This weekend is the 38th Annual Holiday Tour of Homes and Inns. Described as “an intimate visit with residents of Savannah’s Historic District,” this year’s Dec. 8-9 tour features 12 homes and is divided into afternoon and evening sessions.
The tour is a project of the Savannah Downtown Neighborhood Association. It lets you see some of Savannah’s most grand homes dressed in their holiday best.
Saturday
The afternoon walking tour goes from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Featured homes include an Italianate townhouse built in 1868, the Taylor Court Townhouse, built in 1876, a newly renovated Federal style home built in 1854, a Greek Revival from 1852 and a Federal Style home constructed in 1853. Also included is the Flannery O’Connor Childhood Home on Charlton Street.
A Victorian Tea will take place from 2:30-5:30 p.m. at 124 W. Gaston St. The grand four-story mansion, modeled after a French townhouse, was named Bella Flora by the current owners in honor of the magnificent garden. It reportedly was built around 1870 by Savannah resident Israel Dasher as his family home. Encompassing more than 6,000 square feet, with a classic side garden and a reflecting pool, the home reflects the Greek Revival architectural style that began to influence the design of Savannah’s larger residences around 1830.
The evening tour features homes in the Victorian and Greek Revival styles from the 1870s. Two dazzling Victorians along Whitaker Street and the Hardee-Exley House, a Queen Ann-style home built in 1890, are included along with a more recent example of architecture on Houston Street. Trolley service is available between homes for the evening tour.
Sunday
The Sunday Inn Tour will feature six of the most exciting and prestigious private inns in Savannah — five that are new to the inn tour this year. These properties are all different, but share one key ingredient: an Innkeeper with imagination, creativity and total dedication to the comfort of their guests. From 12:30-4:00 p.m., guests will tour the Ballastone Inn, Forsyth Park Inn, Azalea Inn and Gardens, Zeigler House Inn, Presidents’ Quarters Inn and Amethyst Inn at Sarah’s Garden.
I spoke with Downtown Neighborhood Association President Hank Reed about this year’s offerings.
“An interesting aspect of this tour is the wide variety of homes selected each year,” he said. “Some large historic mansions are included, but there are also smaller properties that housed middle class families in the mid-1800s. The owners themselves will be on hand to provide historical background or describe interesting challenges they faced during restoration. Holiday decorations also reflect a variety of religions and ethnic traditions.”
“The Holiday Tour of Homes is an opportunity for tour guests to see different architectural design and style,” said tour director Susan Reese. “Homes are decorated according to each of the homeowners’ personal style.”
Each year, a piece of holiday art is created for the holiday tour by internationally recognized watercolor artist Wayne Chambers. Limited edition prints of The Davenport House are on sale at Wayne’s studio, located at 308 West St. Julian Street, Studio 101 in City Market.
“Funds raised go toward the preservation & enhancement of the historic landmark district and to organizations focusing on children, the arts and improving the lives of others,” Reese said.
TAKE THE TOUR
• Tickets for the Saturday homes tours are $35 per tour.
• Tickets for Saturday’s Victorian Tea are $25.
• Tickets for the Sunday tour of inns are $25.
• Advance tickets can be puchased online at www.dnaholidaytour.com.
Amy Brock is the social media voice of Visit Savannah. Have an event or idea for her? Tweet to @Amy_Brock or @VisitSavannah or email abrock@visitsavannah.com.