Christmas came early to Rock Ford this year.

The venerable plantation, home of Revolutionary War General Edward Hand, is mugging for photographers Tuesday for the Christmas edition of Early American Life magazine.

As the mercury rocketed into the mid-90s Monday and Lancaster County wilted in the heat, a team of Rock Ford volunteers spent the day hurriedly festooning the restored mansion with holiday fare.

And nary a snowflake in sight.

"Everyone was here early and they whisked through the house like little elves, getting things ready," volunteer coordinator Pam Stoner said Monday. "We had a game plan."

Volunteers even raided their yards and gardens for greens appropriate to a midwinter theme.

"Believe it or not, holly looks awesome in July," Stoner said.

Evergreen pines, boxwood and ivy also were found in ample supply. She said people in the late 18th century did use greenery to liven up the holidays.

"But they did not decorate the way we do today," she said.

In fact, she said, Christmas Day was a fairly somber holiday, focused largely on church. It was in the days that followed, leading up to Twelfth Night, that the festivities began.

Ironically, Stoner said, Rock Ford is hosting the Theater of the Seventh Sister's production of Shakespeare's "Twelfth Night" this month.

Along with the greenery, the mansion features an array of elaborate desserts, along with fruits, candles, paper crowns, paper chains and a few gifts.

"People at the time would have been concerned more with how it looked, rather than how it tasted," Stoner said.

The focus of the photo shoot is the magazine's annual holiday directory of traditional American artisans.

"They select the top craftspeople in their field — anything to do with early American living that someone wants to replicate in a fine, fine way," Stoner said. "They like to display these items in a historic setting."

Over the past several days, she said, Rock Ford staffer Nancy Bradley has been receiving dozens of boxes, large and small, that have been shipped in by artisans from all over the country.

The packages are all waiting — unopened — upstairs in the mansion, Stoner said.

"We don't know what's in any of the boxes," she said. "I'm dying to see what's in there."

Past features have included items ranging from baskets and boxes to textiles and toys, as well as furniture, clothing, wood carvings and leather work.

"We don't have any idea what rooms they're going to focus on, so we just did it all up to give them lots of choices," Stoner said.

"They're coming at 9 a.m. They'll unpack all the boxes to see what they have and decide then where they're going to display the things for the photographers."

The magazine also is preparing a separate write-up on Rock Ford, Stoner said.

"This is a magazine that doesn't have a huge readership, but it has a very loyal readership," said Stoner, who is herself a longtime reader.

In fact, Stoner said, she made the initial contact with magazine's editors, proposing Rock Ford as the stage for this year's Christmas feature.

"They've been here before," she said, "but not recently."

That's not to say Early American Life hasn't been spending a fair amount of time in Lancaster lately.

Members of the magazine staff attended the Lancaster Historic Home Show in June at the Marriott Hotel in Penn Square. A team was back earlier this month for a feature on the newly restored Drumore home of Tom and Cindy Gehr.

And Stoner said local craftspeople are frequently included in the magazine's artisan directories.

"There's always a few Lancaster people in the bunch," she said.

The magazine, Stoner said, reaches "exactly the right target group for a destination like Rock Ford. It's such a great demographic.

Maybe, she said, the magazine feature "will inspire people to take a day trip to Lancaster."

However, this particular Christmas at Rock Ford will not linger for long, Stoner said.

"As soon as the photographers move from one room to the next, we'll be coming along behind them, taking things down so we're ready for tours on Wednesday," she said.

"It's a shame, we'll have to throw all these pretty greens away. They gave their lives for such a short time."

Rock Ford volunteers will recreate the festive scene again come December in time for the historic home's annual Yuletide tours.

Then, at least, it will likely feel a little more like Christmas outside. Maybe there will even be snow.

tknapp@lnpnews.com