Open house at Dorflinger

WHITE MILLS - The Annual Holiday Open House at the Dorflinger Museum and Gift Shop, the 1867 Glassworker’s House, and the White Mills Historic Fire House be will held on Saturday, Nov. 25 and Sunday, Nov. 26. Admission to all three historic sites is free. The Gift Shop’s annual 20% off sale continues throughout the weekend. Historic White Mills Fire House After being saved from demolition in 1999, the White Mills Fire House, built in 1911, was moved across the street and renovated. The building begins a new life as both a fire museum and a museum dedicated to the history of the community of White Mills. The initial holiday exhibit will feature a loaned collection of collectible cast iron firehouse toys. Photos of White Mills will also be on display along with the first historic pieces donated to the museum. The Fire House is on Route 6, White Mills. It will be open both Saturday and Sunday from noon to 3pm. 1867 Glassworker’s House The Glassworker’s House, Charles Street, White Mills, will also be open both days from noon to 3 p.m. The holiday tree will be decorated for the season with a collection of antique Dresden and paper ornaments. Dresden embossed cardboard ornaments are some of the most cleverly made ornaments to be found. They were never as popular in the United States as they were in Germany, and they remain some of the rarest tree ornaments. They were made by stamping a thin sheet of cardboard between two dies. After embossing and cutting, cottage laborers gently glued and assembled the applied pieces, painting them when necessary. Paper ornaments reached the peak of their popularity from the 1870’s to 1900. During this time, new printing and embossing processes brought commercially made fancy German paper onto the international market, making these tree decorations extremely popular. Kurt Reed, local historian, worker’s house curator, and authority on Christmas ornaments and decorations, will make a presentation. His informative and entertaining presentation has become a tradition not to be missed. Tours of the different rooms in the worker’s house will be conducted at the same time. The Glassworker’s House was restored to its 1875 appearance by the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary beginning in 2001. The house is one of the original seven small sloped-roof houses built by Christian Dorflinger for the workers at his glass factory. For more information about the Dorflinger-Suydam Wildlife Sanctuary and any of these historic venues, visit www.dorflinger.org or call 570-253-1185.