Bracken House: A family makes a home

"When the household was in full operation, the Bracken house was a busy place with two parents, five children, a live-in nurse to help care for the younger children, various daily help, three dogs, and often other animals." -- Tom Sargent, author of Bracken House: A History

For more information about this tour: umc@bsu.edu.


	The Bracken family in 1963 with the first grandchildren, taken outside the front door. In the front row, Rosemary is holding Annie Bracken and Alec holds Brad Wiese. In the second row are (from left) Fred Wiese, Elizabeth Wiese, Judy Bracken, and Sandy Bracken. Standing at top are (from left) Will Bracken, Frank Bracken, and Tom Bracken. The dog is Mark. (Courtesy of Frank A. Bracken)		Living there The Bracken house was a family home with no "off-limits" areas for the children. Over the next 60 years the Bracken children and their friends, and later grandchildren explored the home's many nooks and crannies. The basement provided enough room to build a stage where plays such as A Christmas Carol and You Can't Take It With You were performed by family members and neighborhood friends. The entrance hall served as a family meeting space and theater for home movies. Among the marker events at the house were Alec and Rosemary's 25th anniversary and daughter Elizabeth's wedding. The Brackens also hosted many social events, including one in which the Vienna Boys Choir performed for guests following a local, public concert by the group.