Winchester Star Article Highlights Holiday House Tour

The Winchester Star ran the preview article written by Stephen Nielsen and photographed by Ginger Perry for the Holiday House Tour today:

Sandra Bosley, executive director of Preservation of Historic Winchester, decorates the banister leading up the stairs at the Hexagon House, one of the stops on the annual PHW Holiday House Tour 2015. --GINGER PERRY
Sandra Bosley, executive director of Preservation of Historic Winchester, decorates the banister leading up the stairs at the Hexagon House, one of the stops on the annual PHW Holiday House Tour 2015. –GINGER PERRY

For the 39th year, Preservation of Historic Winchester is providing a unique look into the historic homes of the downtown area at its Holiday House Tours.

“This might be one of our best tours,” said Sandra Bosley, executive director of Preservation of Historic Winchester (PHW).

Candlelight house tours will take place from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday, and daylight tours will run from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. On Saturday, in addition to the tours, there will be a preview party at 703 S. Stewart St. The five tour locations are 608 S. Stewart St., 226 Amherst St., 530 Amherst St., 220 W. Boscawen St. and 24 S. Washington St.

The weekend will also feature the Bough and Dough Shop selling handmade crafts, holiday decorations and greenery at the Winchester Little Theatre at 315 W. Boscawen St. The shop will be open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

. . . The home of David Look and Terry Frye, a Queen Anne style building built in 1888 by businessman Alexander Baker at 24 S. Washington St., is expected to be one of the biggest draws this year.

“It has been painstakingly restored,” Bosley said. “It is probably the most restored house in Winchester.”

The house was purchased in 1983 by Hal and Betty Demuth, who restored it to a single family residence with Victorian furniture and ornamentation. The current owners moved there in 2014 and still have some of the Demuth collection of Victorian furnishings.

After visiting the Holiday House Tour locations, participants are encouraged to have a look at the Bough and Dough Shop for their own holiday decorations. The shop will feature handcrafted items like pottery, soaps, watercolor prints, woodwork and scarves.

. . . Like last year, the proceeds from the shop will be donated to the Winchester Little Theatre’s renovation campaign for the replacement of the roof and other projects.

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