Grimsby’s Nelles Manor Museum shares 200-year-old holiday traditions

It’s one of the oldest homes in southern Ontario, dating back to the late 1700’s and this month it’s decorated for the Christmas season. The Nelles Manor Museum is in the heart of Grimsby, and this weekend, they are offering Christmas-themed tours.

The history of the Nelles Manor is still alive today, over 225 years after it was built.

The 1798 heritage home was built by Robert Nelles and his family. The walls are three feet thick of stone from the Grimsby area.

Those are some of the tales volunteers at the manor told on Saturday, which is now a museum open to the public. This weekend, it’s all about the way Christmas was back in the late 1700s.

“So they had to work over a fire to do their cooking, they also might have a bake oven—a stone bake oven that they could work in as well for baking. But yeah, they would work over fire,” says Kate Gardiner, a volunteer.

The volunteers who keep the stories alive say it’s important to learn from the past.

“It’s so much more than an old house; there was a family that lived here for 4 generations, and they helped build Grimsby, Niagara and Canada itself,” says Meg Grimsmo, a volunteer.

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Some of Saturday’s volunteers are related to the original owners. Melodie Dysart’s 6th great-grandfather was the owner’s uncle.

“It feels really great actually and it’s amazing to be here. I’ve learned so much about my family, even though I grew up on one of the traditional Nelles farms,” Dysart says.

“It’s super fun, super educational. We got to see how things were a couple hundred years ago,” says a family visiting on Saturday.

Father Christmas, as he was known back in the late 1700s, was also on hand to share some history.

When questioned whether children were asking for different kinds of presents 200 years ago, he answered, “Yes, lots of little toys that were hand-made out of wood. Lots were made from wood at that time.”

“Instead of having stockings they would have a cornucopia that would be filled with small candies and trinkets,” Father Christmas says.

Tours are also happening on Sunday at the manor, and a nighttime event will be held next weekend. For more information, you can check out their website here.

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