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A stroll through history: Historic Neighborhood Home Tour returns after a six-year hiatus
For those with an interest in architecture and a little bit of Duke City lore, the Mother鈥檚 Day Historic Home & Garden Tour might be an ideal way to spend a spring afternoon.
After the pandemic forced the event to go on hiatus, the Downtown Neighborhoods Association (DNA) will offer a walking tour of eight homes and three gardens in sa国际传媒官网网页入口鈥檚 Fourth Ward Historic District on Sunday, May 12. The tour runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is $15 in advance or $20 on the day of the event.
According to a release, the tour features 鈥渉ouses that reflect the diverse materials and architecture employed as sa国际传媒官网网页入口 expanded from Old Town to New Town with the railroad and all of its influences. The historic structures also demonstrate their evolution as they鈥檝e been remodeled to reflect modern lifestyles, and in some cases, artists鈥� residences and business uses.鈥�
A stroll through history: Historic Neighborhood Home Tour returns after a six-year hiatus
The tour, which began 50 years ago, has attracted between 800 to 1,000 attendees in past years, according to Glen Salas, a DNA board member. It鈥檚 the primary fundraiser for DNA, which puts the money back into the community through various avenues, including donations to Lew Wallace Elementary School and Harwood Art Center, or through sponsoring neighborhood events and clean-ups.
There鈥檚 a rich history that accompanies each tour.
鈥淭here鈥檚 some great old houses here,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淎ll the houses were built in (1910s) or earlier. We have one that鈥檚 built in 1882, and it was actually the first duplex in sa国际传媒官网网页入口.
鈥淭here鈥檚 another icon, it鈥檚 called the Mauger House. And it鈥檚 been a bed and breakfast for a long time, but it鈥檚 one of the older houses. (Another) one of the other ones was actually the Industrial School for Girls back in the 鈥�20s. But they鈥檙e built a long time ago. Obviously they were worth something because nobody has torn them down yet. People have updated them through the years, so it鈥檚 interesting to see what鈥檚 been going on with that.鈥�
The tour is self-guided, as visitors who purchase a ticket will receive a booklet that provides descriptions of the participating homes upon checking in. While previous tours required transportation via bus, all the houses are within a mile of each other this year. With that in mind, one can choose to arrive at any time within the allotted four-hour block. Salas says the tour will take approximately one to two hours at the most.
鈥淪ome of the homes, the whole house is open,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淪ome houses, a couple rooms are blocked off, but usually there鈥檚 tape across so you can look in.鈥�
The gardens are a new addition to the proceedings.
鈥淲e just thought it would be a good idea,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淧eople are doing a lot of nice landscaping these days, a lot of nice xeriscaping. It鈥檚 just a very pleasant walk through our neighborhood.鈥�
The Downtown version of the tour typically is held on a biannual basis, with home tours from one of the adjacent neighborhood associations taking place on odd years. The homes featured change with each offering, and participants volunteer through an email chain. The final list is narrowed down based on the needs of that particular year. Salas鈥� home was part of the tour eight years ago.
鈥淭his year we wanted it to be a walking tour, so we wanted them all to be relatively close,鈥� Salas said. 鈥淲e wanted to have a certain amount of grand houses and a certain amount of normal houses that the rail yard workers used to live in.鈥�
