A Victorian Cocktail Celebration: Ringing in 2026 with Dickensian Flair

By Peter Bush, descendant of Jacob Sloat

The old and new year merged at The Friends of Harmony Hall Victorian Cocktail Party on Saturday, January 3, 2026. Guests enjoyed hearty appetizers, drinks, and desserts in the beautiful glow of 1848 rooms decorated in holiday finery. Live music by Hudson Valley Wind and Brass Ensemble featured music of The Nutcracker and other Victorian Holiday favorites. In the dining room, guests were treated to a historical demonstration of Dickens' Flaming Punch, first shared in a letter dated 1847. Dickens’ love of punch was evident in many of his novels. The Pickwick Papers, his first novel published in 1836, and which made him famous, mentioned both a cold punch and a cool punch.

The buoyant mood of the exceedingly cold winter night was tempered by thoughts of friends and family instrumental in the founding of The Friends of Harmony Hall-Jacob Sloat House, including its founding President, Harrison Bush. Harrison, who passed away at age 99 on June 28, 2025, was celebrated when trustee Alison Harvey

presented Peter Bush with an original oil painting of him, a gift from the Harvey Family. All agree it captured Harrison’s warmth, intelligence, and spirit.

Town of Ramapo Supervisor Michael Specht read aloud a proclamation that recounted the many accomplishments of Harrison, including his decades as a teacher and WWII military service. It declared January 3, 2026, Harrison O. Bush, Jr. Day in the Town of Ramapo.

The evening ended as all gathered in the parlor with an orchestration of Harrison’s

favorite Christmas season hymn, “Lo, How A Rose E’er Blooming.” Guests pondered

the New Year ahead as vocalist Stacey Tirro sang an impromptu rendition of “Auld Lang Syne.”

With the 2025 front porch restoration realized after decades of planning and fundraising, The Friends look to 2026 with hopes of future restorations, events, increased membership, and growing interest in the architectural design and cultural gem that is 1848 Harmony Hall.

The Friends of Harmony Hall are excited to welcome back author and dynamic speaker Eve Kahn on Sunday, March 8, at 2 PM for a photo lecture about her new book, Queen of Bohemia Predicts Own Death: Gilded-Age Journalist Zoe Anderson Norris. Save the date. We hope to see you all there.

The Friends extend heartfelt wishes for health, happiness, peace, and prosperity to all.

A Victorian Cocktail Celebration: Ringing in 2026 with Dickensian Flair