Whether greeting guests, conducting tours or explaining the history behind some of Columbus” oldest structures, children have played a prominent role in the city”s Pilgrimage since it began 69 years ago.
From preschoolers to high school students, kids each year don pre-Civil War and antebellum-style dresses and suits and portray a variety of historical figures at each of the city”s Pilgrimage houses.
“I have definitely enjoyed it every year I”ve been in it,” Jamie Dornan, 11, said Wednesday morning shortly after pointing out several antiques in the main hallway at Errolton, a Pilgrimage home on Third Avenue South. “It”s really a good way to learn about the history of the city and some of the older houses here.”
Although some young Pilgrimage hosts and hostesses aid historic homeowners in an attempt to gain monthly service hours required by their schools, many youthful performers volunteer their time to the event.
“I just like to do it,” laughed 11-year-old Mary Porter, who was a hostess in the parlor at Errolton. “Some kids do it to get service hours. I just like the time period and the fashion.”
Whether kids come to the nearly two-century-old houses on a volunteer basis or through school activities, parents and homeowners agree they provide a “big help” during the Pilgrimage festival.
“We enjoy having them here. Having many children in and around the house helps us to be more historically accurate,” said Sid Caradine, owner of the Amzi Love house on Seventh Street South. “Actually, most of our hosts and hostesses here are children because, during the time period we are portraying here, the homeowners would have had five daughters and a son in the house.
“I have personally been a part of the Pilgrimage since 1981, and we have always tried to have many young hosts and hostesses each year,” Caradine added.
Though many of the child performers volunteer to fill spots in Pilgrimage homes each year, the job requires much work and preparation, they said.
“Before the Pilgrimage began, we had to read about and learn the history behind pretty much everything in this room,” said 17-year-old Rachel Burns, a hostess in an Amzi Love bedroom along with 9-year-old Grace Isakson and 15-year-old Jodi Brown.
“It”s not too hard, but sometimes the dates and times are difficult to remember,” laughed Brown.
Preparation for the Pilgrimage sometimes begins months before the first home tour of the festival, Dornan explained.
“I”ve been a part of the Pilgrimage for four years, but this is the first time I”ve ever done it at Errolton,” said Dornan. “I started coming to the house probably at least a few months ago and started looking at everything and learning about the house”s history.
“I move between different rooms here, so I have to know a lot about almost everything in the house so I can explain it to people who come through,” Dornan added. “It definitely takes a little bit of homework.”
Because the young hosts and hostesses must study the history of some of the city”s oldest houses and explain it to hundreds of visitors each year, the experience helps them develop important life skills, said some parents and homeowners.
“One big advantage of this is that it teaches them a lot about local history that they may not otherwise learn,” said Melanie Hintz, whose three daughters and son, all younger than 12, were speaking with and escorting visitors throughout the Amzi Love grounds. “It gives them an opportunity to see history with their eyes and actually be able to explore it.
“Out of everything they learn in school, I think this will be the thing they remember the most,” Hintz added, noting her children, like most young performers Wednesday, were home-schooled. “I was afraid they would be shy when they got here, but apparently they aren”t afraid of anything.”
Although a few of the youth hosts and hostesses Wednesday were public school students, most were either home-schooled or private school students.
“It”s great that all these kids are getting this experience now, but it used to be that city schools let the kids out at least one day to help out during the Pilgrimage,” said Caradine. “I really think they should go back to doing it that way.
“Learning about the houses and speaking in front of people really helps them to build their self-confidence,” Caradine added. “I”ve had parents for years telling me that the Pilgrimage helped to build their child”s maturation level.
“We”ve had children helping us out year after year, and it”s been working out just fine,” Caradine said. “I think they will be helping us out for many more years to come.”
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