The Lawnside Historical Society will present its interpretation of Christmastime as celebrated by former slaves on Saturday, Dec. 10 from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Peter Mott House Underground Railroad Museum, 26 Kings Court, Lawnside. Admission is $2.

The program features stories and re-enactments based on information from the autobiographies of Frederick Douglass and Booker T. Washington and other sources. Ida B. Conaway, 80-year-old life member of the Society will portray a former fugitive. She will be joined by Peter Mott re-enactor Clinton Higgs, Jr., 8th grade volunteer Marcus Tutt and Linda Waller as Eliza Mott. The Rev. Mott and his wife assisted runaways.

Music depicting the slave Christmas from "The Long Road to Freedom," an anthology of Black Music collected over 30 years by Harry Belafonte, was the impetus for the program.

"This is the season when traditions like the colonial Christmas are showcased. We thought the Society should devote its attention to how African Americans' ancestors observed this time, at liberty and in bondage," said Ms. Waller, Society president. Visitors to the Mott House will receive a simple treat in keeping with slave and freedmen's practices.

The Mott House was opened on Oct. 13, 2001, after 12 years of restoration work. Visiting hours are noon to 3 p.m. each Saturday, and other days by appointment. For more information, call the Mott House at 856-546-8850 or visit the Web site: http://www.petermotthouse.org.

The Lawnside Historical Society is a non-profit, tax exempt organization dedicated to the preservation of the Peter Mott House and the promotion of Lawnside's heritage as a uniquely African-American town.