Moyle Manor offers tea steeped in history

 

How about some tea steeped in history? Port Arthur’s placement in the Diocese of Beaumont is tied into what is now Moyle Manor. The Beaumont Heritage Society recently hosted a happy hour full of socializing and remembrance at a home on Broadway, in Beaumont’s Old Town, that was home to four bishops.

Matthew and Kimberly Moyle have placed their own stamp on what was formerly known as the Brown estate, built in 1915. Family members were at this gathering and recalled family gatherings. The Moyles now have a tea room that can also serve as a conference meeting site. Savory bites at this happy hour included an egg salad served in what resembled a tiny ice cream cone. It was a crowd favorite.

An alcove with floral wallpaper was once an altar, family reported. Now it’s a cozy place to chat. Outside, at 2090 Broadway, is a sprawling live oak George Washington Brown is said to have planted more than a century ago. You get the idea, a visit to this manor has some history behind it and a space to make future memories.

            The property was eventually donated to the newly-created Diocese of Beaumont in October of 1966. An internet search shows these bishops lived there:

·        Bishop Vincent M. Harris (First Bishop of Beaumont, served 1966–1971)

• Bishop Warren L. Boudreaux (Second Bishop of Beaumont, served 1971–1977)
• Bishop Bernard J. Ganter (Third Bishop of Beaumont, served 1977–1993)
• Bishop Joseph A. Galante (Fourth Bishop of Beaumont, served 1994–2000, though the residence use changed around 1995)

 

Reddy Kilowatt

My dad worked the bucket truck for Gulf States Utilities and Reddy Kilowatt was part of my youth. I just learned the cartoon fellow, with lightning-bolt bolt arms and legs, a lightbulb nose and outlet ears was create in 1926 and licensed to several companies. He adorned several amenities. My mom had a collection of GSU recipe cards designed to be inserted into binders. I just looked through them and enjoyed some nostalgic trends:

·            A yellow 3-ring binder with pages with electric typewriter selections featured a large microwave category. I recall this new microwave technology made my mom nervous and she never had one, ever.

·            The usual appetizers, including cocktail wieners, were featured. Also: Prune Cake, Eggs-Tremely Good Dip and Jiffy Venison Spaghetti Sauce. After you’ve gone through the time and trouble to get and clean venison, you deserve a jiffy sauce.

·            Here’s quickie for Parsley Butter. Combine 4 tablespoons of butter with 2 tablespoons finely chopped parsley and a teaspoon of lemon juice. I would have hated it when these books came out, but I’d love it now.

From the green binder:

·            Catch phrase: Each recipe’s a tried, true treasure; Cooked electric’ly, double pleasure.

·            Booklets and sheets yielded ideas such as hamburger chop suey, a blind date cake made from dates and aluminum foil fashioned into canoes for a party food.

We  sure get our recipes differently today. I hope folks are hanging on to the “old ways” from the kitchen. Some of them are still practical and delicious.

Darragh Doiron is a Port Arthur area foodie ready to go “back in time” for a taste of the past. Reach her via panews@panews.com