At the time of the Fenton’s first Christmas in the Fenton Mansion in 1864 Christmas trees were small table-top size. At that time small taper candles were used to light up the tree. They were fastened to the branches with a wire that pierced the base of the candle and then the wire was wound around the branch to secure it in an upright fashion. As you can image this system was not always successful. Twenty years later the tradition had changed from the small tree to a floor-to-ceiling sized trees. Candles were still used; however the holders had evolved into a holder with a counterbalancing weight below. This system was patented in 1867. The weights were often clay and painted in festive colors; sometimes they were molded into figures or shapes. The weights could not be used on small branches because they were heavy. They also could slip off fairly easily, increasing the risk of fire. Ladies magazines of the day recommended using 400 candles on a 12-foot tree.

The dangers of candles on a tree are evident in this description of a 1870s Christmas:

“Christmas morning we were awake early, but it was an inviolate rule that the tree could not be seen until after breakfast was eaten. So we hurried through a perfunctory meal … while father and mother went in … to light the candles. When the door was opened we marched in and clear around the tree, taking in the beauty of the candles, and the tree festooned with strings of cranberries and popcorn and gaily colored ribbons, while we looked for the gifts hidden in the branches and protruding from our stockings. Then there was the most delightful odor of scorching cedar, and Father would keep walking around and around the tree smothering every smoking stem and keep the candles burning safely.”

Families also kept a bucket of water and a stick with a rag tied to the end for fire emergencies. It should also be noted that the tree was only lit once or twice during the season and then only for short time periods.

Spring-clip candleholders were invented in 1879 and quickly became popular. Unlike the counterweighted variety, these holders couldn’t keep the candle absolutely straight, but were safer because they stayed in place on the branches. The clips frequently were decorated. Eventually their design was enhanced by the addition of an adjustable ball-and-socket joint that could be rotated to keep the candle upright. Most early holders featured metal discs below the candle base to catch wax and keep it from dripping onto other ornaments or the floor.

Many families continued to have candle-lit trees even after electric lights were available, preferring the sight of flickering candles to multi-colored bulbs. The first electrically-lit tree was in the New York City home of Edward Johnson, an inventor that worked for Thomas Edison, in 1882. He used a string of eighty small electric light bulbs. He eventually became vice-president of Edison’s electric company.

Electric Christmas tree lights quickly became the rage among wealthy Americans, but the average citizen didn’t use them until the 1920s or later. In 1908 insurance companies prohibited lighted candles on client’s trees because of the great risk of fire. By 1917 safety Christmas tree lights were invented.

The Fenton History Center is offering Candlelight Tours of the Fenton Mansion during the month of December. The mansion is decked out with the Signs of the Season exhibit. Costumed guides will lead small groups through the mansion explaining the many parts of the beautiful and informative exhibit. The tours are Saturday nights at 7 p.m., Dec. 7, 14, 21 and 28. Space is limited, reservations are strongly recommended. The cost is $15 for potential members and $10 for member of the Fenton History Center. Memberships are available prior to the tours.