MILFORD, Ohio — The Greater Milford Area Historical Society will open Promont, the Victorian mansion that once served as home to an Ohio governor, for a Christmas Open House on Saturday, Dec. 19, and Sunday, Dec. 20, from 1 to 4 p.m., the society said in a Facebook post.
Community groups have spent November decorating individual rooms of the house at 906 Main St., each with its own holiday theme, according to the post. Visitors can expect garland along the grand staircase, poinsettias arranged around the home’s marble fireplace and other seasonal touches throughout the mansion.
Promont was built in 1865 by William McGrue and is considered a notable example of Italianate Victorian architecture. The house became the residence of John M. Pattison, who served as Ohio’s 43rd governor, after he acquired the property in 1879. Pattison lived at Promont through his January 1906 inauguration and remained there, rather than relocating to Columbus, due to illness until his death later that year.
The property was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1980. James Kirgan donated the house to the Greater Milford Area Historical Society in 1983, and it has operated since as a museum featuring Victorian-era furnishings, rotating exhibits and a reference library, along with a restored tower overlooking Milford.
The historical society said the open house is a chance for residents to share the holiday season with family and out-of-town visitors at the Main Street landmark.
The information contained in this story was obtained from the Greater Milford Area Historical Society.