Christmas at the Bonine House continues through Sunday
Published 11:51 pm Friday, December 6, 2013
Every room in the historic James E. Bonine House has been decorated by members of the Underground Railroad Society of Cass County for the second annual Christmas event this weekend. The Bonine House will be open from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday. (Photos submitted)
The weather is expected to turn the area white this weekend just in time for the second-annual Christmas at the Bonine House.
The Underground Railroad Society of Cass County (URSCC) will host the event from 2 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.
URSCC members have decorated every room in the historic James E. Bonine House, located on the corner of Penn Road and M-60 in Vandalia, in Christmas finery and invite everyone to enjoy this early taste of the holiday season.
Event chair Kathy Ruple, of Vandalia, is pleased with the results.
“We hope Christmas at the Bonine House becomes a family tradition,” she said. “Part of the fun is that new members have decorated rooms, so much of the house looks different than last year. This free event is our way of giving back to our wonderful community that has been so supportive of our mission and goals.”
New this year is a live nativity, coordinated by Penn Friends Church, that will greet visitors as they arrive at the Bonine House.
Sturdy toy soldiers stand sentinel at the front of the house and a host of angels surround the nativity — a wonderful memory for those who visited Bob and Doris Shaler’s “Dreamhaven” in years past.
And of course Santa and Mrs. Claus will be on hand to greet children of all ages.
Mike Moroz, URSCC president, is proud of how far the organization has come.
“We purchased the Bonine House in December of 2010 and now, three short years later, it has become what we envisioned from the start — the focal point for education about the Underground Railroad in Cass County and a community events center,” he said. “Christmas at the Bonine House, along with the Wax Museum and Underground Railroad Days, are annual events that have brought this community together. We have a wonderful history and a great story to tell. Christmas at the Bonine House is about fun and enjoying the season. We hope to say hello to lots of our neighbors near and far.”
For more information call (269) 646-0401 or email info@urscc.org.
By CATHY LAPOINTE / Special to Cassopolis Vigilant
