HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS
1870s home among 6 on Dec. 1 tour
Greg and Margaret Rosenberg's talents and passions can be seen in their north Brainerd home.
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Greg's stained-glass lamps and windows and Margaret's Victorian lamp shades can be found throughout the home, as well as Margaret's doll and dinnerware collection sets.
The Rosenberg's artwork and collectibles will be displayed with Christmas decor for viewing Dec. 1 on the Heartland Symphony Orchestra Grand House Tour, supported by Thrivent Financial for Lutherans.
The Rosenberg's home is one of six on the tour, which is the main fundraiser for the orchestra. Two separate tours will include brunch at First Congregational United Church of Christ.
One of many Dept. 56 villages found in Greg and Margaret Rosenberg's home in north Brainerd. Brainerd Dispatch/ Jennifer Stockinger » Purchase reprints of this photo.
The Rosenbergs moved into their home, known as the Wilson Place, in 1981. The home was built sometime after the 1870s. Greg said their neighbors were remodeling their home and found a letter in the insulation that was written during the construction of the home. The letter said that the home was almost done and the neighbor's home - the Rosenberg's - was nearing completion, too. The letter was dated in the 1870s.
If you go
What: Heartland Symphony Orchestra Grand House Tour.
When: Dec. 1.
Time: There will be two separate tours, with one beginning at 9 a.m. and lunch served at noon; the second tour begins with brunch at 11 a.m. and the tour at 11:45 a.m.
Cost: Tickets, available at the Brainerd Dispatch, are $20. Tickets include brunch at First Congregational United Church of Christ, located near Gregory Park in Brainerd.
The Rosenberg's home was the first in Brainerd to have electricity. In previous years, the Rosenbergs held Christmas parties in July, when their children were young.
Over the decades, the home was divided many times. At one time, it was a duplex. When the Rosenbergs bought the home, they had to remodel so it would be up to code.
One of two Christmas trees in Greg and Margaret Rosenberg's home. This tree is located in the dining room. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger » Purchase reprints of this photo.
"When we moved in, there were seven coats of paint, horrible wallpaper and heavy curtains on the windows," Margaret said. "The carpet was orange shag. It was awful.
"We bought it because I fell in love with the house. After going through the house, I said, 'We'll take it.' It was $39,000 and it was a deal."
Greg said, "The home was perfect for my stained glass." He has a stained-glass art studio at the Franklin Arts Center. Pieces of his artwork are scattered throughout the home as lamps, windows and in furniture.
The Rosenbergs also bought the home because they fell in love with the architecture, including the high ceilings and original woodwork. The shag carpet was removed and hardwood floors exposed.
Greg and Margaret Rosenberg's home in north Brainerd will be one of six featured on the Heartland Symphony Orchestra Grand House Tour on Dec. 1. Brainerd Dispatch/Nels Norquist » Purchase reprints of this photo.
The original fireplace remains in the front room of the home, but cannot be used. The Rosenbergs have a nativity scene that sits in the fireplace. Also in the front room, a coffee table is filled with modern and family heirloom jewelry, including a necklace from Margaret's great-great-grandmother.
Also in the front room and living room, several Dept. 56 Christmas villages sit on shelves. The villages stay up year-round and each piece is special to the family.
The dining room features two display cabinets filled with dinnerware collectibles, including Greg's grandmother's dining set bought before she was married. Margaret said she has 10 complete sets of dinnerware among other pieces. The Rosenbergs turned a closet off the dining room into a display room for the dinnerware.
A nativity scene was displayed in front of the fireplace in Greg and Margaret Rosenberg's home in north Brainerd. The Rosenbergs' home is one of six that will be featured on the Heartland Symphony Orchestra Grand House Tour on Dec. 1. Brainerd Dispatch/Jennifer Stockinger » Purchase reprints of this photo.
Two lighted Christmas trees are on display in the home. One in the guest bedroom on the upper level features collectible ornaments. An old Campbell soup can sits on the top of the tree.
"This is the only soup can out of 30 that made it from Brainerd to Minneapolis after being tied to the back of the car on the day we were married," Margaret said. "We keep it for sentimental value."
JENNIFER STOCKINGER may be reached at jennifer.stockinger@brainerddispatch.com or 855-5851.