Martin Mitchell Mansion decorated in Edwardian splendor

Visitors to Naper Settlement this holiday season can tour the Martin Mitchell Mansion, decked out in the Edwardian style of the 1910s.

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places, the mansion is Naper Settlement's premier showcase that has been adorned in holiday splendor with help from the Naperville Garden Club. Tours are offered from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays and 1 to 4 p.m. Sundays through Sunday, Dec. 18, and from 3 to 7:30 p.m. Monday to Wednesday, Dec. 19 to 21, at 523 S. Webster St., Naperville. A guided tour of the first story is $5 per person.

"The Martin Mitchell Mansion holiday tours are the perfect opportunity to get a taste of what Naperville holidays were like in the early 20th century," said Sheila Riley, Naper Settlement's director of learning experiences.

The Martin Mitchell Mansion, also known as Pinecraig, was built in 1883 by George Martin for his family and is one of the only two buildings original to Naper Settlement's grounds. Visitors see the interior of the mansion decorated as it might have been for Christmas in 1916, when the Martin Mitchell family resided there - Edward Mitchell and his wife, Caroline Martin Mitchell, along with her sister, Lizzie Martin.

Holiday decorations in the 1910s were simpler than the Victorian era of 1837 to 1901. Visitors see that many Edwardian decorations were made from natural objects like evergreens, holly and mistletoe. Commercially produced decorations started to become available and popular in 1915, and families either purchased their Christmas tree or, like the Martin Mitchells, cut one down from their property.

Visitors taking a guided tour through each first floor room see the foyer, parlor, office, dining room and kitchen. Throughout the tour, visitors learn how a family living in the Edwardian period would have decorated for the holidays, the activities the family would have done over the holiday season and even the meal they typically would have had on Christmas Day.

For information, visit napersettlement.org or (630) 420-6010.