Progress at Hayes Farm in Edenton, NC continues throughout the early days of winter following a beautiful Christmas season that found the halls decked with natural greenery gathered from the fields and forests nearby.
A December open house, sponsored jointly by the EVM Foundation and the Gardeners at Hayes gave many visitors their first opportunity to experience one of the state’s most significant historic properties decorated for the holidays much as it would have been when first occupied by the Johnston family in the first half of the 19th century.
Natural greenery with touches of red graced the staircase, following the railing all the way up three stories to the cupola.
As well, everything from formal dining to informal original kitchen received a holiday nod.
Team leader Sybil Skinner and a large contingent of helpers, most all of them part of the Hayes garden volunteers, accomplished the sizeable but very rewarding task of transforming the house and grounds using materials sourced from the property and from local suppliers. Once in place, these same volunteers served as docents, parking volunteers, and more during the event.
We can all take inspiration from the people of Edenton. Their dedication to preserving the historic structures in their midst and making sure that those stories carry into the future has served as a guiding light to other communities across our state and beyond, and for that, we are all grateful.
Photos courtesy of Sybil Skinner, Andrew Ownbey, Wade Rogers and Sam Dixon.
I enjoyed seeing the Christmas decorations at Hayes. I was fortunate to be able to attend the DAR weekend (mid October) celebrating the 250th anniversary of the Edenton Resolves. We got a tour of the mansion as well as "dinner on the grounds (actually in a heated tent)." It was delightful to be able to see the interior and learn about the ongoing restoration of the property. Edenton is such a charming place to visit and so full of history and beautiful homes. I discovered it a couple of years ago and have enjoyed my two visits so much that I'm looking forward to a third.
Hopefully you also visited the Cupola House and learned of the impending return of the original ground floor woodwork. That is a story for another day.