19th century Christmas coming to SRU’s Old Stone House

Slippery Rock University’s Old Stone House has been decorated with 19th century décor and table settings for its Dec. 10 Christmas Open House.

Dec. 6, 2016

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. - Slippery Rock University's Old Stone House will celebrate the yuletide from an early-American perspective during its annual Christmas Open House from 3-7 p.m., Dec. 10.

The house, a restored 19th century inn, has been decked out with a variety of period decorations to provide a glimpse of how 19th century Americans celebrated Christmas. There is no charge.

SRU history majors will guide tours of the facility, which dates back to 1822, and talk about the history of Christmas, which was declared a federal holiday in the U.S. in 1870.

"While modern Americans often celebrate the holidays with hectic shopping, computer-programmed light shows and blockbuster movies, the program at the Old Stone House will give visitors a sense of the simpler ways early Americans enjoyed the holiday season," said Amie Winters, program coordinator for the Stone House Center for Public Humanities.

Built in 1822, the Old Stone House was originally a stagecoach stop and tavern to accommodate business from the then newly-constructed Pittsburgh to Erie Pike, a busy highway that carried traffic northward from the forks of the Ohio River.

The Stone House, which is owned and operated by SRU, is located at the intersection of routes 8, 258 and 173, just south of Slippery Rock.

For more information, visit: Old Stone House PA

MEDIA CONTACT: Gordon Ovenshine | 724.738.4854 | gordon.ovenshine@sru.edu