Victorian Christmas in Oneida

ONEIDA — A Victorian Christmas open house will be held Sunday, Dec. 9 from 1- 4 p. m. at the Madison County Historical Society, 435 Main St.

Each of the rooms within the 1850 Gothic Revival home will be embellished with holiday decorations, while confectionary treats will be served in the dining room and the sounds of holiday melodies will flow through the period rooms. This event is free and open to the public.

The adornments within the period house will be provided by Balloons and Blossoms and Oneida Floral and Gifts. Members of the Green Thumb Garden Club of Oneida Castle and the Sherrill Garden Club will also add their holiday touches to the period rooms.

Holiday melodies will be heard throughout the house as area school choirs spend the afternoon entertaining guests. Oneida High School’s Select Choir under the direction of Heather O’Connell will be first to perform from 1: 15- 1: 45 p. m. From 1: 50- 2: 20 p. m. Otto Shortell Middle School Choir under the direction of Roselle Lynch will be singing holiday classics. St. Pat’s Select Choir under the direction of Amanda Yeoman will perform holiday favorites from 2: 25- 2: 55 p. m.

From 3- 3: 30 p. m. Earl Woods of Canastota will perform dramatic readings of “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus”( 1897) written by Francis P. Church and “T’was the Night Before Christmas” ( 1823) written by Clement Clark Moore.

The final performance of holiday music will be from 3: 35- 4 p. m. by the Suzuki Violin Studio of Oneida/ Hamilton under the direction of Iryna Juravich.

The public is invited to check out the gift shop and view the society’s 19th century leisure exhibit during the open house. Raffle tickets for a chance to win a caned chair handcrafted by Lisa Gardiner of Chittenango or gift baskets will be sold during the open house and the drawing will be held at the end of the event.

For more information, contact the Madison County Historical Society at 363- 4136 or 361- 9735, or visit

www. mchs1900. org