130 years and counting for a Cape Girardeau landmark

A Cape Girardeau landmark will turn 130 on Saturday, and thanks to the support of the community, it isn't showing its age.

A celebration will take place at the Glenn House to mark the milestone and to make sure the house stays open for another 130 years, said Tom Grantham, Historical Association of Greater Cape Girardeau president.

The "birthday party," as Grantham calls it, is also an opportunity to teach others about the association's Capital Fundraising Campaign.

"Old houses are difficult to maintain and need many repairs," he explained. "When the campaign began in December, we identified about $130,000 needed to maintain the house, which tied in well with the birthday."

The association also has hosted a series of "Downton Abbey"-themed dinners to raise money and allow visitors to experience the Victorian-style home in a new way.

Guests gather around the dinner table Monday, April 15, 2013 at the Glenn House in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

Grantham said the idea to host the dinners came from a consultant hired through a grant from the Missouri Humanities Council, which helped the group find new ways to interest the community in the Glenn House. Grantham said his wife, Donna Grantham, was a big fan of "Downton Abbey," the hit television program, and she ran with the idea.

"It just so happens we have a very fitting name for those times," Grantham said. "So the invitations would say 'Lord and Lady Grantham invite you to a formal dinner this evening at the Glenn House.'" The fictional head of Downton Abbey is Lord Grantham.

He said the dinner emulates a formal evening in Victorian society -- from food to conversation. Association members set the theme by wearing period costumes and talking about the changes of the times, including "newfangled lights and horseless carriages."

The dinner includes several courses, including roasted salmon, venison, roasted goose and multiple desserts, Grantham said. The meals are authentic to the times, prepared using a cookbook from 1896.

"Rays of Kelso does all of our catering," said Grantham. "We told them we wanted the food to be really authentic so they actually used the cookbook. The chef said he had to buy a few spices he's never used before, but I think he enjoyed trying something so different."

Mary Lou and Tom Bass relax on the porch Monday, April 15, 2013 while their guests dine inside the Glenn House in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

Because only ten people can be seated in the dining room at once, Grantham said the entire dinner series has been sold out. Since it has been so popular among the community, however, he said there's a possibility the Historical Society will host another series of these dinners for future fundraisers.

The birthday party will be less formal and open to the general public. Weather permitting, Grantham said most of the celebration, including the cake cutting ceremony and live music, will be in an outdoor tent.

The History Alive Living History Interpretive Group, a group of Southeast Missouri State University students dedicated to reviving public interest in history, will also dress in period costumes and teach children popular games of the Victorian era.

"I think that will really get the people engaged," said Grantham. "We enjoy showing children a different life and making them think about the things we all take for granted today."

The house will be open for tours, with photos and memorabilia on display. The celebration begins at 1 p.m. Saturday. Admission is $2.50 for adults and $1 for children.

Tom Bass, in the role of the butler, waits for guests to arrive Monday, April 15, 2013 for dinner at the Glenn House in Cape Girardeau. (Laura Simon)

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

325 S. Spanish St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.