Decking the Halls of the Creeger House

Transcription

1 THURMONT HISTORICAL SOCIETY Special points of interest: Pictures from the Christmas House Tour Volume 1, Issue 2 WINTER Decking the Halls of the Creeger House Annual Meeting Rouzer Room Dedication Membership Application Inside this issue: Christmas House Tour Own a Piece of History A New Look for the Kitchen THS Dinner Meeting Rouzer Room Dedication Welcome New Members Upcoming Events Year in Review Notes from the President Membership Renewal and Appli By: Carol Stevens The Creeger House looked lovely for The Christmas House Tour on the 12 th and 13 th of December. Each room was decorated in holiday finery for this special viewing. Decorating sessions began in earnest the first week of November. Special thanks to Judy Lingg, Kathy Bright, and David Stevens (our muscle) for the many hours they volunteered with me to make this happen. Our theme for the Christmas trees throughout the house consisted of photographs of Thurmont. John Kinnaird provided me with copies of photographs of old businesses, banks, churches, and homes from his private collection. Portrait photographs used to decorate the tree in the front parlor and also graced the garland on the staircase were found in the attic years ago. John made photo copies of the original Sandagger prints used to decorate the tree in the Children s Room. The vibrant primary colors used by Linda Sandagger in the Memorial for Brian Lynch The Historical Society will dedicate a memorial to Brian in June. Details will be in the next newsletter. Brian gave many hours to the Creeger House gardens. One of our last conversations centered on how he had finally tamed the Mock Orange Bush near the rear of the house and trimmed the Burning Bush to show the window on the side of the summer kitchen. seven prints were instrumental in the selection of glass ornaments and accessories to complete the tree. For the Research Library (formerly the Genealogy Room) we chose a theme that would reflect the use of the room. We printed and framed our fore-father s names for example Creeger, Rouzer, Weller and Eyler just to name a few. The Society s book 'THURMONT a Guide to Its Homes and Buildings' (published in 2002 by the Society) was very useful for this project. The most amazing room transformation was to the master bedroom. Our sincere thanks to Virginia LaRoche, owner of Timeless Trends Boutique, for adopting that room to decorate. Virginia and Pat Salaverri were able to incorporate select furniture pieces and accessories from the shop as well as items belonging to the Creeger House to complete the room. The result was a true Victorian jewel. (continued on page 2) A living memorial seemed most fitting for Creeger House. We are looking for a slow-growing evergreen for the back yard. The front of the house has two small beds that would be great to use for annuals as a memorial to past members. If you would like to volunteer for this project please call Judy Lingg at

2 Comments from guests included, I felt like I had been transformed back in time, so lovely, and so beautiful. Beautifully done Virginia and Pat. The Christmas tree in the Rouzer Room (dedicated as such in December) was decorated with photos of local businesses and The Thurmont Bank (Birely and Osler). The theme was selected after our recent good fortune in receiving the office desk once used in The Thurmont Bank. Society member Mr. Birely donated the desk in memory of his family ancestor Col. John Rouzer. The desk is proudly on display in the Rouzer Room. A photograph of Col. Rouzer, for whom the room was named, was used as our tree topper. A blue and white color choice was selected for decorating this room and included porcelain pieces on loan for the tour from a private collection. We were especially pleased with the little tree in the kitchen. It was decorated with red glass ornaments, red birds and stars, gold bead garland as well as handmade Victorian paper ornaments. They were embellished with miniature photographs of the societies very own Santa John Kinnaird. He had no idea we were doing this and was quite surprised and pleased I think. Thanks for your assist with the photographs of your dad Heather. Our Santa tree was quite popular our guest s and members. I would be remiss if I did not thank the members who came on Friday afternoon for the final push to finish the decorating, cleaning, and packaging of the cookies. Without the added help of Libby Cheda, Heather Dewees (who stayed and helped me til 1:00 a.m.), Lynn Jones, Donna Voellinger, and the regulars we would have been hard pressed to complete the project. Thanks so much ladies. Our members did a terrific job of hosting. We were fortunate to have a host in each room and this was very much appreciated by our guests. They greeted our guests, answered their questions about the history of the Creeger House/Society, photographs, and much more. Great job and thanks to all mentioned in the Tour article by Judy Lingg. It is the plan of the committee to continue to add photograph s to each category and also the names of our forefather s each year. This mini history tree decorating idea was well received by the community and they asked if we could continue to add on. Glad they asked. John is willing to share more of his photographs from his collection and we are looking forward to continuing this project. We have Judy to thank for her Scrapbooking talents. She made all of the fancy paper frames that enhanced the many, many photographs adorning all of our trees. This was a time consuming task and beautifully done. Thank you Judy. (continued on page 3) Page 2

3 From my hosting station in the dining room serving refreshments I frequently engaged in conversation with our guests. They asked me to pass onto you, the members, their many kind compliments as follows: they enjoyed touring the Creeger house and were so pleased that they were able to see the entire house, such a terrific job had been done on the restoration of both the interior and exterior, and that they were so delighted with our collection of photographs and artifacts. They also told me that having decorations in all of the rooms was such a treat and they had such a fun time looking at the photographs and reminiscing about old times and places. A sincere thank you from our guests, to you our members. I think our being a part of the tour let the community see for themselves that we are a viable organization and an important element in the Thurmont community. Hopefully some of them will consider joining our society. From all accounts the Christmas House Tour was a success and our share of the proceeds will be put to good use. The photographs and a few of the small trees will be on display at out next event, The Annual Thurmont Historical Society Membership Dinner." Hope to see you there! TO ALL OF YOU WHO HEEDED THE CALL FOR ADDITIONAL DONATIONS IN OUR PRIOR NEWSLETTER WE CANNOT THANK YOU ENOUGH! Page 3

4 CHRISTMAS HOUSE TOUR The 2009 Christmas House Tour was in Partnership with the Thurmont Lions Club and it was a BIG success. The weather tried to sideline us on Sunday with the heavy sleet but it cleared up for show time! There were eight very unique homes on the tour Doug Favorite and Don Keeney This home featured more than 20 trees ranging in size from 12 inches to 12 feet tall. Each tree had a different theme, color and story to tell. Dick and Mary Ellen Bittner Their home was decorated with a Japanese theme using porcelain vases, urns, dolls and accented with Japanese kimonos and hand embroidered quilts. George and Mary Bolling This home was filled with hospitality and a warm Christmas atmosphere not to mention a beautiful view! Robert and Sue Ferguson A Winter Wonderland with a tree in every room, each room with it s own theme from Crystal to Clothes Pins - ask them about the Golf Ball Tree! Mike and Myra Miller Antiques, kerosene lamps and Moravian-inspired decorations were featured along with pouring and decorating of pure beeswax candles used in the Graceham Moravian Christmas Eve Candle Light Service Carol Robertson An extensive nutcracker collection and uniquely decorated Christmas trees accented this beautiful home blending the new with the old Dr. Robert Morrow, MD The Christmas décor stressed the natural theme with plants, garland, flowers and trees and celebrated the owner s first Christmas in this home! Larry and Jenny West Formerly the Parsonage for Trinity Church, this home was decorated in the traditional style with a Victorian flair. AND The Creeger House has already been described in it s own article but we would like to add a special thank you to the following: Mrs. David Saylor (Ruth) for giving an impromptu presentation on the organ in the parlor during the tour. She told us her first lessons at the age of 8 were on a similar pump organ. Thank you Ruth! Pat Weddle for her due diligence in making sure we had plenty of yummy cookies for all to snack on. Thank you Pat! Irene Matthews for coming to our rescue on such short notice on Sunday when we needed additional coverage at Creeger House. Thank you Irene! Thanks again to the Thurmont Lions Club we couldn t have done it without you! A very special Thank You to everyone who opened their beautiful homes to us we realize how much time and effort you devoted to this event and we could not have done it without you! This was a great fund raiser and we would like to thank all of those who donated and participated. Over 200 tickets were sold and the proceeds (approx. $1800 after expenses) will be put to good use in paying some of the continuing expenses of keep Our Home in working order. Page 4

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6 Page 6 A NEW LOOK FOR THE KITCHEN Carol Ford made the beautiful curtains for the kitchen. Pat mentioned to me what bad shape they were in and when I called Carol to get some idea of what I would need---she volunteered to make them!!!!! I rushed right out to get the fabric. Did not get quite enough so Carol purchased more along with embroidery floss to use in her sewing machine. Carol had made the original curtains which were wrapped up and given to Pat for Christmas. By Donna Voellinger HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO OWN A PIECE OF THURMONT HISTORY? The Society has decided to auction off these two large 6 x 24 Goodyear signs and the Standard Oil Globe to the highest bidder! They were found during a clean-up of the sheds located at the back of the Creeger House Property and have been stored in the basement for many years. With all the expenses we have incurred making repairs on the house, the Board voted to sell the signs to generate some income. We assume they originally came from the Creeger Chevrolet Garage originally located in downtown Thurmont. The signs are offered for sale to any Thurmont Historical Society Member, we will accept the highest bid. Please contact Robin Haines for additional information and to submit your bid.

7 Volume 1, Issue 2 Thurmont Historical Society Membership Dinner Meeting The Annual Thurmont Historical Society Membership Dinner Meeting will be held Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at Cozy. We will begin at 6:00 PM. The all inclusive price will be in the $15.00 range but we do not have the exact price from Cozy at this time. Guest speaker and complete details will be included in the invitation that is being mailed to each member. Please R.S.V.P. to Carol Stevens at by Sunday, March 21, ROUZER ROOM DEDICATION The Thurmont Historical Society recently dedicated a room in honor of Col John Rouzer. Mayor Martin Burns and Commissioner Wayne Hooper participated by cutting the ribbon during the dedication of the Rouzer Room. Although we now know the Historic Society s home as the Creeger House, it was in fact the home of Col. John R,. Rouzer during the later part of the 1800 s. Col. Rouzer purchased the house in the mid 1800 s when it was still a two room log house. He had the home increased in size and brick cased in 1876 and today the house looks much as it did during Col. Rouzer s later life. John R. Rouzer was a prominent citizen in Thurmont, owning and operating a saddle and harness shop in his early years. He served the Union Army during the Civil War, being commissioned as a Lt. in Company D, Sixth Maryland Infantry, a unit he established. Rouzer was decorated several times for his heroic actions, including injuries sustained at the Battle of the Wilderness. He was captured and held as a prisoner of war at Libbey, Danville and Salisbury prisons. At the end of the war he returned to Thurmont to pursue his private lie. Col. Rouzer was a charter member of the Thurmont Water Company and served as President of the Thurmont National Bank. He was elected to the Maryland Legislature in 1867 and was appointed Thurmont s Postmaster in Col. Rouzer was elected Register of Wills for Frederick County and served at that position for six years. He later served as Elections We have several board members ending their terms of service this year. Elections will be held during the Annual Dinner Meeting. Bylaw changes/updates have been voted on by the Executive Board and will be brought to the general membership for final approval at the Annual Dinner meeting. Copies of the bylaws will be available at the meeting along with the proposed changes. Archives: At the annual dinner meeting we will be setting dates to have the archives open as well an Open House in June. By John Kinnaird treasurer for the Town of Thurmont and was a trustee of the Thurmont Public Schools for forty-five years. One of his last posts was as Deputy Register of Wills for the District of Columbia, a position to which he was appointed to by President McKinley. Col. John R. Rouzer died March 25, 1914 at his home on Church Street leaving a legacy of service to the residents of Thurmont, Frederick County and our Nation. Thank you to Brenda Adamovicz for her expertise and time she contributed to replacing the top on the desk in the Rouzer Room and to Donna Voellinger for making it happen as promised. Page 7 Volunteers are needed to man the research room. So as to not waste volunteers acquainted with the resources we have and the policies for using those resources. Most originals will stay in their folders with copies being used for research. No materials are to leave the archives at any time for any purpose. Any copies that need to be made are to be made at Creeger House. There are items that cannot be copied and those will be marked. Please contact Judy by phone or . Col. Rouzer in his military uniform Mayor Burns and Commissioner Hooper cutting the ribbon to the Rouzer Room.

8 Volume 1, Issue 2 PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW MEMBERS Mr. and Mrs. Scott Dewees Ms. Kathy Bright Mr. and Mrs. Mark Spalding ANYONE WISHING TO JOIN OR RENEW THEIR MEMBERSHIP OR GIVE THE GIFT OF A MEMBERSHIP SHOULD CONTACT PAT WEDDLE AT Page 8 UPCOMING EVENTS YOU WON T WANT TO MISS The Annual Thurmont Historical Society Membership Dinner Meeting will be held Wednesday, March 24, 2010 at Cozy. EXECUTIVE BOARD MEETINGS (members are welcome to attend) We will begin at 6:00 PM. FIRST THURSDAY EACH MONTH AT 7PM FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION VISIT OUR WEBSITE HAVE YOU RENEWED YOUR DUES FOR 2010 YET? The Year in Review By Judy Lingg During the past 12 months we have continued to work on the archives, putting files together. We had set-ups at the Expo, the Community Show and sold Cat's Meows at various town functions (many thanks to Pat and Donna). The Creeger House has undergone a much needed transformation on the exterior with masonry repairs (walls and chimney), painting and woodwork repairs. The basement doors have been installed and the house is now able to be fully secured. The security system policies have been upgraded and all users now have their own keys AND their own security code. The grounds have been tended (ivy is still winning). We opened the house for Christmas in Thurmont and co-hosted the Christmas House Tour with the Lion's Club. With the Christmas House Tour came some much needed re-arrangement of furniture and de-cluttering of the entire house (except the back office, don't look in unless your heart is strong). The original Sandagger prints have been purchased and returned to the Historical Society with funds donated for this purpose. Our annual picnic was a huge success with culminating in an interesting tour of the Creagerstown church. The HVAC system has to be replaced at the Creeger House NOTES FROM THE PRESIDENT Executive Board meetings the first Thursday of each month - March 4, April 1, and May 6, and June 3. All meetings begin at 7:00 PM unless there is a need to meet earlier in which case directors are called and/or ed the change. All members are welcome to attend executive board meetings. Meetings may change IF we experience bad weather or do not have enough directors for a quorum. In such a case we reschedule for the next available date that can accommodate most board members OR if we have only a few items of business we have voting on those items and meet at the next regularly scheduled meeting. If you wish to attend a meeting and there is bad weather in the forecast, call a board member to make sure the meeting is not rescheduled. YOUR HELP IS NEEDED! We need volunteers to serve on the following committees: Membership, Community Show, Christmas in Thurmont, and Fundraising. Please contact Judy Lingg. Hospitality Committee has members serving on it but can always handle more! All committees must have at least one board member in addition to general members.

9 Volume 1, Issue 2 Page 9 Thurmont Historical Society Officers and Board of Directors President Judy Lingg President Emeritus Sterling Kelbaugh Vice-President John Kinnaird Treasurer Robin Haines Secretary Donna Voellinger Irene Matthews Membership Pat Weddle Dennis Smith Ross Smith Jr. Carol Stevens IF YOU HAVE AN ARTICLE OR PICTURE YOU WOULD LIKE FEATURED IN THE NEWSLETTER PLEASE CONTACT SHARON MARTIN OR SJMARTIN100@ COMCAST.NET YOUR IDEAS AND COMMENTS ARE ALWAYS WELCOME Dues are based on the calendar year January-December. An Individual Membership is $15.00 and a Family Membership is $ Name Phone Address I AM INTERESTED IN HELPING WITH: Thurmont Historical Society Pat Weddle 6 Orchard Drive Thurmont, MD Interior projects at the Creeger House Exterior projects at the Creeger House Fundraising activities Archiving/Classification Clerical/Date Entry Gardening Projects Other

10 Thurmont Historical Society P.O. Box North Church Street Thurmont, MD 21788