A flavorful walk
For the second straight year, a walk through the Senator Walter Lowrie House, at 123 W. Diamond St. in Butler yielded tasty rewards.
A Christmas Cookie Walk was held to raise money for the Butler County Historical Society. For $10, participants were given a box that they carried to four different rooms inside the historic house, filling it up with choices from a variety of cookies handmade by volunteers.
“The fundraising is part of why we do this,” said Jennifer Ford, the society’s executive director. “But the other reason is community engagement. Some people decide to come back for tours and end up getting more involved.”
A year ago, the first cookie walk included 2,400 cookies that were gone within 45 minutes. To meet the expected demand this time, volunteers baked 3,600 cookies.
“When people are done walking through the house, they have to be able to close their boxes,” Ford said. “Last year, some were walking out of here with the lids at a 45-degree angle. We learned our lesson.”
Cookies could be found on tables in the dining room and three upstairs bedrooms. Volunteers from the Junior Women’s Club of Butler County and the Knoch High School History Club gave details on the ingredients of each cookie and placed them in boxes once people made their selections. Victorian-themed decorations, including a Christmas tree prepared by historical society member Jeff Double, added holiday ambience to the walk.
Kathy Wheeler, of Butler, paid $20 and has a plan for her two boxes of goodies.
“I’m not baking,” she exclaimed. “I’ll probably stick these in the freezer and bring them out for Christmas.”
To which her friend, Cathy Geagan of Lyndora replied, laughing: “As many that make it through the night!”
Geagan said Italian Snowballs caught her eye.
“They’re dry and sweet,” she said. “I like a dry, crumbly cookie.”
When asked how many were in her box, Geagan flashed a sheepish grin and said: “At least six.”
One of the more interesting options was a biscuit made with jam tart and porridge and mixed with water. They were a favorite of U.S. soldiers in Europe during World War I, since they kept well over a period of time and needed to be shipped overseas.
Another was a molasses cookie made from a recipe that was found at the Lowrie House, built in 1828.
“I was here last year, and the cookies were really good,” said Geagan. “They have such a wonderful selection.”
On Dec. 16 at 7 p.m., the Lowrie House will host two Butler County historians who will speak about Christmas in the past and how it was celebrated.
