Ellen, Jorge and some friends were given a private tour of Thornhill Manor around Christmas time 2025. It is Ellen’s historic childhood home. There were 8 decorated Christmas trees downstairs! Note that wreaths are hung in all the windows in the front of the house. How did they get there? For many years they were hung by a young son as his father clutched his feet while he hung out of each window. This year they were professionally hung. 

The new owner, Phillip Zabriskie has painstakingly  researched the history of the house. He has kept much the same while tastefully adding his own touches.

A grand player piano in the middle of the hall plays any kind of music on demand. The library has the same knotty pine walls taken from the attic floor seventy-five years ago by Ellen’s mother and father. With its large fireplace, it is still the comfortable gathering place. Ellen’s sister’s cookbook is proudly displayed

A pencil-written plaque about the soldiers advancing in the Valley during the Civil War was found above the front door during a modest renovation. It now has a place of honor. 

Phillip found that the beautiful carvings in the dining room and living room were not done by the Hessian soldier as we had always thought. They were carved by an Irishman named Edward Slater who arrived in Winchester in 1787 as the house was being built.  

We also included a few pics of Winchester’s downtown walking mall with all its twinkly Christmas lights.