Livingston Holiday Tea, Open House, and Historic Holiday Home Tour Scheduled for December

The Livingston Historical Society will celebrate this holiday season at its annual Holiday Tea and Open House Tour on Sunday Dec. 7, 2014 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Force Homestead Museum, located at 366 South Livingston Avenue in Livingston.

Society members will again decorate the traditional Christmas tree with hand-made trimmings of cranberries and popcorn and adorn the historical house with Colonial-style decorations using fresh picked garden materials. The Historical Society members hosting the event will serve homemade finger foods, desserts and traditional hot-mulled cider.

Members, guests, friends and local residents are invited to attend. The Force Homestead will remain decorated for the entire month of December so others may enjoy seeing it. Any family or small group is welcome to take a private tour. To schedule a tour, call Lorraine Palmer at (973) 992-6896.

In addition, the Livingston community is invited to attend open houses at any one of the 17 historic homes and sites throughout Essex County that will open their doors for the weekend and offer similar holiday displays. Most will be open Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 6 and 7. Participating sites include the Ballantine House at the Newark Museum; Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark; the Canfield Morgan House and Museum in Cedar Grove; Kip’s Castle and the Salvatorian Fathers in Verona; Glenmont at Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange; Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills; Grover Cleveland’s Birthplace in Caldwell; Kingsland Manor in Nutley.

The Montclair Historical Society properties will also be open for the holiday house tour. These include the Charles Shultz House (Evergreens), Israel Crane House and Nathaniel Crane House and Historic YWCA in Montclair; Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center in Bloomfield; the Walther House at Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Upper Montclair; and the Zenas Crane Homestead in West Caldwell. The Livingston Historical Society is proud to have Livingston’s Force Homestead included on this tour. Fees and times vary by location; more information about the tours can be found here.

About the Essex County Historic Holiday House Tour

The Essex County Historic Holiday House Tour is organized by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs and is supported by an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. For more information, please call 973 239-2465.

Pictured is the traditional Christmas decorated with handmade trimmings at the Force Homestead Museum, which will hold its annual Holiday Tea on Sunday, December 7, 2014.

Photo courtesy of Eleanor Pichat