November 25, 2024 – The Governor Richard J. Oglesby will host their annual Christmas Tea and Open House Tour on Sunday, December 1 from 1pm to 4pm.
The public will be able to stroll the mansion with an informal tour and see the many decorations. There will also be tea, punch, coffee, and cookies available. Suggested donations are $5 per adult and $2 per child.
“We know the Governor’s family enjoyed music. This year we invited a guest harpist, Stefanie Pansch to play her harp from 1pm to 2pm,” said Christmas Tea Chairman Carol Pelz. Stefanie is a musician by night and a cartographer by day. She has performed at a variety of occasions across Central Illinois including weddings, church services, high teas, and parties. She is a Decatur native, her journey with bowed strings began at Parsons Elementary School with Mrs. Diana Rai, and her harp journey began at the Decatur Public Library with their copy of The Harp by Roslyn Rensch. She currently studies with Julia Jamieson, and she enjoys exploring unusual harp repertoire.
“In the mansion parlor we have the Governor’s daughter, Felicity’s harp. While it is not in playing condition it is extraordinarily beautiful. Governor Oglesby was a fiddler, and we believe when the Governor resided here in the late 1870s to 1882 the holiday seasons were filled with music in the mansion,” says Carol Pelz.
The Mansion was built in 1875-76 after the governor’s second marriage. The original plans for Oglesby Mansion were by William LeBaron Jenney, a Chicago architect who was best known for designing the first modern skyscraper.
The museum is located at 421 West William St in Decatur. No reservations are necessary.
