At the Staatsburgh State Historic site, formerly Mills Mansion, a Holiday Whodunit!
Whodunnit at Mills Mansion, Staatsburg? Wedidit! This past Sunday in honor of the Christmas season, we headed over to the Mills’ house, young child in tow, hoping to entertain ourselves with history, decor and mystery. We had spent many weekends walking and sledding on the grounds of the house, but had never been inside together.
As we entered through the back door and made our way up the steep back staircase, I wondered if our youngster understood that we were inside the same building we’d circled around regularly every weekend. My question was inspired by a memory from my niece’s childhood. She was also about five when we spent Christmas at my dad’s farmhouse in Maine. We left the house through the front door and spent the afternoon sledding. Hours later, when we returned and came in through the kitchen door, she made a quiet inquiry about “the other house.” It took the adults a minute to realize she didn’t know we were in the same place, but had come in by another door.
Oh, the mysteries of the mind are compelling, especially those of a child’s mind! A child is featured in the mystery at Mills, a story that is told and retold every weekend until the New Year. In fact a child is one of the suspects. The story is that John Bodenstein, the ice monger in Staatsburg in the early 20th century, had made enough money to buy a Model T, the first in town. He had driven up to the house to collect a bill and show off his new wheels. After going inside, he returned to his car and saw that the crank was gone! Heavens!
The cast of suspects includes a little girl, Gertrude, who loved shiny things, a maid named Bridget who had been caught stealing before, the coachman and the footman. The entertainment for visitors is to wander around the house, encountering characters in period costume who are fully versed in the habits and whereabouts of the four suspects. The clever young visitor can pose questions to help solve the mystery of the missing crank.
Two eleven year old girls we met, were very enthused by the game. Their clipboards were covered with notes. Each question they asked was delivered with a serious, courtroom-worthy expression. Our little detective knew immediately by instinct who the culprit was, so didn’t need to ask many questions. “You ask!” was the refrain we heard each time we approached a “servant” or a “gentleman.” As an adult in the party, I wasn’t as drawn in by the costumes and characters, as I imagine the children were. I remember visitng Sturbridge Village as a child and feeling that I had literally entered another time period. I hope a similar experience was theirs in that wonderful setting. For me, it was a joy to be inside this piece of gilded history at Christmas time.
Don’t miss this event for the family. It’s free for kids ages 12 and under. $5.00 for adults.
I attended the holiday whodunnit and checked my mail for weeks afterwards to hear who the culprit was. For some reason, I didn’t get the information. Do you know who stole the crank?