During my August blogging break I enjoyed several tea outings. Today I'm sharing the 'Tea and Talk' that was held at the Governor Warner Mansion, on August 25th in Farmington, MI - just 26 miles from where I live.
Fred M. Warner, Michigan's 26th Governor, served three terms from 1905 thru 1911. A Farmington resident most of his life, he lived in the 1867 Victorian Italianate mansion built by his father. His daughter was the last family member to occupy the mansion, and his grandchildren donated it to the City of Farmington in 1980.
Located on Grand River Avenue, many City events are held on the wrap-around porch during the spring, summer and fall, as weather permits.
Gazabo near the gardens.
The mansion is a Michigan Historic Site.
The 'talk' portion of the tea was the life of Mary Todd Lincoln.
The tea was held on the lovely wrap-around porch, and was only $15 per person. It was a beautiful Sunday afternoon, and perfect for an outdoor tea.
The tea meal consisted of three tea sandwiches: Ham Spread on Caraway Bread; Cucumber with Dill and Cream Cheese on White Bread; and Egg Salad on Wheat Bread. A cup of Fresh Fruit with Mint accompanied the sandwiches.
The scone was Mixed Fruit with Lemon Curd, Jam, and Devonshire Cream. Yummy!
The servers were volunteers. The tea was 'Royal Wedding' - a black tea blend of Strawberry, Kiwi, and Mango by Amy Lawrence in Washington State. It was outstanding!
Ladies had a wonderful time at the sold-out event.
Dessert was served in a compote-like dish filled with a Brandied Cherry, Angel Food Cake and Vanilla Custard, topped with Whipped Cream, and Candied Pineapple.
Joan McGlincy impersonated Mary Todd Lincoln, and did an awesome job!
Joan has researched Mary Todd Lincoln's life extensively, and said she sometimes feels she knows more about Mrs. Lincoln than she knows about herself! ;-)
The 19th Amendment that guaranteed all American women the right to vote was ratified on August 18, 1920. The historic date was one week before the tea, so it was acknowledged and honored at the tea.
Isn't this little girl cute?
There were vendors at booths on the grounds selling tea, hats/fascinators, jewelry and representatives from the City's Garden Club. It was a delightful afternoon.
The mansion is open April thru December. It can be toured on Wednesdays as well as the first Sunday of the month. My girlfriend and I plan to return on a Wednesday for a tour and have lunch at nearby Ginger's [a former tea room] afterwards.
[Photo courtesy of Ginger's]
You visit the most interesting places! I do wish there were more tea rooms around where I live. This one looks wonderful, and what an interesting "talk" to go along with it! I did get to go to tea at the Jekyll Island Club while at a convention this past weekend. It was delightful. I read a review of it on a tea blog several months ago, which unfortunately I can't find now, but I convinced several friends that we should include this in our island plans, so we did! Anyway, back to the post, Ginger's looks like fun, too, and we'll look forward to reading about it in the near future.
ReplyDeleteHow charming! History and hospitality all in one sunny afternoon.
ReplyDeleteI Do like dropping in for your fun adventures!
rachel
Thanks for sharing the details and your wonderful photos of this lovely and memorable event!
ReplyDeleteOh, lovely times!
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