Collector Plates Sale at Cottonwood Mansion's Peach Social, 2 p.m. August 15th
Pictured below is Cottonwood Mansion President Barbara Held who is donating fifty of her collector plates to be sold during Cottonwood Mansion's Peach Social, Sunday, August 15th, beginning at 2 p.m. All plates are selling for $8 each. They include Rockwell, Spode, and Coalport among others. All money from the sale is going to Cottonwood.
Barbara is holding Rockwell's "Music Makers", a 1981 first edition. The plate sale is an addition to the Mansion's annual Cottonwood Brass concert which will also take place that afternoon. Weather permitting, the concert will be outdoors and the sale in the Mansion's Music Room. Peach desserts will be served after the first set played by the Brass.
This is a ticketed event, $10 for adults and $5 for children five to twelve years of age. Tours of the Mansion will be available beginning at the end of the concert. Cottonwood Mansion is an all-volunteer organization which must raise $30,000 annually to maintain and preserve the facilitiy.
Additional information is available at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion, by calling 905 776 2538 or e mailing cottonwoodmansion@linetap.com.
For immediate release, Selkirk, Ontario. August 3, 2010
For Cottonwood Brass, David Pearson, 905 772 5205
For Plates, Barbara Held, 905 779 3354
New Zealand Maori Batallion Marching Song on Cottonwood Brass Programme Collector Plates Sale, Peach Desserts, also on for August 15th Selkirk Gala
(Pictured below are members of the Cottonwood Brass Quintet, Graham Young, Ryan Baker, David Pearson, Mary Ann Pearson, and Johnny Bissel.)
The Cottonwood Brass Quintet's annual summer concert at Cottonwood Mansion this year is scheduled for August 15th beginning at 2 p.m. A significant part of their programme will be material that they have not played before at the Mansion. A segment of their programme will be played on modern instruments including Broadway/Canadian Brass Arrangements. "The Pink Panther" will be featured as will new arrangements of American Civil War Favourites. Their popular Victorian pieces will also be played. A main goal of this concert is how the instruments and sounds have changed over the past 150 years. A request for the playing of the Maori Batallion Marching Song will be in honour of a former resident of New Zealand who has attended all the Mansion's Brass Band Concerts to date.
In addition to the concert, this year's social will feature a collectors plate sale of at least fifty items donated by Cottonwood President Barbara.Held. They include Rockwell, Spode, and Coalport pieces among others and will sell for $8 each. This is a ticketed event, $10 for adults and $5 for children five to twelve years old. Pre-schoolers are free.
The concert and plate sale begin at 2:00 p.m. There wll be a break for peach desserts at 2:45. Music begins again at 3:10 and will conclude at 3:35 when tours of the Mansion will be available. The concert is planned for outdoors, weather permitting, and guests are asked to bring lawn chairs. The plate sale will continue throughout the afternoon until 4 p.m.
Cottonwood Mansion is an all-volunteer not-for-profit organization which must raise $30,000 annually to maintain the facility and to provide experiences of the Victorian Era. The Peach Social is one of their key popular events. Cottonwood is located at 740 Haldimand Road 53, Selkirk. A map to the Mansion is available at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion. Information is also available by e mailing cottonwoodmansion@linetap.com or calling 905 776 2538.
Pictured below are Maureen Edge and Greg Hilton, Cottonwood Mansion volunteers, preparing dessert for the seventy guests who came to the Mansion's first "Everything Blueberry" event on Sunday, July 18th. Guests, many of whom were first time visitors to the Mansion, received dessert, a self-guided tour to the site, and enjoyed classical music by three local performing artists, and country and western music by seven other musicians in an outdoor setting. Prior to this musical afternoon, approximately thirty-five visitors came to a day lily sale organized by volunteers David and Mary Ann Pearson which sold out within an hour of its opening. An estimated 150 gallon pots were purchased. The Pearsons plan to repeat this donation to the Mansion in 2011.
The Mansion's next scheduled event is a Peach Social on August 15th at which the Cottonwood Brass Quintet will perform. For information and details see www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion, email cottonwoodmansion@linetap.com or call 905 776 2538.
