PARKERSBURG - The annual Victorian Christmas Home Tour and Tea will be held Dec. 1 and 2 in the Julia-Ann Square Historic District in Parkersburg.
Five historic homes in the district will be featured on the tour, which have been decorated for the holiday season in a variety of styles, from period to modern.
Proceeds from the annual tour and other activities in the district throughout the year are used for improvements to the Historic District, said tour chair Judith Smith.
Article Photos
One of the stops of the annual Victorian Christmas Home Tour and Tea will be the Nelly-Dyck House at 1024 Ann St. (Photo by Wayne Towner)
On Dec. 1, the tours will be $15 per person and visitors will be escorted by guides in period attire. During the tour, homeowners will share the history of their homes and guests will attend a Victorian Tea. The Tours and Teas will begin at 1 and 3 p.m. at First United Methodist Church at 10th and Juliana streets, with the Candlelight Tour at 6 p.m.
On Dec. 2, the home tours will be self-guided and there is no tea. The cost is $10.
Children ages 10 and under are admitted free and must be accompanied by an adult. Tickets can be purchased online at www.juliannsquare.org. For information or reservations, contact 304-422-9861, Smith said.
Julia-Ann Square is a community of approximately 125 homes, primarily built from the mid-1800s through 1900-1915. The entire district has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 1977. It features various architecture styles, including late Victorian, Colonial Revival and many examples of Queen Anne architecture.
The homes on this year's holiday tour will include: the Peterkin-DeKlavon House at 1203 Ann St.; the Garland House at 924 Ann St.; the Nelly-Dyck House at 1024 Ann St.; the Caswell-Smith House at 1024 Juliana St.; and the Blevins House at 944 Juliana St.
The Peterkin-DeKlavon House at 1203 Ann St. was first occupied by Bishop George Peterkin, the first Episcopal Bishop of West Virginia., from 1878 until his death in 1917. In the late 1950s, its owners converted the home into five apartments and the DeKlavons have restored it to a single-family dwelling.
The Garland House at 924 Ann St. was built by Edward McCreary around 1898. It is an example of the Colonial Revival architecture that rose to prominence at the turn of the 20th century, including a balustrade, columned front porch, dormer windows and other features.
The Nelly-Dyck House at 1024 Ann St. was built in 1886 by Charles and Charlotte Bekurs. It includes elements of several styles, but its main lines are Victorian Gothic with Eastlake decoration. The house is a rectangle with a three-bay gable facing Ann Street. It features many of the original gas chandeliers, which have been converted to electricity, has have seven of the nine original fireplaces.
The Blevins House at 944 Juliana St. is making its first appearance on the tour. It was built around 1889 and was owned by the William W. Moore family. Moore was a merchant who co-owned and operated Cole and Moore Merchants on lower Ann Street, which sold produce and dry foods.
Norman and Judith Smith are active in the Julia-Ann Square Historic District and their home at 1024 Juliana St. has appeared several times over the years on the Christmas tour and the summer-time garden tours in the historic district. Also known as the Caswell-Smith House, it was built in 1885 by Capt. W.B. Caswell and completed two years before his death. Over its long history, it has served as a family residence, a boarding house and a bed and breakfast. One of this year's themes for the Smiths will be model railroads, with several sets operating in the house.
Other area holiday home tours will be held during the upcoming holiday season.
* The Belpre Woman's Club will hold its annual Town and Country Christmas Home Tour from 1-5 p.m. Dec.2. Tickets are $5 and can be purchased from club members or at Neff's Country Loft at 2514 Washington Boulevard in Belpre, as well as at each home on the day of the tour.
The tour stops include: the Pride Home at 1811 Washington Blvd.; The Farmer's Castle Museum at 509 Ridge St.; 809 Westview Drive, 815 Ashberry Drive, 1812 Rockland Ave., the Belpre Church of the Nazarene at 1301 Putnam Howe Drive; Peoples Bank at 1902 Washington Blvd.; and Lark's Nest at 2005 Washington Blvd.
* ReSTORE Marietta will hold its annual Holiday Loft Tour from 5-8 p.m. Dec. 8 in downtown Marietta. For more information, contact (740) 885-8194.
The cost is $10 per person and all tickets will be picked up the night of the Loft Tour at the ReSTORE Marietta office,132 Putnam St.
* In Marietta, the Betsey Mills Club Holiday Tour of Homes will be held 1-5 p.m. Dec. 9 in Marietta. Tickets are $10 in advance at the Betsey in Marietta and $12 at any door on the day of the tour. Refreshments will be offered at The Betsey at Fourth and Putnam streets during the tour.
The historic homes and buildings on the Marietta tour will include: Dr. Joseph and Diane Bruno, 301 Fifth St.; Joyce Robinson and Judy Phillips, 606 Washington St.; Nancy and Jeff Hollister, 613 Sixth St.; Phyllis and John Myers, 440 Fifth St.; and Christ United Methodist Church, 301 Wooster St.
* The GFWC Parkersburg Woman's Club will hold its 2012 Holly Trail Tour of Homes from 1-5 p.m. Dec. 9, with five stops in Parkersburg and Vienna. Admission is $8 in advance from club members and $10 at the door at any of the homes on the day of the tour.
