This summer, Woodlawn steps back in time and recreates the tea time tradition started by the Black family’s last caretaker, Mrs. Irma Eliason. A newly designed Tea Time Tour will be offered on Wednesday afternoons in July and August at 3:00 p.m. Tea Time Tour goers will enjoy a personalized, staff led tour, a tasty selection of fresh baked cookies and of course, a cup of tea on the lawn weather permitting and in the Sleigh Barn on rainy days. Joshua Torrance, Woodlawn’s executive director shared the concept behind the new format, “ The tradition of serving tea at Woodlawn started with Mrs. Eliason. She loved to bake and share stories of her beloved Black House and members of the Black family. She would give a lively tour of the house and then serve her guests tea and cookies on the lawn adjacent to the formal garden.” One of her specialties was the “Black House Cookie”. This historic recipe among others will be used by Flexit Cafe and Bakery in downtown Ellsworth for one of the cookie selections each week.
Tea Time Tours start on July 8th and will be held weekly on Wednesdays with the exception of August 12th when the grounds are being readied for the Ellsworth Antiques Show at Woodlawn which runs August 13th through the 15th. The cost is $12 for Woodlawn members and $15 for non-members. Space is limited. Reservations, while not required, are appreciated with a call to 667-8671.