Marshall House Museum Christmas Open House

by Jonathan Weaver

Before the Marshall House Museum in Dayton is closed to visitors for the season, Historical Society members want to wish local residents “A Beary Merry Christmas” through their open house this weekend.

From 1-5PM Saturday and Sunday, local history buffs can view the antique butter churn, school desks and photographs but also the antique and newly-made or colored bears sitting around or on Christmas trees.

Betty Calhoun – who also grew up on a farm in Dayton - has been a member of the Dayton Area Local Historical Society for about 20 years. In the winter, she visits the house at least once a week to make sure the furnace is working and is in-and-out during different events and programs when the house is open May through December.

A retired school nurse from Dayton and West Shamokin, Calhoun has served as president and is currently the secretary of the historical society. She will be one of the women giving tours of the house this weekend.

The historical society annually hosts an open house the first weekend of December. About 45 residents came through in 2013.

“Usually the Christmas before when we’re sitting around or talking to someone, somebody has a little light bulb come on,” Calhoun said. “We did farm animals last year – the parlor was a pigpen, the tree was of horses and cows.”

As well as historical society members providing small teddy bears, Boy Scout Pack #174 and Girl Scout Troop #26444 colored “Smokey Bear” Frisbees from the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and Dayton Elementary Art Teacher Carol Donnelly led fourth graders in the annual making of ornaments.

During the scouts’ visit, they also sang the bear’s theme song – which Calhoun played on the piano – and other Christmas carols.

At her home on Church Street, Bill and Betty set up their ‘Milk Bottle Tree’ – since both grew up on farms and since daughter, Anna (Meyer, of Rochester, New York), was named the 1994 Pennsylvania Jersey Cattle Queen and Indiana-Armstrong Dairy Princess.

Calhoun’s eight-year-old granddaughter, Mya, also colored Care Bear ornaments at the top of the house stairs.

Girl Scout Troop #26444 Leader Lisa Lorigan brought seven Brownies to the Marshall House last week. She said the girls were working on their “Celebrating Community” requirements to perform community service.

“They had a lot of fun,” Lorigan said. “They definitely want to go back. They thought it was really neat.

There are 50 members part of the Dayton Area Local Historical Society.

According to the group’s website, the Dayton Area Bicentennial Committee purchased the Thomas Hindman Marshall House in 1976 utilizing federal grants and began renovations. The house enrolled on the Pennsylvania Inventory of Historic Places April 22, 1976 as the first building in Armstrong County, and was open to the public July 4

Calhoun said before it was purchased the house would have been torn down because of poor condition to the porch, roof and ceiling. Later that year, the house also was named as a national landmark.

Bear cookies will also be served and a freewill offering accepted.

The house reopens Memorial Day after the annual Dayton American Legion ceremony