A holiday open house is scheduled this weekend at one of Mount Airy’s oldest homes to benefit the Salvation Army.
It is planned at Cousin Emma’s Bed and Breakfast Saturday and Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. both days.
The historic home, located at 501 S. Main St., is reputed to have been part of the Underground Railroad system operating in the 1800s to aid those fleeing bondage.
Those attending this weekend’s event can tour an original one-room slave cabin and a manor house on the site.
Emma Suzanne Brown, the owner of the house dating to the mid-1850s, bought the South Main Street property in 2015 and renovated it for a new role as the bed and breakfast establishment.
Brown launched the holiday program in 2019 as a fundraiser for the Salvation Army, which has aided activities such as a camp for youths. Tours were not held last year because of the pandemic.
Visitors to the house can view a rich assortment of architecture, furnishings, pictures and other items from yesteryear — with the added element of Christmas decorations.
Guides in vintage clothing were part of the tour in 2019 featuring items collected by Brown during worldwide travels.
Among the antiques at Cousin Emma’s Bed and Breakfast are an original pre-Civil War country lawyer sofa, two chairs and a 1823 wind-up wall clock in the parlor; a huge brass gas chandelier from the Pinehurst Hotel ballroom in the formal dining room; and an Italian armoire crafted by monks from 87 different types of wood.
There’s also an original iron clawfoot bathtub that has been restored and contains custom-made faucets and a hand-held shower, along with original burled maple cabinets and chestnut paneling on the walls and ceiling of a large kitchen.
The cost of the tour is $10 for adults, $8 for seniors, with all proceeds going to the Salvation Army. Cash or checks will be accepted.
Masks are required.
Source: https://www.mtairynews.com