgrove Manor by Candlelight open house.

The public is invited to take a self-guided tour of the elegant 1752 manor house where costumed interpreters will depict the colonial residents of Pottsgrove Manor. 

As visitors make their way through the house they will hear the strains of traditional harp music, see English country dancing, catch a whiff of the delicious smells in the kitchen as historical cook Deborah Peterson prepares authentic dishes at the open hearth, and enjoy the beauty of the mansion lit by candlelight and bedecked with greenery. 

Traditional colonial Christmas dishes will be cooked at 

Pottsgrove Manor Sunday

Complimentary refreshments of hot spiced cider, colonial-style chocolate drink, and gingerbread cookies will be served at the end of the house tour.

After exploring the house, guests will want to visit Pottsgrove Manor’s museum shop for unique, historically-oriented gifts like locally-made redware pottery and ornaments, reproduction glassware, handcrafted candles and soaps, books, toys, games, and more.

Next door to the mansion in the Miller’s House, young visitors will be able to make free seasonal crafts to take home. Outside in the manor’s courtyard, visitors will be able to warm themselves by a bonfire (weather permitting), and enjoy historic carols sung by the Colonial Revelers singing group (performing from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.)

A donation of $2 per person is suggested for this event. No reservations are needed. 

Visitors are asked to park at Memorial Park (75 West King Street); a shuttle will transport visitors to and from Pottsgrove Manor throughout the event. 

Holiday celebrations in colonial times, as will be seen at
Pottsgrove Manor 

centered around Twelfth Night.

Handicapped parking is available in the museum’s parking lot. The Manor’s open house will also be featured as a stop on the Pottstown Historical House Tour that evening.

Can’t make it to the open house? Visitors can enjoy the spirit of the season at Pottsgrove Manor now through Jan. 12 with a guided tour of the mansion, decorated for the holidays. 

Tours are offered during regular museum hours, and the museum shop will also be open for holiday shopping. Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. 

Tours are given on the hour. The last tour of the day begins as 3 p.m. Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014. The museum is closed Mondays, as well as Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve, and New Year’s Day.

Pottsgrove Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown. 

Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks, Trails, & Historic Sites Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department. 

For more information, please call 610-326-4014, or visit the website at www.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor. Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pottsgrovemanor.