Heritage Christmas Home Tour features three centuries of dwellings
The 2011 Heritage Christmas Home Tour will be held from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 11 and features homes that were built from the 1700s to 1977 and a church that was officially established in 1882.
Tickets are $12 in advance and are available during normal business hours at Carl's Drug Store, at the Greencastle-Chamber of Commerce Chamber office at 217 E. Baltimore St. and from 5:30 to 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 9 at the Holiday House, which is located on the northwest corner of the square (by Tower Bank). Remaining tickets are $15 the day of the tour at the Holiday House from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“The home tour committee did a wonderful job in featuring four homes and a church that are unique and historic,” said Misty Stenger, chairperson of Heritage Christmas.
“We hope people will take advantage of the opportunity to tour them.”
There are 300 tickets available this year.
The Allison-Ebbert House owned by Al Bonnell at 12633 Molly Pitcher Highway dates back to the mid 1700s. In 1800 the Ebberts added the taller half of the house as part of an addition. The Ebbert sisters sold a small plot around the spring, located on the property, to the Greencastle Water Authority who now pumps water from the spring.
“While I formally retired from interior design, I had great fun making the 19th century Victorian house our home and business,” stated Sue Fox of 11883 Mercersburg Road. We have added 21st century amenities, but the “bones” of the house reflect the time in which it was built, including yellow pine floors, pocket doors, flat-head nails and thick limestone walls in the basement.
The home of Karen Geesaman at 7982 Kuhn Road is located on the remaining 54 acres of the original land grant settled by the Peter Kuhn family in 1790. The main house was completely renovated in 2006 by local master builder Sam Carty. The interior of the house has several interior exposures of the original log-framed structure and original pine plank wood floors on the second floor. It is estimated that the original log structure is about 100-years-old. The house was expanded to a 4,200 foot living space which includes 5 bedrooms, 4 1/2 baths, a service and main kitchen, dining room, living room and pool-side Florida room.
An idyllic country setting welcomes visitors to a modern-day log home where Ken and Bonnie Shockey have resided since 1977 at 8964 North Rabbit Road. In 1988 and 2009, single one-story rooms were built on to the original two-story, gambrel-style home. Collected over time, antique cupboards and other secondary antique pieces add to the home's storage space. Braided rugs grace the entryways, while oak and hickory floors add warmth throughout. The kitchen features Brazilian cherry cabinetry, old fashioned soapstone countertops and a farm-style sink.
There have been many strides in the 129 years of Ebenezer United Brethren in Christ Church at 3661 Williamson Road. It was officially established on March 24, 1882 when it was granted land rights for a graveyard. Much has changed since the small white country church and many expansions have taken place by God's grace from the 1950s to today.
A complete description of the tour is found in the Heritage Christmas Home Tour Booklet.
For information about the tour, contact the Greencastle-Antrim Chamber of Commerce at 717-597-4610 or info@greencastlepachamber.org
