Zalud House Christmas delights
People taking part in annual evening tours
Welcoming people to the Zalud House Museum on Saturday evening for the 40th Candlelight tours, curator Heather Huerta decorated the home beautifully with the original Christmas tree and ornaments as well as Zalud family pictures and historical mementoes in the main parlor and throughout the house.
On Friday and Saturday, Dec. 8 and 9, 40 adults and 20 children visited for the Christmas tour, and Huerta says they recently hosted two school classes with over 200 students. Every year at Christmas time the tours are popular with families and schools she says. The evening tours continue from 6 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 15 and 16.
There is a warm and inviting atmosphere in the house, and the magically lit parlor has original table lamps and an antique ceiling lamp, while volunteer Cheryl Murdock plays Christmas music on the piano.
A warm and bright festive Christmas spirit pervades the home, celebrating being together with family and their friends.
As you enter the parlor, the decorated Christmas tree shines brightly and Huerta tells visitors about the original hand-blown German glass ornaments that belonged to the Zalud family and shows people the clip-on glass birds, as well as small delicate snow globe-like ornaments and clip-on wax candles.
The tree is topped with a Czechoslovakian glass tree topper that is an original family ornament.
Under the tree are wrapped presents complete with original oldfashioned Christmas tags kept by the Zalud’s.
Many people in Porterville have made the Zalud Christmas tour a tradition, such as volunteer Wanda Slater, 70, who has visited with four generations of her family, and recently with 6-month old great-grandbaby John Henry Slater. Slater says she is laughing and having fun sharing the beautiful house with the community, and is enjoying volunteering with a wonderful group of people; Pat Schenk, and the Huerta’s and other volunteers.
Leslie Nelson brought her two daughters, Angelique and Elizabeth, 9 and 12, and two nieces, Natalie and Riann, 8 and 12, and said, “I just think the house is beautiful. I came here for the first time last year. It’s going to be an annual visit at Christmas for us.”
Benny Huerta, says he is very proud of what Heather, his wife, has done for the Zalud house and “that she’s brought it to the front of people’s attention. And Porterville and Tulare County should be very proud of this special landmark.”
He says people have come from San Bernardino to see the house, and two news anchors from SLO KSBY San Luis Obispo visited two weeks ago. They have also had visitors from Australia, England, and other locations around the world, ever since the Zalud house was featured on the Travel Channel in 2016. The Zalud house is also mentioned in a tour of the Sequoias from Visalia to Three Rivers says Benny Huerta.
In February the home will be decorated with antique valentines says Heather Huerta, and she will change the home for every season.
Casey Supple visiting from Visalia said it was surprising how the vintage charm has been so preserved through the years in the home and is so authentic.
Reid Lowery, 12, of Lindsay, was with her mother Lindsey, and brother Jackson, 8, and said the home had a lot of history and it was great to see the old history of Porterville, and how old houses used to be.
“It’s a good way to go back and see the simpler things, because we now have all the technology,” Lindsey said. “People used to talk together around the dinner table and play the piano and card games at home for entertainment.”
Jackson said he liked how pretty the house was, and he enjoyed seeing all the rooms and how people lived in them.
Benny Huerta said the home was lived in and loved by Pearle Zalud for many years, and it is a true treasure for Porterville and Tulare County. It is a classic jewel and a Victorian and Edwardian “time capsule.”
For more information check Facebook page for the Zalud House Museum or call 782-7548 or 782-7536 or Zaludhouse@ci.porterville
Zalud House is located at 393 N. Hockett St., Porterville. There are also Paranormal Movement Investigations at the Zalud House, for more information call the above numbers.