The labor of love to trim the 170-year-old Greek Revival mansion requires as many hands and as many hours as volunteers are willing to give.

“I can’t think of a better way to escort in the holidays than decorating the mansion,” said GCSU professor emeritus of biology Harriett Whipple, who has been the decorating overseer for years. “It’s a neat thing to do. People from all over - retired educators, students, historians, and decorators - come together with the holiday spirit. We have a great time.”

Volunteers and Georgia College students spent Monday draping staircases and adorning mantles and tables with pine and cedar garland sprinkled with colorful dried flowers, stringing bright white lights and trimming the 19-foot Christmas tree with balls and icicle crystals in keeping with this year’s theme, “Antebellum Elegance.”

“This year we are hankering back to the mid 19th century,” said Jim Turner, director of the Old Governor’s Mansion. “It will take your breath away.”

The Christmas tree in the rotunda will be decorated with colorful, hand-made Victorian ornaments designed by Georgia College students and students in area schools.

Georgia College Early College will decorate the upstairs nursery to represent Christmas from an 1850’s child perspective.

“They’ve been studying Gov. Brown and will decorate the room using authentic decorations,” Whipple said.

The Old Governor’s Mansion is closed and tours suspended this week for the weeklong, decorating marathon in preparation for its holiday debut Saturday, Dec. 6.

Throughout this week volunteers adorned the mansion with more than 1,000 yards of garland, sprays of cotton, pheasant and peacock feathers, hundreds of glittery balls, thousands of lights and candles and bushels of fruit.

Al Woods of Warthen Lane Interiors in Sandersville decorated a banister Monday morning with reb ribbon, green hydrangeas, gold wood roses and cotton.

“We couldn’t decorate without the help of our faithful volunteers and people in the community,” Turner said. “We’re very appreciative.”

In addition to daytime tours, the mansion will glow with three nights of candlelight tours on Dec. 6, 13 and 18. Guests will be treated to music filling the rotunda provided by the Bobcat brass, Milledgeville Singers, First Baptist Hand Bell Choir, Sweet Adelines and First Presbyterian Church Choir.

“It’s completely different this year,” said Matt Davis, assistant curator of education at the Old Governor’s Mansion. “And for those families who have made visiting the mansion a holiday tradition, they really want to see it this year. Maybe even twice to take advantage of the candlelight tours.”

The Old Governor’s Mansion was the home to eight of Georgia’s governors from 1839 to 1868. Since 1889, the mansion has been part of Georgia College & State University. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1973. The mansion re-opened in February 2005 following a $9 million restoration.