Helen Edwards Condell's dress comes home to Edwards Place

A chance conversation between two strangers led to the Springfield Art Association's acquisition of Helen Maria Edwards's Civil War-era day dress on long-term loan.

Curator of Collections Erika Holst went to the Dana-Thomas House in late October for that site's Halloween event. While there, Erika began chatting with a volunteer, Mrs. Manning, and happened to mention that she worked at the Art Association. In a happy burst of serendipity, Mrs. Manning declared that she had a dress in her closet which had belonged to Helen Maria Edwards Condell during the Civil War.

Helen Maria was the daughter of Benjamin and Helen Edwards. She moved to Edwards Place in 1843 as a three-year-old child and lived there until her marriage to Moses Condell in the summer of 1861, at which point she moved into a house her parents had given her as a wedding present, just across Fourth Street from Edwards Place. She was a frequent visitor to her parents' house throughout the Civil War, and it is easy to imagine the brown taffeta of her skirts spread out over the Edwards's parlor sofa as she took tea with her mother.

Helen Maria went on to have six children, including a daughter named Eliza Condell. Eliza, born in 1872, lived to be 103 years old. Mrs. Manning became acquainted with Eliza Condell in the 1950s. At one point, when Mrs. Manning needed a Civil War-era dress for a school performance, Eliza Condell loaned her one that had belonged to her mother. Eliza then insisted she keep the dress, and Mrs. Manning had it ever since.

Just before leaving for the Dana-Thomas House, Mrs. Manning happened to glance at Helen's dress in her closet and think to herself that she really should do something with it. Lo and behold, a few hours later she crossed paths with Erika, and the rest is history!

The dress will be displayed throughout the Christmas season. Be sure and come by for a tour to see this piece of family history!

The Heart of Enos Park

The Springfield Art Association, located north of downtown Springfield, is in the Enos Park neighborhood. What used to be the "Jewel of Springfield" now hosts more than 88 vacant lots, boarded-up homes, and many of the properties are in poor condition. That's not to say there aren't some incredible improvements made and maintained by the Enos Park residents, including drastic renovations, community parks, and wonderfully-restored homes throughout the neighborhood.

There has been a significant amount of press regarding the Enos Park neighborhood, including the transformation of the current campus to become a Cultural campus for the entire city, with a proposed three-to-four-story building for educational space and administrative offices.

Learn more: Read the SJ-R article for more information and where to attend tonight's master plan unveiling meeting.

Join us for a Victorian Seance at Edwards Place!

People holding hands around a table...mysterious rappings and tappings...tables shaking...messages from beyond the grave...these eerie and possibly supernatural occurrences were going on in dining rooms throughout the United States in the 19th century, and millions of Americans dabbled with Spiritualism.

Spiritualism is a religious philosophy that believes, among other things, that the human spirit survives after death and is able to communicate with the living through use of a medium. This philosophy became incredibly popular in America in the wake of the Civil War, in which millions of people mourned lost husbands, brothers, fathers, sons, and sweethearts. Mary Lincoln was known to have hosted seances in the White House during her husband's presidency.

On November 20 and 21, Edwards Place will host a theatrical recreation of an authentic Victorian seance. Noted hypnotist and licensed clairvoyant Amye Scharlau of Minneapolis will be the "medium", who will lead participants in trying to contact the spirits of the dearly departed, including the Lillie Judd, whose portrait hangs in the dining room. Will Ms. Scharlau be successful? You'll have to join us to find out!

Tickets are $25 per person. Price includes participation in the seance, a professional palm reading by Ms. Scharlau, wine, and hors d'oeuvres. Seating is limited to 10 people per session, and both sessions on November 20 are sold out. However, seats are still available for November 21 and 7 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. - call 217-523-2631 or email collections@springfieldart.org to register!