Christmas at Point of Honor

Yesterday admission fees to Point of Honor were waived to enable the public to get a rare glimpse of Christmas in the early 1800’s. Each year the dedicated staff at Point of Honor spends countless hours decorating the home of Dr. George Cabell, Patrick Henry’s personal physician, for the holidays. Yesterday over 500 people toured the house. The public is not allowed to photograph the interior (a common policy for museums) which is why you won’t see postings of multiple interior photos on this blog posting so you will just have to go there in person to see the holiday decorations. There are some great (non-holiday) photos and lots of history on Point of Honor’s website.

As you drive up to Point of Honor you won’t see metal or plastic reindeer or Santa’s sled lit up with lights, exterior lights will not outline the building, nor will you see a Christmas tree decorating the home. These holiday decorations are modern day displays of the Christmas season. What you will see is garland (the real stuff, straight off a pine tree) wrapped around the front door. Upon entering the home you will see more Christmas greenery and candles around the interior doors in the entry foyer and greenery on the banister going to the rooms upstairs. Keep in mind that in 1815 times were simpler and we couldn’t run to Walmart to purchase all that mass produced stuff from China that we use to decorate our homes today so Dr. Cabell, his family and staff used materials that were native to the area that they gathered from the grounds around his home.

One of the main focal points is the dining room. The table is set with period china and flatware and a typical holiday feast which includes fried apple pies, bread pudding, carrots, beets, oysters, chestnut stuffing, roast venison, pan fried rock fish, hoe cakes and sugar embellishments. With special permission I was able to take this photo (above right). Meals at the Cabell’s home were prepared in the kitchen out back using a fireplace as the stove/oven (right).

The Carriage House Inn Bed and Breakfast is located just two blocks from Point of Honor and our guests just love taking the tour of this magnificent home. As part of the Lynchburg Museum System you can purchase a ticket to tour the home or a combination ticket to tour the home and the museum in the old courthouse at the top of the steps of Monument Terrace on Court Street. We highly recommend both tours to our guests as well as locals interested in learning more about our wonderful city’s past. One special note about the old courthouse, the bell on the clock in the bell tower started ringing again this past Saturday at the opening of the Christmas Parade down the street of downtown Lynchburg. The old clockworks are scheduled to be on display in the museum sometime next year.