From Harvest to Holly to thanks

To the editor: The Warwick Historical Society helped ring in the holidays on Nov. 18th and 19th with the third annual Harvest to Holly Tour. I would like to take this opportunity to express my thanks to the many Society members and volunteers who worked so hard to make this Harvest to Holly Tour one of our most successful. Sybil Skinner chaired this event and her love of Warwick history and strong organizational skills were evident throughout, from the red-caped docents who led the lantern tours on Saturday night, to the beautifully decorated Society buildings that graced our village, to the lovely music drifting from the Old School Baptist Meeting House, to the fabulous Wyndhurst estate included on the tour for the first time this year. Wyndhurst is a lovely country estate situated atop a slight rise on Maple Avenue. It was owned by Mrs. Madison Lewis, who served as president of the Warwick Historical Society for many years and, as our benefactor, was responsible for donating many of our properties. Today, Mrs. Lewis’ descendants use the house as a retreat, and several of them were on hand to provide tourgoers with a charming introduction to the life and times of Warwick during the early half of the twentieth century. Our heartfelt thanks to Lillibet and Bob McLean, Jean and Cushman May, Suzanne Stratton, Hope Lewis and her daughter Emily, Ann and Harold Wilson, Suzie and John Stage and Suzie Emmerich, all of whom as Wyndhurst docents enriched the tourgoers, experience greatly. I must mention our volunteer decorators, who all did a magnificent job. The Baird’s Tavern was decorated in a harvest theme by Barbara Sullivan, Sarah McHugh and Joan Gannon. Grammy’s Garden’s Sandy and Mark Kurtz and Maureen Charde of High Meadow Flower Farm provided seasonal décor for the Old School Baptist Meeting House, while the fences and lampposts in Lewis Park were draped with lighted garlands and swags by David and Shelly Sherfey. The 1810 House was decorated in Victorian holiday style by Emily and Silvio Galterio and Sheila Warner with a special focus on antique children’s toys provided by Zoey Savale of the Hudson Valley Doll Club. Wyndhurst, the Lewis estate on Maple Avenue, was decorated in high style by Marina Alario of The Red Shutters. At the Ketchum House, an early nineteenth-century dinner party was re-created by Michael Bertolini and Bill Bartsch. Our local businesses are always great supporters of Warwick Historical Society events, and Harvest to Holly was no exception. Our thanks to Corwin Florist, Sugar Loaf Mountain Herbs, Peck’s Wine & Spirits, Style Counsel, Pamela Moore Meiyer for her biscuits and cookies, Newhard’s, Ochs Orchard, Pennings Farm Market, Rogowski Farms, Techni-Growers Greenhouses, Raynor Market and Groceries and Holly Tree Services. It takes many long hours of hard work to make an event successful. More than 70 individuals and organizations volunteered their services and time to make this year’s Harvest to Holly Tour a memorable one for all of Warwick’s families, friends and visitors. Thank you all, and my best wishes for a happy holiday season. Sheila Warner, president Historical Society of the Town of Warwick