ROCKLAND – The public is invited to visit the Farnsworth Homestead in Rockland for a holiday open house in December.

The house, which dates from the 1850s, was built for the family of Rockland businessman William A. Farnsworth.

The Victorian home, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, will be transformed to depict how a celebrated Rockland family would decorate for the Christmas holiday.

In true Victorian fashion where “too much was not enough,” the period rooms of the Farnsworth house will be draped in greenery.

Floral centerpieces will grace tabletops and the tree in the formal parlor will be decorated to reflect the Victorian period.

On display throughout the house will be 19th century party dresses, many of which belonged to Maggie Shepard of Camden, wife of Capt. Frank Shepard, and their daughter Annabel (Shepard) Hodgman.

A large selection of the 19th century toys, dolls and games that are part of the collection of the Farnsworth Art Museum will be on display, including a furnished Victorian dollhouse built for Ella Gillchrest of Thomaston by her father in 1900.

The house is open to the public on: Dec. 2 and 3; Dec. 9 and 10; Dec. 16 and 17; Dec. 23 and 30. On Saturdays, the open houses will be held 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Sundays they will be held from 1 to 3 p.m.

There will be special Wednesday tours at 5 p.m. in December.

Reservations are required for these tours. Call Renee Carpentier at 596-6457.