Fanthorp Inn Halloween coach Rides
ANDERSON - Discover the strange and macabre ways early Texans mourned the loss of a loved one on Halloween weekend during Focus Weekend on Fanthorp Funeral Practices. Staff and volunteers will be dressed in full mourning attire in commemoration of the 155th anniversary of Henry Fanthorp’s passing which happened on Oct. 31, 1867. “This program allows us to use the Halloween season to convey a larger historical message about death and mourning in the 19th Century,” said Chandler Wahrmund, Educator, Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site. The event will occur Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 29 and 30 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Interpreters dressed in authentic 1860s funeral wear (including black veils and mourning bands) will guide visitors through the tumultuous time leading up to and immediately following the death of Henry and Rachel Fanthorp in 1867.
Visitors will have a chance to see how the inn transformed following their passing. For these two days only, Henry Fanthorp’s Masonic Sword will return to the inn and be on display. In addition, dressed interpreters from the Sam Houston Memorial Library will be on site to talk about the anniversary of Margaret Houston’s passing and her relationship to Fanthorp Inn. There will also be hair art displays, masonic funeral services, and cemetery tours going on throughout the day. On Saturday only, from 11 a.m. until 3 p.m., you can hop aboard the replica stagecoach for a ride through Anderson. Admission is free and open to the public. Cash donations are appreciated. Due to the macabre nature of the subject this program might not be suitable for children under 10.
Fanthorp Inn State Historic Site, a Texas Historical Commission property, is a stagecoach stop and inn located on Main Street in Anderson, Texas. Henry Fanthorp had the inn constructed in 1834 as a home for his wife Rachel Kennard. Notable guests include Henderson K Yoakum, Kenneth Anderson, Dr. Anson Jones, and Sam Houston. Step into the inn’s past and gain a true sense of travelers’ experiences in Texas in the 1850s. For more information visit www.visitfanthorpinn.com.