This year’s Holiday Home Tour by Historic Fincastle Inc. will be exclusively in Fincastle itself. Four of the five dwellings can be found on Main Street, and the fifth historic home is on Murray Street, one street over from Main.
Two of the homes, the Price house and the former Manse on Main, are beautifully restored homes rebuilt after the Great Fires of 1870 and 1871. They stand side-by-side on Main Street and one offers a Federal-style double porch front entry and Victorian features as well, while the old manse was lauded as one of the prettiest homes in town in 1881. A visit to these homes will delight those who love antiques.
For an entirely different experience, the Saunders family is graciously opening their unique home, the old Baptist Church, where visitors can tour the lovely home at the back part of the old church building, while also having the opportunity to view the beautiful stained glass windows in the former sanctuary. Visitors will enjoy the unique and functional manner in which the family has turned the former church classrooms and fellowship hall into a comfortable living space. Jay and Yvonne invite everyone to come and “be our guests.”
Next stop…The Kyle House (known as Bolton’s Store for over 80 years) will be open for visitors. While there were several property owners before Robert Kyle, HFI will share the history of the current building from its time as a Kyle residence and shop selling Irish linen products to its last retail operation as “Schaal’s Catering and Events” which ended earlier this year. Stop in for some cider and cookies, tour the rooms the current owner has graciously opened, and stop in the room which housed most of Bolton’s Store merchandise. For those who remember the store, there will be plenty of “stuff” suitable for reminiscing, as well as information about the chronology of owners, the various businesses over the years, and the “resident ghost/ghosts!”
Photos courtesy of HFI
This year’s final stop, the James Matten Early Cabin, will be recognized by many. This year’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of the state’s declaration of independence – even before that famous document signed in Philadelphia the following year – should make it even more important. Built by a tailor who moved to Fincastle in the late 1700s, the cabin, with its early frontier furniture, will also show off a more traditional type of holiday decorating as would have been seen in the 18th century. Fiddle music will be played from 1 to 2 p.m. by Kaeli Berry and period interpreters will be greeting all visitors as they arrive.
The annual Holiday Marketplace at Fincastle Baptist Church on Roanoke Road will be held this Saturday as well. Times for both events will be from 9:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. The Marketplace is free, and the tour tickets are $15 and can be purchased with cash or credit at the Marketplace or with cash at the individual homes.