Day Lily Sale, Showcase of Peforming Artists, Blueberry Dessert at Cottonwood July 18th
Cultivars by Well-Known Hybridizers Not Usually in Garden Centres Offered for Purchase
For immediate release, Selkirk, Ontario, July 7, 2010
For additional information call David and Mary Ann Pearson 905 772 5025
(Pictured below is Mary Ann Pearson, volunteer at Cottonwood Mansion, Selkirk, with a photo of the Cottonwood Mansion Day Lily which she has hybrydized and which will be introduced next year. A draw for a pot of this lily will take place on July 18th at the Mansion.)
A sale of day lilies not usually available in garden centres will begin Cottonwood Mansion's "Everything Blueberry" event on Sunday, July 18th. The sale begins at 12:30 p.m., on the grounds of the Mansion, at 740 Haldimand Road 53, in Selkirk. "Blueberry Candy", "Two to Tango", "Tigger", "Ever So Ruffled", and "Wedding Band" are among the many cultivars being offered, most of which are usually available only by mail order.
Mary Ann Pearson, a former trustee and now a volunteer at Cottonwood in charge of its garden, has prepared and is donating 135 gallon pots for the sale. They are $5 each or three for $12. Colours available include cream, red, orange, pink, purple, and gold. There are eyed, edged, and double varieties to choose from, and some smaller-type lilies will also be offered for those with limited garden space.
Day lilies are drought-tolerant and easy to care for perennials which will grow even in clay soil. Information on the cultivars will be available from Mary Ann Pearson who has grown them in her home gardens. There will also be a draw for a pot of the Cottonwood Mansion day lily which Mary Ann has hybridized and will be registering next year.
In addition to the day lily festival and sale, a showcase of local performing artists will begin at 2 p.m. Weather permitting, the music will take place outdoors and visitors are asked to bring a lawn chair. In the event of inclement weather, performers will be located in the many rooms in the Mansion.
From 2-4 p.m., Blueberry Dessert will be available in the Mansion Dining Room. Cost of the dessert is $5 for adults and $3 for children five to twelve. The dessert includes a self-guided tour of the Mansion. (Regular admission to the Mansion is $5 for adults so the dessert is a special bonus for visitors to the cultural and heritage landmark.)
The Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Foundation is an all volunteer organization whose mandate is to maintain the Mansion and provide experiences of the Victorian Era during which the Mansion was built. Major parts of the Mansion were not lived in for nearly eighty years and its restoration and refurbishing were begun in 1988. It is now a cultural and heritage landmark in Haldimand County.
Information about the Mansion and directions to it are available at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion, by calling 905 776 2538, or e mailing cottonwoodmansion@linetap.com.
Cream Tea Celebration of Queen's Birthday Slated for May 23rd, 2-4 p.m. Cottonwood Mansion Once Again Hosting Popular Annual Event
For release, Thursday, May 6, 2010
For additional information call Catherine Stidsen 905 772 3790
(Pictured below is her Royal Highness, Queen Alexandrina Victoria (aka Terry Esselment of Townsend), preparing to receive guests at her 2009 Birthday Celebration at Cottonwood Mansion.)
Her Royal Highness, Queen Alexandrina Victoria, will return to Cottonwood Mansion in Selkirk, Ontario, for a Cream Tea to celebrate her birthday, on May 23, 2010. As in previous years, guests will be introduced personally to her Royal Highness. This year's birthday celebration will include some of the Queen's favourite musical pieces played on the pianoforte by local resident Madame Carol Fillmore. The reception is scheduled for 2-4 p.m. Victorian dress is appreciated but not required.
Cottonwood Mansion is located at 740 Haldimand Road 53, Selkirk. It is a sixteen room Italianate Mansion built between 1865-70 by William J. Holmes, Jr., for his wife Cynthia Anderson Holmes, and their daughter Lilian. Lillian (aka Brittany VanDalen) will be lady-in-waiting to Her Majesty during the celebration. Mr. and Mrs. Holmes, and Mrs. Holmes' son, Melancthon Anderson, are also expected to be in attendance.
Cottonwood Mansion is an all volunteer organization which must raise approximately $30,000 annually to preserve the facility and provide experiences of the Victorian Era. This event is one of its major fundraisers. Donation for the event, which includes a Cream Tea, is $8 for adults, $4 for children twelve and under, and pre-schoolers are free. Directions to the Mansion can be found at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion, by emailing cottonwoodmansion@linetap.com, or calling 905 776 2538. Reservations for the celebration are not required.
