News: Neillsville Historic Holiday Tour (Dec - 2012)

Contact: Dolores (Mohr) Kenyon
E-mail: dolores@wiclarkcountyhistory.org 

Surnames: Prock, Ortmann, Sturdevant, Wilke, Bancroft, Jaseph,

----Source: Clark County Press (Neillsville, Clark Co., WI) 11/14/2012

Neillsville Historic Holiday Tour (7 & 8 December 2012)

The holidays are filled with reflections, traditions and heritage. Tufts’ Museum will provide the opportunity to experience all of these and more with a Christmas tour of homes and Museums. The tour will be held Friday, Dec. 7, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 8, from noon until 5 p.m. Each home and museum on the tour brings its own unique traditions and heritage.

Homes on the tour include:

The Mike Prock home, 10 Hewett Street, is owned by Darryl and Julie Ortmann. They invite visitors to enjoy the characteristics of yesterday combined with touches of today.

The James Sturdevant home, 29 Hewett Street, offers a great outdoor opportunity to take photos for a Christmas photo card. Jay and Penny Wilke and Nicholas invite you to enjoy Christmas caroling at their Christmas Wonderland.

Jill A. Bancroft purchased the Soloman F. Jaseph house, also known as the Claude Sturdevant House, 312 West Fifth Street, in 2003. Bancroft is pleased to open her house so others can enjoy its design. This home boasts the first electrical light and lawn in Neillsville.

Enjoy a live nativity at the Hillside community Church, former home of the Masonic Temple, 316 Hewett Street. The billiard and card rooms have been turned into Sunday school rooms and a nursery. The bowling alley is still in use. Members of the church thank God they are blessed with this unique and beautiful building and hope guests will enjoy it as much as they do.

The 1897 Clark County Jail Museum, 215 East Fifth Street, where local volunteers maintain a variety of local history exhibits throughout the year, invites guests to this formidable castle-like structure, including an 11-room two story Victorian home complete with a stunning staircase and a formal parlor with fireplace. This structure was utilized by Clark County as a jail until the mid-1970s. The Clark County Jail was placed on the national Register of Historic Places in 1978. Enjoy the sounds of an antique pipe organ during the visit.

Complete your tour at Tufts’ Museum, 26 Hewett Street, for hot cider, coffee and holiday treats. Friday evening, enjoy Christmas Brass. Saturday Jim and James, house musicians, will share holiday favorites “Cocktail Style.” Enjoy all of the Tufts’ Museum festivities.

For ticket information, call 715-255-9295. Tickets will also be available at all locations the day of the Tour.