The Hallstrom House was alive with holiday spirit during the historic property’s annual St. Lucia Celebration, hosted by the Indian River County Historical Society.
Ruth Hallstrom bequeathed the century-old homestead to the Historical Society in 1999. Located on the site of the pineapple plantation established by her father, Axel Hallstrom, the magnificent home has become a beacon of cultural preservation.
The Historical Society has restored the property and preserved artifacts, photographs, documents, furniture and memorabilia collected by the Swedish settlers to save, preserve and restore its historical and environmental resources.
The house was festooned with Scandinavian Christmas decorations for visitors to marvel over as they toured the property, soaking in the nuances of a Swedish culture mixed with a decidedly Florida flair.
Many of the ornaments were made of straw, as a reminder that Jesus was born in a manger. Straw hearts, Jublock (yule goats) and tomtes (gnomes) graced the large sand-pine Christmas tree in the living room and miniature trees spread holiday cheer throughout the rest of the house.
Before the festivities commenced, Ruth Stanbridge, IRCHS board president and county historian, shared a brief history of the property, before unveiling a recently erected historical marker.
“This house is on the National Register of Historic Places and, with this marker, we became a Florida Landmark,” Stanbridge explained.
Nels Hallstrom, cousin to the late Ruth Hallstrom, thanked the Historical Society for their efforts in preserving the property.
“They do such a great job of taking care of this house and actually using it for many fine functions,” said Hallstrom. “The way they use it to continue the Swedish heritage and for the people of Vero brings the history of the community closer together.”
Refreshments were served in the carriage house, which the Historical Society eventually hopes to revamp for use as a kaffe butik (coffee shop). Goodies such as Lussekatter/Julgalt (St. Lucia saffron buns), kardemumma kaka (coffee cake), mazarin (almond tarts), toscakaka (almond cake) muskotsnittar (nutmeg slice cookies) and pepparkakor (gingersnaps) sweetened everyone’s mood before they gathered inside the house for the St. Lucia procession.
Wearing a wreath of lingonberry branches with seven lighted candles upon her head, Maddie McCain posed as St. Lucia and led her handmaidens and a gingerbread boy in a procession through the house. The ceremony is meant to bring light to the world on the shortest day of the year, the Winter Solstice.
For more information, visit irchistorical.org.
Photos by: Leigh Green
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