Orange County Historical Society holiday happenings

PAOLI – The Orange County Historical Society will again play host for its Annual Holiday Open House at the Museum on the Paoli Square on Sunday, November 20th from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m.

Admission is FREE.   

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Author Kevin Tower will be signing copies of his new book on historic French Lick. 

“Growing up in Campbellsburg, Indiana, just a forty-minute drive from the French Lick West Baden valley, my passion began at an early age when I would visit the valley with my family. In junior high school, my English class was taken on a field trip for my first remembered introduction to the West Baden Springs Hotel and the great dome,” said Tower. “We walked the grounds, toured the old hotel building, and listened to endless stories told by my teacher, which fascinated me. We also hiked to the top of the hill to have our lunch on the old golf course grounds. Later, I would have high school band camp in the hotel building for a week one summer in the mid-80s, sleeping in the rooms and having our meals in what is now Sinclair’s. As the years went by, there were periodic visits to the valley. My wife Susie and I would visit and sometimes stay at the French Lick Springs Hotel, taking tours of the crumbling once-grand domed hotel and grounds.

“My love for history has always been strong, and with each visit to the valley, my interest grew stronger as asking questions, searching for answers, and digging up the past became a hobby,” Tower continued. “We would soon bring our kids to visit and start making more trips as the years went on and the two hotels’ grand rebirth became a reality. Hidden away in the valley among the French Lick Resort were lesser-known historical buildings, all with a story of their own to tell, along with the town’s rich history. My interest soon grew and as the years passed, I continued to research, and my list of buildings got longer, my information increased, and my curiosity grew higher. As I collected and documented information for my enjoyment and personal knowledge, it became clear I needed to organize and share this information with others, so today, I do just that.”

The Museum Shop will have lots of gift-giving ideas, including the new 2022 Christmas Ornament celebrating the “Historic Monon Trestle in Paoli.” 

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The Society’s “Old-Fashioned Christmas at the Farmhouse” event returns again at the historic Lindley House in Paoli on December 4th from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m.  The historic site will be open that afternoon to visitors and decorated in part to reflect a Civil War-era type of holiday.

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For more information visit  <http://www.historicorangecounty.org.
www.historicorangecounty.org