Experience the Romance of Christmas by visiting the 2015 MSSDAR Christmas Open House at Roslyn Heights in Boonville. The Missouri State Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is opening its doors to the public for a Christmas Open House at its beautiful Victorian Mansion, 821 Main Street, Boonville, from Dec, 5 - 12.
Roslyn Heights was built in 1895 by Wilbur T. and Rhoda Stephens and was purchased by MSSDAR to be used as its State Headquarters. The home is beautifully furnished with period antiques, and each room is decorated around an annual theme for Christmas by DAR Chapters. This year's theme is "The Romance of Christmas."
Tours will be available from 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. daily, Dec. 5-12, except Sunday, when tours will be given from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. A soup luncheon will be served each day except Sunday from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m. Tours are $5 each, and the luncheon cost is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.
Those who have toured the beautiful house before will be especially interested in seeing the gorgeous renovation of the kitchen, a project of the Lake Administration, which features cherry wood cabinets, black granite cabinet tops, and black and white antique-look tile flooring.
The lighting of the Lights of Love tree, honoring this country's military men and women, veterans and local heroes, will be held Sunday, December 6, with a reception on the lawn from 4 to 5 p.m. During the tree lighting ceremony, a large donation will be presented to Jack Hunt, Wounded Warrior Project. The ceremony will take place at 5 p.m. on the front lawn of the mansion, and the public is cordially invited to attend.
The National Society Daughters of American Revolution was founded in 1890 to preserve the memory and spirit of those who contributed to securing American independence. Any woman 18 years or older, regardless of race, religion, or ethnic background, who can prove lineal descent from a patriot of the American Revolution, is eligible for membership. DAR is one of the world's largest and most active service organizations, with over 180,000 members in approximately 3,000 chapters worldwide. These members passionately carry out the timeless mission of promoting historic preservation, education and patriotism. To learn more about the work of today's DAR, visit www.dar.org.