BROOKVILLE — Mrs. Earl (Mary) Rhoads transformed the cellar of her farm home on Providence Road into a festive Christmas area. She cleaned the basement and painted the concrete walls with surplus red barn paint.

She put down rag carpet on the floor and cellar steps. Christmas paper in a brick design shut in the fruit cupboard along the side wall. An artificial fireplace added the right atmosphere when set at the far end.

The washing machine at the other end was covered and served as space for holding Christmas trees, other decorations, or service for a feast. She made and hung from the ceiling and walls all manner of decorations that she had fashioned from products of the farm. These included such items as black walnuts in silver, red and green; colored pine cones; fishing corks stuck full of toothpicks and then were dipped in bright paints and crystals.

Cedar decorations were formed from clippings from evergreen shrubbery, leftover Christmas tree trimmings and other bits donated by friends. She also displayed a real cedar tree and several other trees formed of white turkey and chicken feathers (pasted to a paper cone) that were decorated with assembled decorations and lighted with colored lights.

A long festive board was at one side of the room that seated 35 for family, church, Christmas, and other holiday feasts. Table decorations were fashioned in novel and colorful patterns by the busy hands of Mrs. Rhoads. An oil heater helped provide warmth.

After a tour of the cellar, the home economics girls of Brookville School along with their instructor, Mrs. Harry Wright, were so impressed that they gave Mrs. Rhoads a box of candy. The Four Seasons Garden Club, under the leadership of their President Mrs. Edidth Boose, also met and feasted for one of their meetings.

It was said that the cellar decorations were typical of the outstanding job of decorating the whole house of Mrs. Rhoads. Mrs. Mary (Garwood) Rhoads and her husband Earl Albert Rhoads lived on Providence Road in Brookville. She was born in 1888 and died in 1959. Mr. Rhoads was born in 1886 and died in 1969.

All information and the photo for this Look at Brookville article were supplied by the Brookville Historical Society. Do you have a photo or historical information to share or add? Please contact the Brookville Historical Society at 937-833-0285 or email to [email protected].