HistoryCelebrated

Holidays at the
Maxwell House

The Holidays at Maxwell House are joyous open-house celebrations of Colonial History, Community Spirit and friendship.

Please visit us during the Warren Walkabout and other Holiday Events to find out more about the Massasoit Historical Association.

There's always something cooking!

Gallery
Christmas's Past

Southwest Room from the Hall

Tin Sconce

Southwest Room

Chimney Breast

Southwest Room

Cupboard, Chimney Breast

Southwest Room

Table

Southwest Room

Side Table, Southwest Room

Table

Southwest Room

Hutch

Kitchen

Hutch

Kitchen

Above the Fireplace

Kitchen

Laura Chaney

Demonstrating the Art of Making a Scherenschnitte Ornament

Scherenschnitte Tree

Higgins Room

The Maxwell House at Night

Paper Chains

Chimney Breast, Higgins Room

The Christmas season at the Maxwell House begins with Warren's Holiday Celebration which starts the day after Thanksgiving.

The house opened to receive guests for the town tree lighting at Massasoit Park, corner of Baker and Water Streets.

How to mark Christmas at The Maxwell House was problematic. We were faced with the knowledge that any observance would be contrary to the customs of Baptist Elder, Samuel Maxwell, and his daughter in law, Joanna, who became a Quaker when she married Edward Chase.

Planners toyed with the idea of doing nothing to celebrate, as an opportunity for education. We feared, however, that our guests would feel disappointed rather than educated to visit and find an undecorated house. While this would most likely be an accurate recreation of Christmas in Warren in the 18th century, it lacked festive appeal. We did, however, attempt to keep our decorations simple and made from natural materials.

While the Maxwells would have thought we have taken leave of our senses for the wasteful use of fruit only for decoration, it played a major decorating role at the house both inside and outside.

During the twenty some years we held Christmas Open Houses, we experimented with several ideas for decoration. In planning decorations, we consider not only what the effect will be from the inside looking out, but also from the outside looking in.

Please enjoy more of our favorite Holiday memories.