PARKERSBURG - Over a hundred visitors toured the historic Cook House and received a glimpse of colonial holiday traditions Saturday during the Junior League of Parkersburg's annual Colonial Christmas Celebration.
The Junior League held its holiday open house Saturday afternoon at the 183-year-old house at 1301 Murdoch Ave. in Parkersburg.
Delores Watkins, of Lubeck, has been visiting the historic home during the holiday celebration for the past couple of years because she enjoys the experience.
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Photo by Wayne Towner
Lyndsie Pinkston, 7, left, and Chloe Pinkston, 9, work on making holiday ornaments during the Colonial Christmas Celebration on Saturday at the historic Cook House in Parkersburg.
"I like the history, I like the decorations," she said.
"I think it's a nice time to go back in history for a little while and I enjoy everything about it," Watkins said of the event.
Steve and Amy DeLay, of Williamstown, visited the Cook House Saturday with their two sons for the first time after reading about the holiday event.
"It's great, it's lovely," Amy DeLay said. "We really enjoyed it, it's beautiful."
"It's awesome," 7-year-old Jason said, while 10-year-old Ryan agreed. "It's cool."
Jessica Myers, chair of the Cook House for the Junior League, said about 100 people of all ages visited the Cook House through the afternoon. A lull in the traffic occurred about 1:30 p.m. when the Parkersburg Christmas Parade got under way about three blocks away, but she said visitation was high in the periods before and after the parade.
Saturday's activities included colonial crafts for children and adults, tours of the Cook House with period rooms decorated with trimmings from the time, photos with Santa Claus and light refreshments.
The Cook House was built in 1829 and is the oldest brick home in Parkersburg still standing on its original location. The Junior League of Parkersburg maintains the house as a 19th century historic exhibit. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Myers said the holiday celebration is one of two main programs scheduled each year by the Junior League at the Cook House. The other is held each spring, when the Cook House is open to fourth-graders from throughout Wood County who take field trips to tour the home.
"I know when I was in fourth grade, I got to come to the Cook House and take the tour," Myers said, adding private groups can arrange tours through the Junior League.
