Historic Green-Meldrim House showcases Christmas during the Civil War
By Brian Myers
AS the winter holidays continue to unfold in the Lowcou2ntry, the organizers behind the historic Green-Meldrim House are giving Savannahians an accurate depiction of what the yuletide season was like during an era where brother fought against brother.
Part interactive theater, part historic tour, “Christmas in Wartime” takes visitors from the dawn of Civil War through the first holiday season after its conclusion with a performance that entertains as much as it informs.
A lineup of local actors is slated to show the Christmas holidays from the perspective of the Savannahians that lived during one of the most pivotal eras of American history.
As visitors are guided throughout the home, they’ll hear historically accurate stories of not only how the holiday season was celebrated and commemorated in that era, as well as ghost stories, and they will participate in the popular parlor games from a time that should never be forgotten.
“Christmas in Wartime” is set to open on Thursday December 26 and will have a limited run that concludes on Saturday the 28th. The post-Christmas dates for the program are no coincidence.
Co-organizer and Green Meldrim House Director Jamie Credle says that “there is a strategy behind the timing because that’s when many people come into town. We’ve found that over the years, most people are getting ready for Christmas before the holiday and that afterwards, people are coming into town looking for things to do.”
Credle also points out that the events covered during the program stretch from December until the first of February across multiple years, “making it fit well within the time period.”
Like the other offerings this historic home has given visitors in the past, “Christmas in Wartime” organizers hope to appeal to locals as well as the guests who come into town.
Raleigh Marcell, co-organizer and event performer, says that this represents the perfect event for locals, too.
“Many people will have a home full of guests right after the holiday and ask ‘well, Christmas is over, so what can we do now?’ Well, you can come here,” he says.
“Christmas is so much more than one day, it’s a whole season,” Credle adds, sharing that the idea is to give a more well-rounded perspective of the winter festivities of years gone by.
Marcell echoes that sentiment, stating that this program hopes to reintroduce people to the idea of Twelfth Night. "This was very important to Christmas time during the time period we cover. This shows lots of different traditions that have been lost that we will share with people.”
The performance will take ticket holders from room to room in the home, with each area representing a different year during the holiday season.
“The first room is set in the year 1859 right before the war,” says Marcell. “In each room, our actors will talk about the events of that room’s year, covering what happened during the war but also what else was going on in the world.”
General Sherman occupied the Green-Meldrim house from December 22, 1864 until his departure from Savannah on the following February 1.
“We put together something that covers the season as a whole,” Marcell says. “Since Sherman was here through Christmas and all of January, we incorporated that material into the program as well.”
One of the many personal touches that Credle and Marcell have added to “Christmas in Wartime” are some of the letters exchanged between the famed military leader and his wife during that time.
The correspondences will be read aloud by performers and give patrons a first-hand perspective from the pen of one of the architects of the Union’s victory.
“Christmas in Wartime” will be performed five times nightly from Thursday December 26 through Saturday December 28. Showtimes are at 6pm, 6.30pm, 7pm, 7.30pm, and 8pm. Tickets can be purchased in advance on the Green-Meldrim House’s website for $19 (general admission) or $15 (students aged 6-17 years).
Tickets will be sold at the door for $21/$17, but both organizers urge interested persons to plan ahead and get tickets as early as possible.
The 60-minute program is only available to a maximum of 20 people per performance, and several of the time slots on each date are getting close to selling out.
The Green-Meldrim House is located at 14 West Macon Street along Madison Square, across the street from Saint John’s Episcopal Church.