Let me back up. The Santa Claus Church was built in 1880 and like all old buildings, it isn’t exactly sealed from the elements. This particular church had a baseball sized hole on the side of the structure which apparently provided an enticing home for the local wildlife. A few weeks ago, I noticed a bird flying in and out through that hole and made a note to have someone plug it. Over the weekend, one of my wonderful volunteers stopped by and nailed a board over the hole, effectively sealing it up.

All was right with the world until I ran over to the church yesterday to grab some cleaning supplies.  I popped inside and only vaguely noticed the sound of cheeping. I think I even smiled a little… spring had arrived! Suddenly, it registered that the cheeping was coming from inside the church walls. Realizing there was no way to take a look from inside the church, I high-tailed it outside. Sure enough, that hole was buttoned up tight and the noise was coming from right behind the board. Now I had a problem. Baby birds. No access in or out. Cue the panic.

I should mention that I am an animal lover. I have two dogs and a turtle, and I religiously fill up our bird feeders once a week.  It should come as no surprise that the thought of little baby birds stranded inside a wall made me feel queasy. Lacking a crowbar on site, I decided to enlist the help of my husband later that evening.

It was a long day and neither of us arrived home until after dark. My husband is a Park Ranger who knows a thing or two about biology. He’s also a realist. When I explained the bird predicament, he very practically stated that it was probably too late. The mama bird had not been able to get to her babies for at least a day and they were likely dead already. I’m going to chalk it up to a long day, but I started crying. I swear I could feel the weight of their little deaths on my conscience already.

Predictably, this was enough to cause my husband to dig out the crowbar. God bless the man. The two of us drove back to the Church and by the light of the car headlights, he pried off that board and allowed a very faint peep to float out on the warm night air. My husband looked at me seriously, assured me he was happy to help, but warned me that their survival was still a long shot. And no, we could not dig the nest out of the wall and bring the birds home.

Happily, the birds were still cheeping away this morning. Despite the odds, I’m hopeful that Mama Bird found her way back to the nest. As for me, I’m going to try and refrain from checking on them over the next few days. I’d rather not know if the cheeping suddenly stops, though I’m mostly convinced that it would only mean they grew up and flew away. Hopefully by Saturday the only visitors stopping by the church will be using the main entrance, rather than a hole in the wall.

Strings, Inc. is a non-profit arts organization dedicated to providing professional, personalized violin instruction for students in south-central Indiana.  Strings was formed in 1988 with 17 students and one part-time instructor.  Today the program serves over 75 students with one part-time and two full-time instructors.  Mrs. Ann Brown of Ferdinand has been the official director of Strings since October of 1993. During its history, Strings has served students, ages 3 to adult, from Dubois, Spencer, Orange, Pike, Daviess and Martin counties.

Strings was formed in part to supplement the music education in these counties which do not offer stringed instrument instruction in their schools. Stings uses the Suzuki method of music education, which was was developed in Japan by Dr. Shinichi Suzuki in 1945 and was introduced to the United States in the 1960′s.  The Suzuki method is recognized and used worldwide as a great tool for the training of the arts.  It is based on the mother tongue approach to learning: just as children learn to speak their native language through a natural process of listening, imitating and repeating, so can children first learn to play music and subsequently learn how to read notes.

For more information, please call 812-544-2434 or email elf@santaclausmuseum.org.

In lieu of flowers, as per Philip’s wishes, the family asks for donations to be made to the Santa Claus Museum. Philip was a train collector and enthusiast, and an antique historical train room will be created in his honor. For those wishing to send their condolences and donations, please address all correspondence to:

The Santa Claus Museum

PO Box 1

Santa Claus, Indiana 47579

Our thoughts are with the Koch Family during this difficult time.

Santa Claus Museum Seeks Photographs for a New Book on Santa Claus, IND

(March 5, 2013) Santa Claus, Ind. – The Santa Claus Museum & Village is seeking photographs, letters, and other memorabilia related to the history of the town of Santa Claus, Indiana, Santa Fee, Indiana and the area surrounding the original town site of Santa Claus. The Museum has partnered with Arcadia Publishing to release a local history book on the town of Santa Claus. The book will cover the early history of the town and the numerous families that settled there, the establishment of local tourist attractions, the development of businesses, and the widespread celebration of Christmas. “We really want this book to be an inclusive town history,” says Emily Thompson, Director of the Santa Claus Museum & Village. “We are asking people to look through their family photographs and set aside any snapshots that relate to the town of Santa Claus, especially town scenes, early family portraits, Christenings, weddings, etc., as well as photos of the old churches, schools and businesses.” Thompson asks that those who are interested in having their photographs included in the book get in touch with the museum by sending an email to ethompson@santaclausmuseum.org or calling 812-544-2434. The museum will scan the original photographs before returning them to their owner and will include captions and photo credits for each image. The Santa Claus Museum hopes to have the book completed by this summer.

Arcadia specializes in publishing local history books, and their Images of America series features small towns across America. The books are typically compiled and written by local authors, and rely heavily on historic photographs to convey the story of a community. Arcadia has previously published several books highlighting historic Southern Indiana, including Holiday World and Indiana’s Lincolnland.

The Santa Claus Museum & Village is dedicated to the preservation and interpretation of the cultural and natural history of Santa Claus, Indiana and continues the tradition of Santa’s Elves, Inc. by answering letters to Santa. For additional information on special events and hours of operation, visit www.santaclausmuseum.org or call 812-544-2434.

Arcadia Publishing has published thousands of books in their series on regional and local history, including books on Holiday World and Indiana’s Lincolnland. Check out their website for more information on the Images of America Series and send in those photos!

We are now closed for the season and will re-open in May, 2013. Please keep checking our website for additional information on upcoming special events and plans for 2013.

We wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Tri-State Harp Ensemble: Christmas Concert

The Santa Claus Museum & Village will host the Tri-State Harp Ensemble’s annual Christmas concert on Sunday, December 16, from 2:30 pm – 3:30 pm in the historic Santa Claus Church.  This ensemble of ten harpers and harpists was founded in the fall of 2009 and shares beautiful harp music with the community in twice-yearly concerts.  The harps played range in size from 26-string lap harps to 47-string concert grand pedal harps, and the group is made up players of all ages from around the tri-state area.  The concert will feature sacred and popular Christmas music.  Admission is free, and visitors are welcome to stop in and enjoy the music throughout the hour.

Check out those new red windows!

Construction continues on the 1856 Santa Claus Post Office building! As of early November, we have new windows, lights, and fresh paint. The newly restored building is slated to be open by December 1st, just in time for you to write your Christmas letter to Santa. Stay tuned for more pictures and updates!

The front section of the interior of the building will resemble an old-fashioned Post Office. You’ll be able to write and mail your letters to Santa in a beautiful and festive setting!