Thanksgiving
celebrations at David Davis
Historic site presents festive
Thanksgivings of the 1870s, along with special look at the holiday
from servants’ point of view
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[November 03, 2014]
BLOOMINGTON
– The festive Thanksgivings of the 1870s will be recreated
throughout November at the David Davis Mansion State Historic Site,
and a special dramatic presentation Nov. 8 will give the servants’
perspective on holiday preparations.
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“The Blessings of the Table: Thanksgiving at Clover
Lawn,” runs Nov. 1-23. The mansion will demonstrate the bountiful
foods, family celebrations and charitable customs of the period. In
addition to antique china and rare silver, visitors will see the
large variety of delicious foods that were typical of a Victorian
Thanksgiving celebration.
And on Nov. 8, the Davis Mansion will present “A Bountiful Feast”
from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This special event gives visitors a unique
opportunity to see what Thanksgiving meant for the hard-working
servants who prepared and served the holiday meal.
The David Davis Mansion State Historic Site was built in the 1870s
for U.S. Supreme Court Justice David Davis and his wife, Sarah.
Sarah Davis was born in Massachusetts and brought to Illinois a New
England fondness for celebrating Thanksgiving. She invited friends
and family to her elegant home in Bloomington, where she served a
traditional feast of turkey, pumpkin pie and all the trimmings.
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2014/Nov/01/images/ads/current/class_rent_bch.png)
Thanksgiving was the time of year when the dining room was as
magnificently decorated for the holidays as the parlor. Visitors
will feel as if they are immersed in a 19th-century feast for the
senses as the tour guide describes the tastes and aromas of Sarah’s
favorite Thanksgiving foods.
Regular tours of the Davis Mansion are free and open to the public,
and are offered Wednesday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The
site is closed Sundays, Mondays and Tuesdays, as well as November 11
for Veterans Day.
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![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2014/Nov/01/images/ads/current/mks_preopen_lda_103114.png) “The Blessings of the Table” and “A Bountiful Feast”
are co-sponsored by the David Davis Mansion Foundation and the
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency, which administers the David
Davis Mansion. Donations are always encouraged.
The historic site is located at 1000 Monroe Drive in Bloomington. A
donation of $4 for adults and $2 for children is suggested to keep
the Davis Mansion and other Illinois historic sites open to the
public.
Following the Thanksgiving celebrations, the holiday season will be
in full swing at the Mansion. From Nov. 28 to Dec. 31, 14 Christmas
trees will be on display around the mansion. Visitors will be able
to experience Christmas customs and traditions popular during that
period. A brand-new display on the beginning of the consumer era and
the ritual of “Christmas shopping” will feature Christmas gifts
available from department stores of the time.
The David Davis Mansion will also be taking part in a holiday tour
that will include the Ewing Manor and a private mystery mansion. On
Dec. 13, visitors may tour all three mansions and experience a
vintage Christmas celebration. Tickets are $12 in advance and $15 on
the day of the event. For details visit
www.ChristmasAtTheMansions.com.
[Chris Wills,
Illinois Historic Preservation Agency]
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