Halls decked at Oliver House; history present wrapped within

We are fortunate to live in an area that appreciates its history.

Particularly in Cape Girardeau and Jackson, individuals have come together to preserve our historical buildings.

In Jackson, the Oliver House is a prime example.

Throughout December, the Jackson Heritage Association has hosted weekly holiday tours at the Oliver House, which is decked out in classic Victorian Christmas-themed decorations for the season.

"Every year we have the house decorated for Christmas," said Kyle Mabuce, Jackson Heritage Association member and Jackson High School history teacher. "We have a wonderful team of decorators and they have decorated the house in the Victorian style, which fits the inside of the home."

The museum will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. today.

According to a story written by Southeast Missourian feature writer Logan Young the home was most notably owned by Missouri senator Robert Burrett Oliver and his wife Marie Watkins Oliver. It is more than 150 years old and contains a number of furniture pieces relevant to the time at which the Olivers inhabited the house with their six children.

"We actually have a lot of Oliver pieces here. I think we're kind of on the more special end of things," he said. "Not only are we a historic site that's fully furnished, but we're, partially at least, furnished with Oliver pieces that go with the house."

The house, according to Young's report, was built around the middle of the 19th century, was remodeled in 1976 and was first opened for public tours in 1980. Since then, heritage association volunteers have helped remodel the home and keep it in tip-top shape for guests.

"It takes a lot of us to keep this house going, and it's a lot of different people with a lot of different backgrounds that all work toward the goal of keeping the house open and available to the public," Mabuce said.

If you're near Jackson today, consider taking a tour of the Oliver House and open up a present of local history.