PRINCEVILLE — For about three dozen ladies, this was a chance to go back in time. The ladies gathered Friday at the home of Lori Marston in Princeville to enjoy a Victorian tea party. The event was a trial run
PRINCEVILLE — For about three dozen ladies, this was a chance to go back in time.
The ladies gathered Friday at the home of Lori Marston in Princeville to enjoy a Victorian tea party.
The event was a trial run for what may become a Kaua‘i Historical Society fundraiser, Marston said.
“Next year, we want to expand the event into an island-wide fundraiser,” she said in an e-mail. “We at the Kaua‘i Historical Society want to take advantage of the rich, full history that our island has to offer by featuring, on an annual basis, a Kaua‘i family, their family recipes, their history and how they influenced life on the island — all presented in the setting of one of our historical homes.”
Friday’s event centered on the life of Mary Dorothea Rice Isenberg, her accomplishments and time on Kaua‘i at the turn of the century. It was presented by Pat Griffin, president of the Lihu‘e Business Association, in a setting that brought guests back to the turn of the century.
“I had ladies spending the past two or three days here getting everything ready for the tea party,” Marston said.
Guests arrived in period dresses, many being family heirlooms, and Marston strongly suggested all ladies create a Victorian tea party hat for the occasion, a suggestion that was readily accepted as guests squealed with delight, admiring each other’s creations.
Two different teas used during the turn of the century were served up along with a variety of appetizers created using Isenberg family recipes.
Grove Farm Cookies, a Deviled Ham Chutney and Soft Gingerbread were among the offerings of sandwiches with a White Wine Punch to wash it down.
At a prominent spot on a guest table, the tea service set acquired by Grace Guslander for the Coco Palms hotel greeted guests to the event along with other artifacts from that era, punctuated by historical note cards and literature about the Kaua‘i Historical Society.
Mary Requilman, Kaua‘i Historical Society director, said the event was very appropriate.
“Having people enjoy the history of Kaua‘i in a historical building and learning about the families and people that molded our island is almost like reliving our history,” she said.
