Hallauer House on Flicklr

Pictures tell the story and our picture story can be found by visiting not only our main website, our secondary website, our BLOG, but now our many albums displayed on Flickr.

On Flickr the written words appear only in the description of the pictures themselves. You don't have to read, you just have to enjoy the photos. Here you can browse the albums and explore Hallauer House to see our guest rooms, our common rooms, our Asian Spa, our rec/exercise room, our gardens, our pool, our guests, our local attractions, and our changing decorations.

Nine albums have been added so far but we invite you to check back frequently to see all the new additions! Leave some comments and come and visit! Happy browsing!

Underground Railroad Quilt Part 2

In a previous post, I introduced Kathie Fiedler, a guest visiting us from Michigan who is a master quilt maker. She showed us her fabulous Underground Railroad quilt and in October she and her husband Robert returned and brought with them a wall hanging version of that same quilt which we purchased and now have hanging on the wall in our guest dining room. It has become a very unique and interesting conversation piece among our guests at breakfast and Joe, our resident historian/innkeeper, is very adept at pointing out and explaining what code is hidden in each of the squares.  Now when you come and stay at Hallauer House B & B you can immerse yourself in a new history lesson and we promise there will be no test afterward!

Kathie's Underground Railroad quilt wall hanging.

                  While we were visiting the National Cryptologic Museum at Ft. Meade in Maryland for our daughter's promotion to Petty Officer 1st Class in the US Coast Guard, we found on display a poster showing many Underground Railroad quilt squares and their meanings. Luckily I had my trusty camera handy so I took a picture of each square and decided to include them below. So hope you enjoy reading a little history and we do invite you to come as a guest and see the quilt up close and learn a little about the history of the Underground Railroad and Oberlin's role during this era of our country's history.




As a P.S. - The National Cryptologic Museum is a really fascinating and interesting place to visit when you are in the DC area and it's free. Go there! You won't be disappointed!

JANUARY SPECIAL!

It's that time of year when things slow down and we start experiencing cabin fever. So we are offering a cabin fever January special. Until Jan. 31st our Union and Confederate Rooms will be just $99.00 per night and the Mason/Dixon Suite will be just $149.00 per night. So what does this include you may ask?
 

• FREE 3 course breakfast
• FREE WIFI
• FREE parking
• FREE use of romantic Asian Spa
• FREE use of exercise equipment
• FREE billiards and ping pong

Take a tour of Hallauer House by clicking here and see all we have to offer. History stories and ghost stories are shared at breakfast but we don't divulge the haunted room until you come down in the morning! So what are you waiting for? Call now to schedule a break from cabin fever! 440-774-3400 or 877-774-3406.

Decorated for a Civil War Christmas Celebration

The Confederate Room, the Union Room, the Mason/Dixon Suite, these are the rooms that you will find in the Hallauer House Bed and Breakfast. Here you can touch a Civil War sword, inspect a Union and Confederate uniform, find out what a lap desk is, see and touch other Civil War artifacts and peruse a library of books and publications about the Civil War. And with the season of Christmas, you can now also enjoy a Civil War Christmas tree right in your room and learn how the holiday was celebrated in the 1860's.

The Christmas tree originated in Germany in the early 1800's and the idea of the decorated tree slowly made it's way to America. By 1861 most homes had a Christmas tree and mistletoe. Green tree boughs were placed around the mantles and table tops, stockings were hung, special foods were prepared, small gifts were presented to children and servants, and Christmas cards were sent to relatives unable to travel the long distances. But because commercial ornaments were not available until the late 1800's families gathered around and made their own tree decorations. Imagine now making all of your tree ornaments!

Back in the day the family would start by making stings of popcorn and cranberries to use as garland around the tree. Then they got to work to make popcorn balls and dry fruit such as oranges, grapefruit, apples, pears, lemons that could be hung on the tree branches after a string or ribbon was punched through. Pine cones, nuts, and small gifts, such as, little books, paint boxes, jewelry, pencils, balls decorated with burlap, fabric and ribbons, and little trinkets and small toys were all hung. Paper was used to make cones which were then filled with hard candies and hung by ribbons on the trees. Small penny rug ornaments were made of wool to hang. At the end of some tree branches a small candle was attached and on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day the candles were lit, though for just a very short time. 

Stockings on the mantle were usually filled with hard candies, apples, oranges, balls of wool, a pair of gloves, hats, and scarves. The first illustration of Santa was done by Thomas Nast in 1863. It portrayed Santa in an outfit of striped pants and star spangled jacket making 'Santa' a Union patriot.

This year at Hallauer House we have decorated a Civil War Christmas tree for each guest room. On each you will find the popcorn and cranberry garland, dried fruits, small toys, balls of burlap and fabric, little penny rung ornaments, cones filled with candy, and pine cones hung with ribbons. What you will not find is the candle! But we have cheated just a little and instead of wax candles that burn, you will find little electric candles just to add that touch of glow! 

We invite you to come and be our guest this holiday. Enjoy the Christmas tree and fireplace in your room, the large tree in the downstairs, and the decorated mantles with candle light. Have a 4 course breakfast in the glow of a candle lit dining room. So give us a call when you want to experience a Christmas past.

And if you are still looking for a perfect gift for that someone special, we do have Gift Certificates available. Why give stuff when you can give the gift of love and history!