Cottonwood Hosting Selkirk and District Showcase, April 17th, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mansion Items Available at Yard Sale
For release, March 31st, Selkirk, Ontario
For additional information call Catherine Berry Stidsen, 905 772 3790, catherine.stidsen@hwcn.org
(Pictured below is Cottonwood President Barbara Held with two of the collectible bears that will be available for the Mansion's Yard Sale, Saturday, April 17th, beginning at 10 a.m. The sale is being held along with the Selkirk Showcase.)
Cottonwood Mansion, 740 Haldimand Road 53, Selkirk, will reopen to the public on April 15th. On April 17th, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m, the Mansion will host a Selkirk and District Showcase. Admission is free. Twenty-five vendors, visual and performing artists, sports and service clubs, and a variety of other businesses and heritage artisans have indicated they will be in attendance.
"Localicious involves more than just food," said Catherine Berry Stidsen, convenor of the event. "We have amazing goods and services available right in this community itself including many persons now working out of their homes. There are a variety of food sevices available, classes of many kinds, museums, county and community services and we think Cottonwood is a great location to remind permanent and seasonal residents of what Selkirk and the area around it offers."
Along with the showcase there will be a sale of Cottonwood items. Visitors will also see the repairs and renovations to upgrade the Mansion facilities, including the new chandlier in the Mansion's dining room, new linens, dishes and flatware. Many of these additions and renovations have been made possible by a local initiatives grant from the Grand Erie Business Centre.
Cottonwood trustees are also hoping that a visit to the Mansion will result in persons willing to become short, medium, and long-term volunteers at Cottonwood. The preservation of the Mansion itself and the providing of experiences of the Victorian Era will be of special interest to cultural and heritage buffs.
A few vendor spaces are still available. Details of the event, the vendor application form, and directions to the Mansion can be found at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion. Information is also availabe from Catherine Berry Stidsen at 905 772 3790 or catherine.stidsen@hwcn.org.
Renovations Underway at Cottonwood Mansion
Selkirk Site will reopen to the public on April 15th
Selkirk, Ontario, for release February 25, 2010
For additional information call Catherine Stidsen 905 772 3790
(Pictured below is Paul Otterman of Fisherville hanging the newly acquired crystal chandelier for Cottonwood's Dining Room.)
Repairs to Cottonwood Mansion's chimney, ballroom ceiling, and the upgrading of its kitchen, is currently underway at the Selkirk landmark. The site will reopen to the general public on April 15th. On April 17th it will host a Selkirk and District Showcase and a yard sale of Cottonwood items.
The upgrading of the kitchen to "approved status" will mean that it will meet the past and present legislation of the Ministry of Health and Social Services concering food preparation and service to the general public as well as members and their guests.
Tis legislation requires exchange of the present office and pantry facilities, a new entrance to the first floor washroom, additional sinks in the kitchen, and additional water purification equipment. The trustees have authorized the purchase of additional storage facilities and new work surfaces. Flatware, dishes, and matching linens for all tables have been purchased, along with some new portable round tables. The trustees are also purchasing folding chairs with padded seats and backs for the comfort of diners and patrons at other events.
The Mansion reopens to the public on April 15th. On April 17th it will host a Selkirk and District Showcase designed to remind residents and introduce newcomers to the community at large and its business, sports, churches, artists and artisans, social and service organizations. Information about participating in the Showcase can be found at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion, by e mailing catherine.stidsen@hwcn.org or calling 905 772 3790.
For immediate release, Cottonwood Mansion, Sunday, December 13, 2009
Sheila Moffat-Koczka, owner and manager of Cayuga Foodland, entertained a dozen family and friends at Cottonwood Mansion's Annual Christmas Dinner, Sunday, December 13th. Her father, William Moffatt of Hamilton, a native of Scotland (pictured below). who says that Cottonwood reminds him of his maternal grandmother's home in Edinburgh, won an antique Father Christmas during the in-house raffle which took place during the dinner.
Sixty guests and ten volunteers enjoyed the dinner. An all volunteer organization, the Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Foundation must raise $30,000 annually to maintain the property and to provide experiences of the Victorian Era.
