The GFWC-MFWC Civic Woman’s Club will host the annual Christmas Pilgrimage on Saturday., December 4th from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. Tickets can be purchased in advance from Checkered Lily or The Glass Porch for $10 or at the door of the homes for $12.
Ticket holders will be able to tour four homes and one church which will include: Christopher Judge, Mary Hugh Roberts, Joe and Donna Smith, Bill and Evelyn Edwards and Pine Grove Baptist Church. All these places will feature a variety of holiday decorations and styles of celebrating during the Christmas season. All proceeds will fund scholarships for Pearl River Central High School and Picayune Memorial High School.
The Christopher Judge home is the first home being featured for the Christmas Pilgrimage.

Christmas at Thorningten Farm
Driving up to Thorningten Farm at 119 Riley Boone Road in Carriere, home of Christopher Judge, you will have the feeling of being on a European Country estate with its formal placement of boxwood hedges around the large stunning fountain surrounded by poinsettias at the front of the classic home. Guests are greeted by traditional wreaths of pine, magnolia, and spruce featured on the iron entrance gates. A pair of sentry lions boast grapevine wreaths accented with pyracantha and holiday greenery. The sconces which flank the front door are fitted with wreaths of magnolia, cedar, and pine. Large red poinsettias fill the planters at the base of the front steps and iron railings are trimmed with swags of natural greenery.
As you enter the living room your eye is drawn to the Christmas tree decorated with a collection of mouth-blown, hand painted European ornaments and topped with a gold crown. The home is decorated with antiques and family heirlooms. A travertine fireplace boasts a cypress mantle which was salvaged from the home of the owner’s grandmother. A pheasant is nestled among holly, pine, and magnolia from the gardens. One corner holds an 18th century altar piece which originated in a French cathedral. The room has a hand-painted ceiling and wide-plank flooring from reclaimed antique pine. The painting of St. Michael above the baby grand piano was created by New Orleans artist August Martens. A Lenox porcelain nativity scene resting on the sideboard completes the Christmas atmosphere.
The European feeling continues into the kitchen with a commercial range surrounded by a stacked-slate stone wall, and antique French ladder serving as a pot-rack, and tumbled oro travertine for the floor. Christmas cheer is evident here with a topiary fashioned of citrus and boxwood clippings from the home’s gardens. Beyond the kitchen is a dining room set for Christmas Day culinary delights. The antique monastery table is set with Royal Crown Derby Imari china. The table’s centerpiece is arranged with pine, cedar, pyracantha, and magnolia. A large grapevine wreath accented with magnolia, and featuring an antique paper-mache’ angel, hangs on the large mirrored wall. Be sure to notice the antique French olive jar.
The classic splendor reaches its zenith in the study. There the homeowner displays his extensive collection of 17th and 18th century Indonesian daggers, known as a “kris.” The copper-leafed ceilings and wool plaid drapes and ottoman add a feeling of warmth.
The guest bedroom is designed around an equestrian theme. The deer antler chandelier is adorned with pine and cedar greenery. The master bedroom features walls covered with copper-colored silk and wool carpeting.
To the rear of the home is a courtyard-style garden filled with Mrs. B.R. Cant tea roses and bordered by magnolias. A guest cottage at the edge of the gardens provides a tranquil refuge. Chris is delighted to have you visit his home during this Christmas season.