Lights
The Christmas House Bill & Sandra Montgomery
Mark Levin, writer & photographer (additional photos submitted by Bill Montgomery & Ken Toney)
Chances are if you’ve ever driven I-26 East toward Exit 5 (Campobello) during this time of year you’ve noticed a cheery glow up the hill on the right. It’s impossible to miss. And for thousands of people each year, they take that exit and within minutes jumpstart their Christmas spirit. You can’t help but be moved by this incredible display of holiday lights and scenes at Bill & Sandra Montgomery’s “The Christmas House.” Bill & Sandra look forward to the Christmas season just about as much as kids – and maybe more. It’s in Sandra’s DNA for sure and somehow or other that has taken hold in Bill. Sandra’s dad, James Blackwell, started putting on this festive show in 1973. At the time James was head of maintenance at Bigelow Sanford in Landrum and was put in charge of decorating the company’s property. That set off a spark in James’s mind and that ignited an idea to start decorating the home that was built in 1884. James’s wife, Doris, must have given 8
HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2020
her nod of approval because decorating the Blackwell home was underway. And now, 47 years later it is one of the most visited winter attractions in the Upstate. Officially the house is now referred to as “The Christmas House.” It’s an obvious choice for an appropriate name. Bill & Sandra took over the house and grounds decorating in 2005 and have made this a mission of love. They live for this season, which begins the second weekend in October when the first decorations are moved from their storage buildings to the grounds. But the planning has been put into place well before the October framework begins. Setting up for something of this scale takes a small army made up of relatives, neighbors, and friends. On some days as many as a dozen elves are on-site helping with the setup and late in the evening it might be just Bill out there taking care of ever last detail.