The Mansion's next special event is a Warm-Up Country Dinner slated for 1 p.m., Sunday, January 17th. Details can be found at the Mansion website at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion, Reservations are required and can be made by calling David and Mary Ann Pearson at 905 772 5205 or emailing tubadave@primus.ca.
Bus tours are welcome at the Mansion. It may be hired for a variety of rental purposes. Details for tours and rentals are on the website along with directions to it.
Twenty Year Volunteers Donate Trees to Cottonwood Mansion
For immediate release, December 13, 2009 Catherine Berry Stidsen 905 772 3790
Marjorie and Harvey Featherston of Brantford (pictured below), twenty year volunteers at Cottonwood Mansion, Selkirk, are pictured below with one of the two trees they have donated for each corner of the front of the heritage building to enhance it's recent exterior painting.
The Featherstons have supported the Mansion since 1988 and the beginning of its restoration. This photo was taken at the annual Christmas Country Dinner at Cottonwood on Sunday, December 13th, when sixty guests and ten volunteers enjoyed the special afternoon.
The Mansion is an all volunteer organization which must raise $30,000 annually to maintain the site and to provide experiences of the Victorian Era. Its next special event is a Warm-Up Country Dinner which will take place at 1 p.m., Sunday, January 17, 2010. Details can be found at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion. Reservations are required and can be made by calling 905 772 5205 or e mailing David and Mary Ann Pearson at tubadave@primus.ca.
Pictured below is Kassidy Wilkins, Cottonwood Mansion's youngest volunteer, at last year's warm-up dinner. An in-house raffle will also be part of the 2010 event.
Cottonwood Mansion's popular Warm-Up Country Dinner will take place this year at 1 p.m., Sunday, January 17th. It features a variety of mild to highly spiced dishes most served on specialty rices. This year emphasis will be on foods from Thailand and India. Chili and Cottonwood's famous "Hamburger Soup" will also be available.
The dinner aims to provide experiences of the specialties which became so popular in the British Empire when Queen Victoria became Empress of India and which continue to be served throughout the Commonwealth and elsewhere.
Cost for the dinner is $14 for adults, $7 for children twelve and under, and pre-schoolers are free. The Mansion is located at 740 Haldimand Road 53, Selkirk. Directions to it and general information about Cottonwood can be found at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion.
Reservations are required for the dinner and must be made on or before January 10th by calling David and Mary Anne Pearson at 905 772 5205 or emailing tubadave@primus.ca.
The Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Foundation is an all volunteer organization which must raise $30,000 annually to sustain the property and to provide experiences of the Victorian Era which is its mandate. It welcomes tours and the Mansion can be rented for a variety of events, details of which are also found on the website. There is a photographic tour of the facility and photos of annual events and press releases on the site as well.
Cottonwood Mansion Cookie Walk/Bake Sale/Lunch Set for December 12th Popular Event Begins at 10 a.m., 740 Haldimand Road 53, Selkirk
For immediate release: Friday, November 20, 2009 For additional informatipn: Carolyn Burrage 905 776 1953
(Pictured below is Cottonwood volunteer Carolyn Burrage who will be convening the Mansion's popular Cookie Walk and Soup and Sandwich Lunch on Saturday, December 12th, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.)
Cottonwood Mansion's popular Cookie Walk, Bake Sale, and Soup and Sandwich Lunch, will be held this year on Saturday, December 12th, beginning at 10 a.m., at the Selkirk landmark at 740 Haldimand Road 53.
Contributions, information, and reservations for lunch are available by calling Carolyn Burrage, convener for the event, at 905 776 1953, or emailing cottonwoodmansion@linetap.com.
Other Christmas activities and special events, including directions to the Mansion, rentals and tours of it, can be found at www.linetap.com/cottonwoodmansion or by calling 905 776 2538.
The Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Foundation is a volunteer driven, not-for-profit organization which must raise $30,000 annually to maintain the Mansion and to provide experiences of the Victorian Era which is its mission mandate.
Official website of
Cottonwood Mansion 
Site maintained by the Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Foundation
Last updated: August 2010
Site maintained by the Cottonwood Mansion Preservation Foundation
Last updated: August 2010