Ellwood House Museum

The Ellwood House Museum is making a cameo in Beth Fowler School Of Dance's production of The Nutcracker: The Movie! Last month, the crew visited to film exterior scenes featuring the Ellwood mansion's terrace. Check out these photos from yesterday's Daily Chronicle article: https://www.daily-chronicle.com//lights-camera-ac/acpxpj5/ Tickets are available through the Egyptian Theatre website at https://egyptiantheatre.showare.com/eventperformances.asp.

Preserving a historic structure like the Ellwood Mansion requires a lot of hard work. One huge task is protecting the building and its contents from pests. Silverfish eat the glue that binds our books, powderpost beetles and termites can weaken the frame of the structure, and carpet beetles can infest fabric, irreparably damaging rugs and linens. One of our Resident Interns, Destiny Bons, has taken on the task of keeping up with our Integrated Pest Management, or IPM, process.

Join us (virtually) for the last lecture of the 2020 Brown Bag Lunch/Local Lore season! The free one-hour program, open to both adults and children, will be hosted virtually via Zoom. Registration is required. For more information, or to register, please contact Audrey King at (815) 756-4609 or [email protected]

Here they are in full color!

With so many black and white photos, it can be hard to imagine the Victorian era "in color." Luckily, saved clothing (like these pieces from the museum's collection) can help us untangle our assumptions, and sometimes surprise us. What color do you expect this dress and bodice to be? Comment below with your guesses, then check in later today for the answer!

We’re bringing back our Choose Your Own Adventure Virtual Tour, just in time for Halloween! Join Curator Audrey King on our Instagram starting at 1pm as she wanders the halls of the Ellwood Mansion. Harriet Ellwood and her daughter, also named Harriet, are the figures at the center of the front row of this picture. It was taken at the younger Harriet's home in October, 1908.

Visitors often ask how many of the objects in the Ellwood Mansion are original to the building. We are very fortunate in that most of them, about 90%, were originally owned by the Ellwoods. Over the years, members of the family have generously donated objects for display and preservation. The first floor of the mansion has been restored to look very similar to its appearance after the last remodeling of the mansion in 1912. You can tell by looking at photographs like these. Even though careful attention was paid to restoring the space, there are still some minor differences. Can you spot any of them?

Fall colors at the Ellwood-Nehring House!

What kind of pool experience do you want to have at Hopkins Park Pool? Expanded kids area? Lazy river? Water rock climbing area? We want to know what amenities ...YOU would like to see at Hopkins Pool as part of our September pool study! Take the survey by October 2 or come to one of the September 22nd in-person public meetings: 1-3 pm at Hopkins Park (as part of the League of Women Voters registration event) or 3:15-4:45 pm at Liberty Park. https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/PXQ8T9Z https://www.dekalbparkdistrict.com/district-calendar See more

MUSIC AT THE MANSION RETURNS WITH TWO CONCERTS AND LIMITED AUDIENCE CAPACITY --- SOLD OUT --- Due to great demand for the September concerts, they are now sold out. Please remember this is a ticket only series and walk-ins are not allowed because of COVID-19 precautions.... Music at the Mansion-Music Under the Stars will return to the Ellwood House for two special shows this September. Tickets for these shows must be booked in advance; there will be no tickets available at the door. September 9 will feature the Elderly Brothers band. This popular group performs a wide range of music from the fifties, sixties, seventies, and eighties. This concert is sponsored by Claesson Carpet Cleaning and the Matthew Bromeland Family. September 16 will feature Mr. Myers Band. Mr. Myers plays "Caribbean Rock"- a mixture of reggae, soca/calypso, beach music, and a few originals. In the band's 37-year history, they have played thousands of shows ranging from clubs to festivals and park districts to corporate and private events. This concert is sponsored by Tom & Jerry's Restaurant/Sycamore and the Steve Irving Family. Concerts will begin at 6:00 pm and last for approximately 90 minutes. Each concert will seat up to 36 households, each household will be assigned to a six-foot circle on the Ellwood House lawn. Circles will be positioned six-feet away from one another. Masks must be worn anytime you are outside of your assigned circle. Please bring your lawn chair or blanket, as seating is not provided. Beverages will be available to purchase from Fatty's Pub. Music programming at the Ellwood House is partially sponsored through a grant from the Farny R. Wurlitzer Foundation Fund.

Join the Ellwood House and the DeKalb County History Center a week from today for a virtual lecture - "Capturing COVID-19"!

If you're a fan of historic homes, you might be familiar with the idea of the "coffin corner" - a cutout along a staircase wall that would allow Victorian mourners to easily maneuver a casket around the stairs after a person's death. As interesting (and macabre!) as this explanation is, the "coffin corner" is more than likely just a myth. While it's true that more people died at home in the past, it would have been more work to carry the coffin up and then back down, rather than to just transport the body. In reality, these niches were probably added to hold decor - just like we do in the Ellwood House today. ...they certainly can help with moving furniture, though

Today would have been Isaac Ellwood's 187th birthday - and to celebrate, we're opening up the Visitor Center galleries! Admission is by appointment only (see below for contact info) and groups may have no more than 10 individuals. There is no entrance fee, but donations to support the museum are always appreciated. All visitors must wear masks, and hand sanitizer will be available in the galleries. The Ellwood Mansion is still closed for tours at this time.... Call (815) 756-4609, or email [email protected] to schedule your visit.

Instead of this month's planned "Handwritten History" lecture, today we're sharing a couple of letters from the Ellwood House archives. We use documentary artifacts - like letters, receipts, and even doodles - to gain insight into the lifestyles, personalities, and customs from a different time. While pieces of clothing, souvenirs from travels, and household decor are all great examples of material culture that can serve a similar purpose, written documents give us a chance t...Continue reading

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