This 1840s Italianate mansion has the 'look and feel of Christmas.' Take a peek inside
Built by Thomas B. Wright in 1840, the home at 416 W. Main St. in Madison, Indiana has been home to a steamboat captain, a Civil War hero, as well as furniture store, mortuary, and grocery store owners. Then in 2017, Glenna Hanks Wade purchased the property and decorated its interior with holiday cheer for the 2023 Nights Before Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes.
“All of my collections have been in storage for the last 20 years, so I just brought them out,” Hanks Wade told The Courier Journal. “It’s been fun to see everything that I had collected over the years, (including) a few things I’d made, so it’s been reminiscent to do all of that.”
A full Christmas experience
Though most of the home was built in 1840, the space that now serves as the living room came a few decades later.
“When this was added (in the) 1870s, we’re kind of getting into that Victorian period,” Hanks Wade explained. “This part of the home really kind of has a different feel to it.”
In one corner of the room, Hanks Wade has set up a 12-foot Christmas tree, which is covered in decor that complements the colors within the space.
She added that because the room’s stately feel called for something impressive, she has incorporated a 1945 baby grand piano into the space — and it will be part of this year’s tour experience.
Hanks Wade has invited a few people — including a music teacher and her students — to come over and play Christmas music while visitors walk through her home.
“The students are gonna come, and I’m so excited,” Hanks Wade exclaimed. “I wanted the home to look like Christmas, of course, (but) I wanted it to sound like Christmas, (too).”
Hometown connection
In the dining room is a 10-foot tree that features Hanks Wade’s glass ornament collection. It includes pieces by Old World Christmas, Christopher Radko, and Patricia Breen.
“All of (Breen’s) are my very favorite,” Hanks Wade said. “They are like little pieces of art. … They stand apart from any other glass ornament that I’ve ever had.”
The tree is just the start of the holiday decor in the dining room, as Hanks Wade has also set up the long wooden table for a festive dinner party.
“The dinnerware (has) a bit of Madison history to it,” she said. “The artist lived here in Madison, (and) she became very well known throughout the country — MacKenzie-Childs.”
The MacKenzie-Childs brand is known for imaginative and whimsical hand-painted pieces, and the dinnerware on Hanks Wade’s table is no different. Boasting hues of both green and red, as well as black-and-white checkered patterns, the spread is an indication of holiday cheer to come.
Handmade with love
While the two biggest trees have been decorated with care and feature pieces that are close to Hanks Wade’s heart, some of the smaller trees and decor are perhaps the most unique. Among these items are a few goose feather trees, which Hanks Wade crafted herself.
“(These types of trees) came from Germany (in the) 1800s,” she explained. “They were the first artificial Christmas tree because Germany … was having issues with having enough trees. They didn’t want to be cutting down real trees, so they started making (them) to resemble pine trees.”
There’s also a handwoven nativity scene that Hanks Wade crafted herself; and during the tour, she will have fresh, homemade cookies on display as well. She collects sprig molds and plans to put a few of her favorites to good use in the coming weeks.
“They’re a German cookie,” she explained, “and the designs are exquisite. It’s a very special dough that you use, and once you get them molded, they set for at least 24 hours … so the design dries before you bake it. … I’m going to have some on display, with some molds.”
The fresh-baked cookies — combined with the decor and music — will ensure the house looks, sounds, and smells just like Christmas.
The Hanks Wade home is one of 11 properties on this year’s Nights Before Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes. Know a house that would make a great Home of the Week? Email writer Lennie Omalza at aloha@lennieomalza.com or Lifestyle Editor Kathryn Gregory at kgregory@gannett.com.
Nights Before Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes
WHAT: The 2023 Nights Before Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes is a self-guided tour through Madison, Indiana properties that are decorated for the Christmas season.
WHEN: Nov. 24-25 & Dec. 1-2; 5-9 p.m. Friday and 3-9 p.m. Saturday
WHERE: Madison, Indiana. Ticket headquarters are at the Visitors Center, 601 West First St.
TICKETS: General admission tickets are $35; tickets for children ages 5-12 are $5. Fees apply for online and credit card purchases. Tickets can be purchased online, at the Visitors Center, 601 West First St. during tour hours.
TRANSPORTATION: Street parking is available, or private transportation to downtown locations can be made in advance via Broomtail Wagon & Carriage Rides, 812-756-4168.
MORE INFORMATION: For more information about the Nights Before Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes, visit nightsbeforechristmas.com, call Visit Madison at 812-265-2956 or 800-559-2956, or email info@visitmadison.org.
nuts & bolts
Owner: Glenna Hanks Wade, who is retired. Also in the home is Abigail “Abby,” a Cavalier King Charles.
Home: This is a 4-bed, 3-bath, 3,500-square-foot, Italianate home in Madison, Indiana that was built in 1840.
Distinctive elements: Original pine flooring, woodwork, and windows; three original light fixtures that once ran on gas; six coal-burning fireplaces; 10-foot door; baby grand piano; 11-foot walnut bookcase, circa 1860; collection of 1850s Staffordshire spaniels; 1870s asparagus plates from France; 12-foot Christmas tree decked out in gold, silver, and lavender balls; walnut washstand; cherry game table; 1850s clock; needlepoint chairs from the 1700s; original oil sheep paintings; 1850 Saxony spinning wheel; handwoven nativity; hand-carved red tail hawk hand; cross stitch Santa made by homeowner; collection of handwoven coverlets from the 1860s and 1870s; 9-and-a-half foot cherry table made by Madison Table and Light; MacKenzie-Childs dinnerware; Vaillancourt Folk Art classical Christmas creamware; 10-foot tree in dining room decorated with glass ornament collection; walnut chest from France; German goose feather tree decorated with Margaret Furlong ornaments; remodeled cherry cabinets; kitchen island with 4-inch butcher block countertop; lighting by Ballard Design; Polish collection dishes; former porch enclosed in the 1970s serves as TV room; 1800s shed now serves as workspace and art studio; old work benches utilized as storage and serving tables.
Applause! Applause! Stepdaughter Melissa Keiser; and friends Jean Allen Kemper and Danielle Murphy for helping decorate for the tour.
This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: 1840s Italianate home on 2023 Nights Before Christmas Candlelight Tour
