Hardman Farm State Historic Site extends an invitation that requires no persuasion, for the prospect speaks for itself. On selected evenings in December, the house known as West-End opens its doors to guests who wish to spend a Christmas as the Nichols family once did, in the year 1877, when the Nacoochee Valley offered both society and seclusion in agreeable measure.
Like a Currier and Ives postcard, horse-drawn wagons move along the old Unicoi Turnpike, a road that once carried traders through the valley and now carries visitors nostalgic for a past they never knew. The dim glow from the windows guides the way, and the house stands like an elegant matron ready to receive, dressed in garlands arranged with care and the confidence of a practiced host.
Within, individuals dressed as members of the Nichols household receive their guests. These reenactors portray Captain Nichols and his wife, Kate, along with their daughter, Anna Ruby, her grandmother, Mrs. Augusta Latimer, and friends gathered for the season. They converse with visitors as hosts once did, offering warmth and welcome. Each room reveals a tradition of the Victorian Christmas, from the decorations to the rituals that marked the holiday as a social occasion meant to distract from the bleakness of dark December.
“You’ll feel like you’ve been transported to Christmas past,” said Sarah Summers, Hardman Farm’s assistant manager. “It’s a dose of Christmas magic, and a memorable event for the whole family.” Guests walk through the mansion and interact with reenactors who explain various Victorian Christmas traditions. Local guest musicians fill the mansion with the sounds of Christmas each evening.
The kitchen draws visitors next, guided by the sweet scent of baking. There, cooks prepare sorghum-ginger cookies using syrup grown, pressed, and bottled on the farm itself. The process connects the table to the land and reminds guests that celebration once depended on what a household could produce as much as what it could purchase.
Beyond the kitchen, Santa waits in the carriage house, ready to greet visitors without the hurried press and long lines at the mall. Nearby, guests gather at the fire pit for s’mores or step inside the visitors center to browse holiday gifts made by local artists and craftspeople. Each choice invites conversation and a cup of holiday cheer warmed between both hands.
Hardman Farm offers this Victorian Christmas on Friday and Saturday evenings; its final open days are on 19 and 20, from 4 to 7 o’clock. Tickets remain available through the Georgia State Parks website, with options for individuals, families, and groups. The farm also welcomes inquiries by phone for those who prefer to make arrangements by voice.
At Hardman, Christmas unfolds with such care and propriety that one cannot doubt the hosts’ regard for the estate and company both. Tradition here does not insist upon observation alone; it flourishes through participation. Received into a tradition where laughter travels across generations and makes room for one more voice by the fire.
