Livingston ‘Holiday Tea’ Event, Open House Tour

LIVINGSTON, NJ — The following news release comes courtesy of the Livingston Historical Society. Send local news tips, photos and press releases to eric.kiefer@patch.com. Don’t forget to visit the Patch Livingston Facebook page here.

The Livingston Historical Society will celebrate the 2017 holiday season at its annual Holiday Tea and Open House Tour on Sunday, December 3, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Force Homestead Museum, 366 South Livingston Avenue in Livingston.

Society members will again decorate the traditional Christmas tree with hand-made trimmings of cranberries and popcorn and adorn the historical house with Colonial-style decorations using fresh picked garden materials. Historical Society members will be the hosts for the festivities and will serve home-made finger foods and desserts along with the traditional hot-mulled cider. Members, guests, friends, and local residents are invited to attend.

The Force Home will remain decorated for the entire month of December so others may enjoy seeing it. Any family or small group is welcome to take a private tour. Arrangements may be made by calling Lorraine Palmer at (973) 992-6896.

Essex County Holiday House Tour

In addition, the Livingston community is invited to attend open houses at any one of the 14 historic homes and sites throughout Essex County that will open their doors for the weekend and offer similar holiday displays. Most will be open Saturday and Sunday, December 2 and 3.

Participating sites include the Ballantine House at Newark Museum; Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart in Newark; the Canfield Morgan House and Museum in Cedar Grove; Essex County Kip’s Castle and the Salvatorian Fathers in Verona; Glenmont at Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange; Greenwood Gardens in Short Hills; Grover Cleveland’s Birthplace in Caldwell; Kingsland Manor in Nutley; The Montclair Historical Society properties: Charles Shultz House (Evergreens), Israel Crane House and Nathaniel Crane House and Historic YWCA in Montclair; Oakeside Bloomfield Cultural Center in Bloomfield; the Walther House at Essex County Presby Memorial Iris Gardens in Upper Montclair; and the Zenas Crane Homestead in West Caldwell. The Livingston Historical Society is proud to have our own Force Homestead included on this tour. Fees and times vary by location, more information about the tours can be found at www.essexcountynj.org.

The Essex County Historic Holiday House Tour is organized by the Essex County Division of Cultural and Historic Affairs and is supported by an operating support grant from the New Jersey Historical Commission, a division of the Department of State. For more information, call 973-239-2465.

Photo: Morguefile