You’d think that a Holiday House Tour — sponsored by the Westport Historical Society — would feature, well, historic houses.
That’s what Ed Gerber thought in 2010. He’d just moved into his own historic home on Cross Highway.
Surprised that all the holiday houses he toured were McMansions, he set out to create a real New England event.
His goal was to showcase homes built before 1850 — where today, in 2016, families live comfortably, lovingly and enthusiastically.
Ed — who is now immediate past president of the WHS — has finally done it. Next month’s tour features 5 houses in Westport, 1 in Easton — as well as the very historic Adams Academy.
One of the homes on the Westport Historical Society’s 30th annual Holiday House Tour.
Only one lies in a designated historic district. All others are owned by families who love the uniqueness of their homes, and make alterations consistent with their style and history.
The 30th annual Holiday House Tour is set for Sunday, December 4 (11 a.m. to 4 p.m.). Tour-goers will enjoy:
- The circa 1700 John Platt House, one of the oldest in Westport
- A 1760 home
- A house with multiple hearths (all ablaze) and a mystery mural in a stairway
- The former residence of H. Daniel Webster, who designed the Minute Man monument at Compo Beach
- An expanded renovation with a tavern room
- Adams Academy, Westport’s 1-room schoolhouse.
All have been adapted for 21st-century living, but pay homage to the past with inspiring decorations and nostalgic holiday cheer.
Home is where the hearth is.
We may think of Westport as the teardown capital of the world. But you can kick off the holiday season with a tour of homes that have stood the test of time.
A loooong time. Just think of all the Christmases that 1700 home has seen!
(Tickets for the December 4 Holiday House Tour are $60 in advance, $70 the day of the event. The day before, the Westport Historical Society sponsors a Holiday Soiree at historic Lockwood-Mathews Mansion in Norwalk [6 to 9 p.m.] with food, drinks, live entertainment, and silent and live auctions. Tickets are $150 in advance. Tickets for both events, and more information, is available at www.westporthistory.org, the WHS at 25 Avery Place, or by calling 203-222-1424.)