Thanksgiving is over, so it’s on to the next holiday. In a first for Vineyard Preservation Trust, you can step back in time at the Vincent House Christmas in Edgartown. On Saturdays through Dec. 21, you can experience how successive generations celebrated the evolving holiday with period-costumed guides Daniel Vincent and his two daughters, Sarah and Thankful. Interacting with characters from the Vincent family helps transport visitors to another time.
The Vincent House, the oldest surviving home on the Island, was built in 1672 on the shores of Edgartown Great Pond. In 1977, the Trust moved the house to its present location behind the Daniel Fisher House.
We first enter the early 18th century large kitchen, with a fire burning in the hearth and a bountiful meal on the table. Domestic and wild game, root vegetables, and a pumpkin or squash pie nestled around an apple and cranberry centerpiece. Surprisingly, we learn that with the Puritan influence of the period, Christmas was looked down upon. In fact, it was banned in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, and a five-shilling fine, more than several days’ wages, was imposed. So, for the generation in this room, Dec. 25 was just another day, albeit with a tasty dinner.
The next room, with its large bed, small chairs before the fireplace, and decorated tree, reflects the beginnings in the late 1800s of the Christmas we know today. It didn’t truly start to be developed until mid-century, when newspapers across the country published Clement Clarke Moore’s poem “The Night Before Christmas” in the 1850s. “Suddenly, Americans could read this Christmas story, which depicted Santa with the rosy cheeks, reindeer, and the sleigh,” says programming director Sissy Biggers.
However, at the time, Christmas was a modest holiday, focused on family and religious observance rather than lavish gift-giving. Mom might have knitted mittens or crafted simple cloth or cornhusk dolls, examples of which we see in the handsome cradle. Fathers might have carved wooden toys like whirligigs, and older children could have received useful fishing lures or woven baskets.
The final room reflects the late 1800s Victorian Christmas, slowly becoming a cherished American tradition inspired by those in England and Europe. “This is when Americans picked up on the decorations and lavishness of it all,” explains Biggers. The room, with its large, beautifully decorated tree, and evergreens about the fireplace, is decorated much as the Daniel Fisher House would have been adorned at the time. The wall label says, “Caroling and community gatherings became more common, as residents enjoyed a festive break from their busy seafaring and farming lives. Gift-giving, hearty meals, and neighborhood celebrations transformed Christmas from a private observance into a cherished Island tradition, strengthening bonds among families and communities across the Vineyard.”
This is the first time the Vineyard Preservation Trust has created this holiday destination. Executive Director Nevette Previd says that the initial idea came from Christina Jubin, a patron of the Trust. She had always taken her children to Colonial Williamsburg, a living history village in Virginia, and suggested the Trust activate one of its historic buildings during the Christmas season. “We had always been thinking about bringing the buildings to life. This one is used daily in the summer, through the Edgartown walking tours.”
What’s exciting for us,” Biggers adds, “is that it’s a chance to tell stories on our property, and to keep them interesting. Living landmarks are such fun.” And indeed, visiting the Vincent House Christmas is a perfect way to ring in some holiday cheer.
Vincent House Museum is located at 99 Main St., Edgartown. Suggested donation is $5. Dates: Dec. 7, from noon to 2 pm, Dec. 14, from noon to 4 pm, and Dec. 21, from noon to 2 pm.
