For 39 years, Historic Staunton Foundation has hosted a look into Staunton’s historic homes during the holiday season. This year, the public is once again invited for a spectacular holiday-themed tour of five significant period homes that exemplify imaginative period design.
“This year’s tour is unusual because it will feature five historic homes that are truly excellent examples of design influenced by major historic movements. You will experience the work of nationally known architects, landscape architects and period artisanship,” said HSF Executive Director Frank Strassler.
When: Sunday, December 4th 1 – 5 p.m.
Where: The tour spans multiple neighborhoods in Staunton. The following homes are open:
Stuart House – 120 Church Street
Stuart House stands out as a great 18th-century landmark of Staunton. Judge Archibald Stuart created this Classical Revival home in 1791. See period furniture and holiday decorations in a beautifully restored home.
The Oaks – 437 East Beverley
Jedadiah Hotchkiss, the great Shenandoah Valley mapmaker, purchased the house and remodeled it in 1888, reflecting the eclectic Victorian styles popular in the late 19th century.
Ridgeview – 25 Ridgeview Road
Sam Collins designed this Colonial Revival house for the Goodloe Family in 1927. Integrating the new house into an equally impressive landscape design was landscape architect Charles F. Gillette.
Waverly Hill – 3001 North Augusta Street
Architect William Lawrence Bottomley designed this monumental Georgian Revival for the Herbert McKelden Smith family. Landscape architect Arthur A. Shurcliff, known for the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg landscapes, designed the grounds. See displays of original architect’s drawings and period photography of the property. Susan Hume Frazer author of The Architecture of William Lawrence Bottomley will be on hand to discuss her research.
Woodrow Wilson Birthplace – 18 North Coalter Street
The Manse is a handsome statement of Greek Revival residential architecture with its tall, three-story portico with Doric masonry columns and double balcony. Charles F. Gillette created the gardens we experience today. See period furnishings and decorations while learning about mid 19th century Staunton
Cost: Tickets are $20 in advance or $25 at the door. Tickets are on sale now:
· Museum Store, R. R. Smith Center for History and Art, 20 S. New Street
· The Emporium, 101 E. Beverley Street
· Blue Mountain Coffees, 12 Byers Street
· Bookworks, 101 West Beverley Street
Proceeds support the programs of Historic Staunton Foundation. Find complete tour information at: www.historicstaunton.org.