SANFORD — Plan a holiday visit to House in the Horseshoe on Saturday, Dec. 3.
The warm glow of candlelight will welcome visitors to “O blessed Season!” guided candlelight tours. A yearly tradition continues this year, with the Alston house decorated with festive greenery.
Guests will learn how Christmas was celebrated in Colonial America and how many modern holiday traditions had not yet been introduced. Tours of the candlelit house will be 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Limited tickets available, $8 each. Advanced tickets must be purchased on Eventbrite (www.eventbrite.com).
Visitors can enjoy warm fresh- pressed cider and ginger cakes around the fire after their tour.
In 1781 the Alston house was the site of militia skirmish between the owner, Whig Col. Philip Alston, and Loyalist Col. David Fanning. The house still bears some the scars from this engagement. From 1798 to 1814 the House in the Horseshoe, under the name Retreat, was home to another Patriot leader and four-time North Carolina governor, Benjamin Williams.
Located at 288 Alston House Road., Sanford, House in the Horseshoe is 16 miles west of Sanford off NC 42 and 10 miles north of Carthage on the Carbonton-Carthage Road. The house was built in 1772 by Philp Alston who proved a fiery leader for the Whig cause during the American Revolution.
For additional information call 910-947-2051. House in the Horseshoe is part of the Division of State Historic Sites within the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources.
