FRENCH ART COLONY ANNUAL HOLIDAY TOUR FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 5TH ~ $15 per person The Annual Candlelight Holiday Tour, sponsored by the French Art Colony, will be Friday evening, December 5th, from 5:30 PM until 9:30 PM, all located in downtown Gallipolis. Eight sites are included in the tour. Headquarters will be at Riverby, home of the French Art Colony, where tickets will be sold, starting at 5:00 PM, the evening of the tour. In addition to Riverby, other sites include the home of Betty Goodrich at 613 Second Avenue; Grace United Methodist Church right across the street; the Our House Museum at 432 First Avenue; the apartment of Patrick Dressel in the historic home at 24½ State Street; the Holzer Guest House, at 76 State Street, between Third and Fourth Avenue; one of the new City Park Plaza apartments, facing the City Park at 334 Second Avenue, and the Victorian House, belonging to Kelly Jo McCaulla, at the corner of Third and Grape Streets. Sites on the tour vary from historic to contemporary, with a mix of styles to please almost everyone, and decorated to reflect the Christmas holiday season. The brand new City Park Plaza, at 334 Second Avenue, is very near completion. The owners, Jim Blair of Blair Builders and Randy Breech of Breech Engineering, are very proud of the 22,000 square foot, $2 million dollar project, located in the middle of the 300 block, the former location of Haskins-Tanner. A total of ten (10) rental apartments will be on the 2nd and 3rd floors of the building, one of which will be open for the FAC Holiday Tour, easily accessible by elevator. Three (3) tenant spaces are on the first floor. Also, four, 1½ car garages will be available for rent, in the rear of the building. The apartments will feature high-efficiency fixtures, and range from 1,100 square feet to 1,500 square feet. At 24½ State Street, the brick Queen Anne style home, circa 1894, was converted to a duplex in the thirties. The spacious 3 bedroom apartment on the 2nd floor is occupied by Patrick Dressel, owner of the Home Place Mercantile. He has transformed the interior into a Christmas wonderland. Visitors will be charmed by his unique decorating skills, all focusing on Christmas. This charming house, overlooking City Park, originally built by local banker Alfred Henking, has appeared in Mid-West Living and other magazines. The Our House Museum, at 432 First Avenue, will be welcoming the Holiday Tour visitors, putting them in the Christmas spirit, with decorations, refreshments reflecting the 1800s and live music. Built circa 1819, it was the first “guest house” and tavern in the town. Several famous visitors stayed there in the early years. Jenny Lind was a guest, as was General Lafayette during his triumphal tour of America in 1825. The name, “Our House”, came from the owner, Henry Cushing, who met riverboats when they docked. He greeted passengers and invited them to come over to our house, and thus the name today. The Museum is maintained locally, housing a multitude of historic antiques and treasures of the early days in this area. Grace United Methodist Church, 600 Second Avenue, has a long history. The first church was built in 1821, on the site of the present church. In the winter 1848-1849, a storm damaged that church beyond repair, and an entirely new one was built in 1849. It became inadequate in 1875 and a new church was dedicated in 1876. In 1926, an addition to the church was constructed, opening into the rear of the main church. Hope for an Educational unit was finally realized in 1955, with the cornerstone laid on July 29, 1959. The church continued to acquire adjacent properties and expand. Tragedy struck on June 20, 1977, when fire gutted the entire 101 year old church. The remains of the building were razed, and the brand new church was consecrated on March 23, 1980. The church will be beautifully decorated for the Holiday tour visitors. The Holzer Guest House at 76 State Street, between Third and Fourth Avenues, was built, circa 1860, by one of Gallipolis’s old French families, the Cruzets. A blend of Federal and Italianate styling, it became famous as “Gatewood”, purchased by O. O. McIntyre, the first American syndicated newspaper columnist, who planned to retire there. Mrs. McIntyre spent her summers there until her death. Holzer purchased “Gatewood” in 2011, to enhance the visit experience for physician candidates and their families, who come to the area, looking for an employment opportunity. It remains one of the most memorable parts of their visit experience. For the Holiday tour, visitors can expect to find the Holzer Guest House decorated with a simple, yet elegant theme, preserving the home’s rich heritage. Riverby, the former home of the late Dr. and Mrs. Charles E. Holzer, Sr., and now the home of the French Art Colony’s multi-arts center, was built circa 1855-58, by Dr. Livesay. Holzers bought the house in 1918 and made a number of additions and changes over the years, including the sunken garden, the wrought iron fence, a swimming pool and other features. The architectural highlight in Riverby is the wall hung winding stairway to the upper floors. After a lengthy illness, Mrs. Holzer, Sr., died in 1970, in the hospital next door. With the support of Dr. Holzer’s son Charles Jr., also a physician, the FAC moved in. With many volunteers, renovations began, early in 1971, since the home had not been occupied for five years. Volunteers raised $77,500 for purchase and renovation, happily burning the mortgage two years later. Home tour visitors will not only enjoy delicious refreshments, but can also take pleasure in the current exhibit in the Gallery, featuring Christmas quilts and an array of puppets from around the world. Participating artisans from the Gallia County Artisan Market will also be at Riverby. The Victorian house, at 206 Third Avenue, on the corner of Third and Grape Streets, was built in 1902 by John Danner, and is now owned by Kelly Jo Chapman-McCaulla. In 1997, she purchased the house from the Willis family, who had occupied it since 1958. You immediately know it is the Christmas season, when you enter the spacious entry hall and see the Santa Claus figures, adorning the double landing massive oak staircase to the second floor, where you find three bedrooms and two full baths. In front of the Victorian fireplace, in the living room, is a rare collection of Nutcrackers. The formal dining room opens into the large family/kitchen area, with a center island and built in cherry cabinetry and hutch. French doors lead onto the brick walled courtyard. Unique is the Victorian turret, entered from the third floor. The home of Betty Goodrich is at 613 Second Avenue. It is a two story frame home, built in 1910, with simple lines, reflecting the architecture of the period. For a number of years, the house was owned by the former Holzer Hospital and used as a residence by Holzer physicians and their families. Ms. Goodrich purchased the house in 2012 and has made a number of decorative changes. As you enter the foyer, you feel the Christmas spirit, when you see the patterned cranberry carpet on the decorated stairway. A matching runner, in the hall, complements the light neutral carpet in the living room and dining room. She has also replaced the crown molding and made other restorative changes throughout the house, now festooned for the Christmas holidays. Complimentary refreshments will be offered, throughout the hours of the tour, at Riverby. On a chilly December evening, Riverby is a great place to get warm and visit with friends. Advance tickets are available and also may be purchased at Riverby, starting at 5:00 pm, the night of the tour. Cost per person is $15.
Posted on: Tue, 02 Dec 2014 18:36:47 +0000
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