The home has been very thoughtfully returned to its past glory. Being a self-guided tour you can spend as much or as little time as you wish. Information is provided about each room and all three floors and the basement are open. If you like old homes its worth the stop.
I live in Ohio and never knew about the Victorian house in Millersburg. We planned a visit during a trip to Amish Country. It happened to be the weekend that the house opens back up decorated for Christmas. It was stunning and definitely put the spirit into the Christmas season. Every room was a delight. I was amazed at the level of preservation of the interior. Each room brought oohs and aahs from our group. It was well worth the trip to Millersburg.
The day we visited, we had the house to ourselves, so could ask lots of questions of the very knowledgeable volunteer who was there. The first floor is restored as a home with original hardwood floors and recreations of wallpaper and custom painting. The second floor has exhibits of professional offices such as a doctor and lawyer as well as rooms restored as bedrooms. The third floor is the former ballroom where a video continuously plays with the history of the home and its restoration by local volunteers. Given the shape it was in when they started, it's an amazing restoration. The basement includes exhibits of tools and household equipment from the Victorian era.
The grand home is all decked out for Christmas, every room! $10 admission helps keep the home running and is well worth the cost. I was surprised when a couple of visitors didn't want to pay the price and left when I was going in today. 28 rooms all restored by volunteers and painstakingly cared for....worth it in my book. This is a self-guided tour so you can spend as much or as little time as you want in each room. Volunteers are happy to answer any questions. They also used to run by very fast when Lena lived there, just as I did. I remember her sitting up on the top floor at a window scaring us all to death as kids. We thought she was a witch. Locals and visitors should see this mansion, especially at the holidays.
Walking in the door is a little spooky as the suspended wedding outfits kind of make you imagine the conjuring scene from Beetle Juice. But the smell is enchanting and the different hats are wonderful. I also liked the wax sealing kits that you can get. This is a really cool place to visit and shop.
We've seen Victorian mansions before, and thought this would similar ... BUT, instead it is a home that has been lovingly renovated and some of the bedrooms made into period specialty exhibits, e.g., a dentist's office, a law office. Run by volunteers, it's well worth an hour of your time!
I recently became a hostess at the Victorian House in Millersburg, Ohio, and want to take this opportunity to tell folks a little about the House. It was built in 1902 by a wealthy Cleveland, Ohio, industrialist, L.H. Brightman. In 1906, his business outgrew Millersburg, so they sold the property in 1906 to 2 individuals who used the house for a sanitarium. That venture lasted 2 years and the property was then sold to H.C. Lee and it remained in the Lee family until 1971 when it was sold at public auction to the Holmes County Historical Society. The furniture was also sold at auction. The furniture now in the House has been either gifted or loan to the Society. Carpets have been replaced with other "old" carpets.The Society had their work cut out for them. The House was in a deplorable condition! The last resident of the House, Lena - daughter of H.C. Lee - lived in 2 rooms on the main floor and heat was provided by a coal stove. which covered everything in black soot. After washing at least 6 times it was discovered that the woodwork was light. The hand-painted ceilings were washed and floral detail was discovered. They were freshened up by an artist and the beauty was brought back to life. Much of the wallpaper is original and whereeve wallpaper was needed, it was replaced with a similar pattern.This is a self-guided tour. The hosts will tell you the history of the House and other neat tidbits! The House consists of 3 floors, 28 room and a basement. Some of the bedrooms are used for special exhibits from the community. We are pleased to have an "open" museum where most areas are not roped off and you are free to room and examine the displays at your leisure. Each room contains a posted narrative about the room, along with other information posted throughout the House. Family decedents of the Brightman and Lee families have provided us with pictures of the family and House which hang throughout. This year, we started to allow visitors to take pictures in the House.Recently a husband and wife from Illinois visited the House. They tour Victorian Homes throughout the US, and stated that their favorite Victorian Home is the "Molly Brown" Home in Colorado. Our House is now their second favorite! They commented on how nice it was to view our Victorian House and not be restricted by roped-off areas.At Christmas time, we "deck the halls"! Each room of the House is decorated is all the Christmas beauty. It is a popular attraction in December and a must see.And--the House is haunted!!! We have had professional paranormal investigators at the House numerous times over the years, and recently, have conducted Paranormal Nights to allow a limited number of individuals to come in and discover our friendly "residents"! We have a paranormal investigating team present at these events to educate the guests and allow them to see the equipment used to detect the paranormal.Whether you are a history buff, Victorian era buff, or into the paranormal, we would welcome you to our Victorian House.
Stopped at the Victorian House for a tour. It is one of very few places in Amish Country that is open on Sunday. The home was built in the early 1900's. Occupied by a few families and had a brief history as a sanitarium! The tour is self-guided. There are three floors with living space and a very large basement to explore. The home is very well restored. Admission was only $8 for adults and $7 for seniors. Pretty reasonable compared to some other homes we have toured which were not nearly as nice.
I love the Victorian House. The home itself is amazing and the history behind is incredible. The workers/volunteers do a great job and really know the history of the home. Not only is the home fantastic but the antiques and items inside the home is very interesting as well. Love visiting this home during Christmas. Each room is decorated differently; Very Festive! This is a Must Stop in Holmes County!
This took about an hour and $10 and was a great way to spend both. This was a self guided tour but had a lot of signs and instructions about the history of the house and area, we got the bonus of seeing the house decorated for Christmas by the local merchants. Well worth a visit!!