The Halls are Decked at The Manor House

Toledo Local Features | 12/04/2009 7:00 am

Now is the time to decorate the house for the holidays, but volunteers at the Manor House in Wildwood Metropark have their work cut out for them. The bows and bulbs are all in place, and now this iconic Toledo residence waits for you to step through its doors for ‘Holidays in the Manor House.'

Built at the height of The Great Depression by Robert Stranahan, co-founder of the Champion Spark Plug Company, the Manor House now sits on what was once the family's sprawling estate. When the metropark system acquired the house and its acreage, great care was taken to preserve not only the integrity of the structure, but to make this historic building welcoming to the visitors that would pass over its threshold.

"Visiting the house, you can imagine how it was used, not only as a home, but as a place to entertain and impress visiting industrialists with whom the Stranahans did business." Said Scott Carpenter, public relations director for the Toledo Area Metroparks. "But what I like most about it is how you get a glimpse into the life of a family that was extremely important to Toledo's prosperity."

Such prosperity is echoed throughout the home, from its fine woodwork to its palatial grand staircase, and this time of year, its decorations.

"I'd say if there is a theme this year, it is ‘elegance,'" said Scott. This year marks the 34th year the Manor House has been dolled up for the holidays. Each room in the house has its own theme, which is proposed by the decorator and approved by a committee. After that, volunteers set off to transform their rooms into those filled with holiday cheer.

"You should visit ‘Holidays in the Manor House' to get into the holiday spirit. More than 200 volunteers make this event possible every year, and they have always said they do it as a gift to the community. For some families, it is a tradition," said Scott.

A tradition not unlike those of any family, including the Stranahans. Not every room incorporates the home's history, but some do. In fact, a few decorators decided to set their scenes as though the Stranahans might walk in at any moment to finish a batch of Christmas cookies or settle in with a book by the fire. And perhaps one of them will.

"We have had members of the family visit the house, including Frank Stranahan, who is the most famous person to live there. They have been very supportive of what we do here. I hope that Robert and his wife, Page, who built the home, would be pleased. It was obviously built to impress visitors then, as it continues to impress today. I would hope that they would feel a sense of pride that generations of Toledoans have visited and return year after year with their own families and guests."