Dexter Civil War Days to Feature Lincoln Dinner

The Dexter Area Historical Society is sponsoring its first-ever on June 10-12 to benefit Gordon Hall.

The event coincides with the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War, notes Paul Bishop, chairman of the Gordon Hall Management Committee.

“We were approached last year by a gentleman who thought it’d be a good idea to have a Civil War encampment,” Bishop said. “Gordon Hall was built pre-Civil War and looks like a Southern mansion somewhat. We thought it was a good idea, since 2011 is the 150th anniversary of beginning of Civil War, the sesquicentennial.”

Civil War Days at Gordon Hall will offer many outdoor activities for all ages, providing a glimpse into the lives of both civilians and soldiers during the early days of the conflict. Organizers say the heart of the event will be the military and civilian encampments of the 4th Michigan Regiment and Company A, both of which will be open for public visits Saturday and Sunday.

Other events include a performance by the Towne Band, performing an 1860s program on period instruments; storytellers; a Sunday morning church service and gospel group in the tradition of the 1860s; a Civil War-era baseball game; a scavenger hunt for children; and a family genealogy workshop.

“In the hall, on both days, a research team will help families find connections to the Civil War,” event co-chairwoman Donna Fisher said. “In my own travels, I found out I have a great-great-grandfather who served in Tennessee. (The research team) was so thorough, in two weeks they told me he worked with light artillery, where he served and so on.”

Fisher said that when she agreed to co-chair the event, she had no previous experience with war re-enactments. To remedy that, she visited similar events all over Michigan last year to get ideas.

“I’ve learned a lot,” she said. “I think we’ve put together a real quality, affordable activity that’ll be of interest to people of all ages. Anything you see will be time sensitive as much as is practical. We will have to serve one meal in paper products, and that bothers me, but we have to.”

The Lincoln Dinner on Saturday night is the centerpiece of the event. Fisher said that actors portraying President Abraham Lincoln and his wife will be in attendance, and diners are encouraged to come in period dress. Fisher said that the menu will consist of foods actually eaten at the White House during the period, including for dessert an almond cake Mary Todd made for the president when he was courting her.

Proceeds from the dinner will allow the society to pay down the debt incurred by purchasing Gordon Hall. Bishop said that the hall has great historical significance as it is the home of Judge Samuel William Dexter, the founder of the village of Dexter.

Judge Dexter built the house between 1841-1843 on about 40 acres of land and died during the Civil War era.

“His granddaughter gave the house to the University of Michigan in 1950,” Bishop said. “U of M decided to dispose of it in 2005 and put it up for bids. The historical society didn’t want a developer to buy it and put housing on it. The view is very beautiful from the porch, and we wanted to keep some of the land undeveloped and used for agriculture.”

The society bought the home for $1.5 million. Through various fundraising efforts, Bishop said the society has been able to pay down the debt to only $320,000 in five years.

Bishop said the society recently received several thousand dollars in grants to create a master plan for the hall and surrounding grounds.

“We’re in the process of creating a master plan to restore it back to where it was in 1863, the year Judge Dexter died,” she said.

Civil War Days will be held at Gordon Hall, 8341 Island Lake Rd. in Dexter, from 7-9 p.m. on June 10, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. June 11—with the Lincoln Dinner from 7-10 p.m.—and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 12. Tickets to the Civil War encampment portion are $10 general admission or $5 for school-aged children. The Lincoln Dinner is $125.

For more information, call Jennifer Colby at 734-660-4083 or Donna Fisher at 734-649-5169. For a full schedule of events, visit the organization’s website, www.dextermuseum.org, and click on Civil War Days at Gordon Hall.