Every year during the holiday season Westerville residents make their way to Hanby House, where fun events and cozy decorations dawn the old homestead.
With open houses, period-appropriate clothing and lively volunteers, the home features two Christmas-themed events annually. It’s also a time for the Hanby House to celebrate its connection to a classic Christmas tune.
Caroling Connection
When Benjamin Hanby began studying at Otterbein University in the mid-1800s, his father, Bishop William Hanby, moved the entire family to Westerville so his other children could attend the then-new college. Thus, the Hanby House was born.
The home holds many stories, but one particular tale the Hanby House tells around the holiday season centers around its connection to one of the oldest secular Christmas songs, Up on the Housetop. After graduating from Otterbein, moving to New Paris and opening a singing school, Benjamin Hanby wrote the Santa Claus tune.
“Most people know that song, but I feel every year you hear it less and less because of more new music,” says Pam Allen, site manager for Hanby House. “We promote it any time we can, … we’re trying to keep it alive and well.”
Between vintage sheet music of Up on the Housetop, a live band at its Christmas Open House that plays the song and more, Allen and her team make sure every Hanby House Christmas features that classic song.
“When people try to connect to historical activities and people, a lot of it is very far removed from us,” says Allen, “but Christmas is something we still celebrate today and what our ancestors celebrated so we have that immediate connection.”
Picture an Old-Fashioned Christmas
For the past seven years, the Hanby House hosts its Picture an Old-Fashion Christmas where people can come and dress up in Civil War-era clothing and take their photo in the historic house. But for Westerville resident and business owner Daniel Wade, the event isn’t just a festive activity, but a tradition.
While driving from his restaurant, Cardone's Restaurant & Bar, Wade noticed a sign promoting the first-ever Picture an Old-Fashion Christmas. Instantly, he had the perfect idea for a Christmas gift to his wife, then-girlfriend. Wade rushed home, picked up their new puppy and went back to Hanby House for an old-timey photoshoot with their pup.
“Every year we got a new animal, got engaged or married, so it’s been pretty neat for us because we’ve documented our lives through the pictures,” Wade says.
In the photos, Wade and his wife sport matching 1860s attire and even their dogs fit the part. Allen adds that it’s also an opportunity for some people to learn about their family history.
“It’s a different take on a Christmas event,” Allen says. “For those curious about what their ancestors might have worn, this gives them a chance to understand that history.”
For Wade, the event is so much more than taking a unique picture – his favorite part is actually chatting with the volunteers who get the costumes ready for the photo shoot.
“They’ve been professional in their industry, so they’ve worked in the theatre department and they know how to dress people and they know what fits, and they’re back there laughing and telling jokes,” Wade says. “More than just the pictures, it’s probably the people there who are super nice and friendly and make you want to come back.”
Christmas Open House
For years, the Hanby House opens its doors in December to allow curious patrons to see the holiday-decorated rooms, listen to a live quartet and learn more about its story-filled walls. The event would not be possible without volunteers, and one of the most passionate helpers is 95-year-old Millie Becker.
A longtime Westerville resident, Becker started volunteering in the early 1980s, in between teaching for Westerville City Schools, with her husband, Forrest.
“We just thoroughly enjoyed doing it and it’s just something that became a part of our lives,” says Becker.
Though her husband has since passed, Becker still gives her time to the Hanby House, especially during the Christmas Open House. Becker took on many roles through the years with volunteering and says she’s enjoyed it all, she also encourages others to lend a helping hand.
“Not only do you learn from volunteering, ... but you get to see a lot of excitement and things (on display) there that are so different,” she says. “I just enjoy (volunteering) and this is the only place I’ve ever had the opportunity to do it, so it’s very special for me.”
The Christmas Open Houses are set for Tuesday, Dec. 3 and Saturday, Dec. 7 at various times.
Lydia Freudenberg is an associate editor. Feedback welcome at lfreudenberg@cityscenemediagroup.com.