‘Absolutely beautiful’: Victorian Christmas returns in late November | News, Sports, Jobs

RALPH WILSON/Sun-Gazette Correspondent
Alexander Martyniuk, left, and his parents Nick and Iryna joined Nan Young and other members of the Victorian Christmas 2025 Committee at a recent gathering in preparation for the upcoming annual event.
Alexander will be performing at 522 W. Fourth St. which will be open for tours on Saturday, Nov. 22 from 9:00 to 4:00pm during the weekend-long holiday celebration.
Seated from left are: Alex Martyniuk, Nick Martyniuk, Iryna Martyniuk and Nan Young.
Standing from left are: Hallie Luppert, Charles Luppert, Phylis Reynolds and Dawn Astin.

The sights and sounds of a bygone era will fill the streets of the city as Preservation Williamsport hosts its 26th annual Victorian Christmas from Nov. 21 through Nov. 23.

The theme of this year’s celebration is Trees, Teas and Tours.

“We work from Jan. 1 until the last day of Victorian Christmas every year,” said Preservation Williamsport Committee member Nan Young, of the all-volunteer committee.

Envisioned by Young, Ted Lyons and Gloria Miele, Victorian Christmas held its first event in 1999 with around 150 people in attendance.

“It grows every year, and each year, there could be over 2,000 visitors. We have people that come in from Erie, from all over the state and even from out of state,” Young said.

Victorian Christmas will kick off with a presentation on 723 Park Ave., known as The Tiniest Mansion in Williamsport, beginning at 7 p.m. Friday, at The Krapf Gateway Center at Lycoming College.

The home is currently owned by Joseph Potts — affectionately known as the “Mayor of Park Avenue,” and his wife, Susan.

“The person who built it was a staircase carver, and his name was William Slack, and he would carve staircases in that house and then take them, piece by piece, over to certain buildings and insert them,” Young explained.

Slack’s work can be seen in many properties around the area, including the James V. Brown Library, the Herman House and the Mussina House.

“The educational lecture will tell the history of William Slack and show slides of the staircases that he has done,” Young said.

A fan favorite of the three-day event is the Trolley and Bus Tour Stops, giving revellers an up close and personal look at some of the most historic houses and churches in the area.

The houses along the tour are rotated in and out on a six to seven year basis in order to keep the tour fresh for returning attendees.

New to this year’s line will be what Young calls “industrial conversions,” historic buildings housing both businesses and living spaces, one of which will be The Pajama Factory, 1307 Park Ave., which hosts a number of shops, galleries and more.

“It’s fascinating, because it’s so huge, and they started out making kids sneakers, and yet, there are lofts that people live in,” Young said.

“They’re absolutely beautiful, and two of them will be open. One of the residents is a man from New York who has these wonderful antiques,” she said.

Another will be Suscon & Diamond Drinks Inc., located at 600 Railway St., which produces a wide variety of drinks for nationally known private label brands.

“It was Trimtex, and the top floor has been turned into this wonderful apartment and it has a lot of Williamsport history in it,” Young said, calling the new addition “an interesting twist.”

“We’ve never branched out as this way, but we also like to include houses and buildings of architectural interest, so we’re not only doing residential housing,” Young said, adding that Victorian Christmas has moved beyond the historic district Millionaires Row into South Williamsport and Loyalsock, in order to keep the event “community minded.”

Other properties of interest to be featured along the tour include The Cochrane/Lyon?Tate House, 1005 W. Fourth St., The Samuel Jones/Munson Metzger house, 870 W. Fourth St. and The Enchanted Sight Foundation, 345 Mulberry St, which previously housed Dr. Norman Wenger’s Practice of Chiropractic and Marguerite Biermann’s Studio for Decorative and Fine Arts.

Biermann was an artist of great renown, known for, among other things, painting the ceilings inside the YWCA, Young explained.

“It’s going to be like a museum, but the public hasn’t seen it yet, so this will be the first time it’ll be on the tour. Fortunately, the young man who is going to be running the museum wanted to do something publicly, and our timing just meshed,” Young said.

Just across the street, at 426 Mulberry St., sits the Christ Episopal Church, the second oldest Episcopal Church, according to Young, who despite its understated outward appearance, the inside is an “incredible museum.”

This year will see some international flavor added to the festivities as 16-year-old Montoursville High School student and cellist Alexander Martynuik performs at The Hiram Rhodes House, 522 W. Fourth St, owned by Bob Elion, on Saturday.

Alexander, who began playing at the age of nine, and his parents, Iryna and Nick, recently emigrated from Ukraine.

Martynuik will perform between approximately 10 and 11 a.m., and again between 2 and 3 p.m., Young said.

Returning favorites during the celebration include the artisans market at the YWCA, 815 W. Fourth St., and the 34th Annual Will Huffman Toy Train Expo at Park Place, 800 W. Fourth St.

Young has been pleased with the success of Victorian Christmas and its continued growth, particularly among men and children she said.

“It keeps moving forward and keeps growing the committee, hopefully attracting younger and younger people to keep it going,” Young said.

“Some of us are in our 80s, and we’re hanging on, but somebody has to take over,” she said, stressing that the committee is always looking for fresh faces and talent to ensure the preservation of Victorian Christmas, along with the rest of the area’s treasured history.

To view a full itinerary or to learn more about Victorian Christmas, visit www.victorianchristmaspa.com.