Barker Mansion Hosts American Girl Doll Tea

barkerphotoBarker Mansion, 631 Washington Street, is once again holding its annual American Girl Doll Tea on Saturday, April 18 from 2:30 – 5 p.m. Area children are invited to enjoy tasty treats, a historically-based American Girl doll movie, a craft, free drawings and other surprises. A special table setting will be reserved for the children and their dolls; dolls of all kinds are welcome. An adult must accompany every two children.

The event, which is held in the Barker Mansion’s drawing room, is typically a sold-out event. The late Cecilia Zubler, past Executive Director, created it six years ago.

“We talk about etiquette. It’s a wonderful affair – a really nice tea,” shared Mary Kintzele, Executive Housekeeper and long-time employee. “Everyone has fun.”

To register for the event, please call Barker Mansion at (219) 873-1520.

Barker Mansion was built in 1857 and is on the National Register of Historical Places. The 38- room elaborate home is the former residence of local millionaire-industrialist, John H. Barker, who built the Haskell & Barker Railroad Car Company, which later became Pullman-Standard. Within five years after the structure was built, both John H. Barker and his wife, Katherine, died from illnesses just seven months apart, leaving the mansion and the Barker fortune to their only child, 14 year-old Catherine. She later donated the mansion to Michigan City. Barker Mansion is now open to fascinating tours of rare woods and marble, rich furnishings from Europe and the rest of the world, beautiful one-of-a-kind tapestries, and impressive collections of books and paintings in a magnificent testimony of Victorian turn-of-the-century lavishness.