Phipps Family History: Glimpse of Christmas Past

Red Ballroom Christmas

Visitors to Westbury House during the festive season often ask staff and volunteers how the Phipps family celebrated Christmas and if the rooms were decorated as they are today. While detailed accounts of their end-of-year holidays are few and far between, we do have some charming glimpses into their celebrations, thanks to Peggie Phipps Boegner’s memories from her early childhood between 1911-1914, when she was just 5-8 years old.

Other than Peggie's recollections, there's a lack of written records, like diaries or letters, that describe the family's Christmas traditions. However, we do have some clues from food and supply orders for Westbury House from 1918-1920, which show large quantities of dried fruit, spices, and flour—all essential for making traditional English Christmas pudding or fruitcakes.

Thankfully, newspapers from the 1920s-1940s often covered the social lives of prominent American families like the Phipps, allowing us to piece together where they spent their holidays. For instance, in the 1920s, the Palm Beach Post would report in early January when the Phipps family arrived in Palm Beach from New York for the "season." By the 1930s and 1940s, society pages noted that John and Margarita Phipps were spending more time at their homes in Middleburg, Virginia, and Tallahassee, Florida, before heading to Palm Beach.

Mr and Mrs. John S Phipps who are now in Middleburg, Va., are expected at Casa Bendita to spend the season, soon after Christmas. (December 4, 1934, The Palm Beach Post)

Mr. and Mrs. John S. Phipps are expected at Casa Bendita about Dec. 8. They will go their plantation at Tallahassee for the holidays, returning late for the season. (November 29, 1945, The Palm Beach Post)

Three generations of Douglases

As far as visual evidence in the archival collection that shows Westbury House decorated for the holidays there are very few clues. One is a photograph is of Peggie's son J. Gordon Douglas III, his father John Gordon Douglas II, and his grandfather John Gordan Douglas Jr. posing in front of the fireplace located in the White Drawing Room. A sharp-eyed observer will see that the sprigs of holly and evergreen behind the sconces and mirror are signs that the image was taken during the Christmas season.

Recently, we found an interesting photo in collection. This snapshot, probably from the late 1930s based on the clothing styles and the ages of the kids, shows the Red Ballroom of Westbury House decked out for the holidays. In the photo, you can see Jay, Dita, and Jay’s nephew Henry Bradley Martin with his first wife Katherine watching as the Martins’ daughters, Anne and Helen, open presents. Peggie’s daughter Dita and her uncle Michael Phipps are also in the scene. What’s cool is that the Christmas tree is set up in the same room Peggie described in her holiday memories from about 25 years earlier.

While we may not have all the details, these snippets help us imagine the festive spirit and the grand celebrations the Phipps family enjoyed during the holiday season.

~Paul Hunchak, Director of Visitor Services and Public Programs