19th annual Christmas Tour of Homes in Greenfield Dec. 7

It is time for the 19th annual Christmas Tour of Homes in Greenfield hosted by the Greenfield Historical Society. The $10 tour will be held from 12:30-4:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 7, and will feature five homes and the B&O Depot. A chicken noodle dinner will precede the tour at the Grain and Hay Building from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m. The cost of the meal is $12 and includes chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, slaw, roll and butter, drink, and a choice of cakes.
 
• The first house on the tour will be the home of Tanner and Whitney Vanzant at 404 Bayless Road. The home is over 150 years old, built in 1872. The Bayless family purchased it in 1902, and it has been in the family ever since.  
    
The original home had nine fireplaces, one in every room and one restroom. Sue Frizzell and James Vanzant inherited the home in 1973 and completely restored it, taking a full year.  

Plumbing, heating, and air conditioning were updated and a new roof, windows and doors were added along with a large family room and a three-car garage. With many other improvements, Sue and Jim raised their sons Charles and Jimmy there for 30 years.
     
In 2003, Jimmy and Ondi Vanzant moved into this home. They made improvements to the family room, kitchen and bathrooms and added a pool. They raised their three children, Tanner, Evelyn and Lisa, there for 23 years. This summer, the fifth generation of the Bayless family moved in – Tanner and Whitney with their three sons.
     
Whitney considers her decorating style as a blend of modern and traditional with a little bohemian flair. There are also many family pieces and heirlooms with special meaning. For Christmas, Whitney has gone all out, giving each room its own look and embracing the different styles and eras of Christmas. The Vanzant family is really looking forward to sharing their home during the tour.   
 
• The second house is the home of Kevin and Sonya Curren at 226 South Second Street. This 126-year-old house was built in 1899 for Edward Gore and Nell Young Miller and their daughter, Marjorie, who married Donald McClain, son of Edward Lee McClain.  

The Miller family was involved in the banking history of Greenfield. In 1964, Conrad Ashling Curren and his wife, Jane, purchased the property and reared four children, Carol, Craig, Kevin and Walter there. The house style is Richardsonian Romanesque with a stone exterior and brick interior. The native stone is from the local Rucker’s Quarry and the red stones that accentuate the house are from Indiana.  

The home has five bays on the front and five on the sides and a turret-shaped solarium on the southwest corner of the home. Some windows and doors have stained glass. Conrad and Jane updated two bathrooms, the kitchen and a portion of the third floor, renovating it into a large recreation room, game room and library. The large dumb-waiter was used to install a two-man elevator. They added a stone patio and fish pond and renovated a barn and stables into a three-car garage.  
    
Now, the second generation, Kevin and Sonya Curren, live in the home. They have added a new kitchen and downstair bathroom and remodeled the conservatory and rear hall. Also, the roof had to be replaced for the first time in 126 years. For Christmas, there will be multiple trees and a decorated porch. There will be a silver tree with the first owner's original ornaments and in the foyer will be a tree with pictures of the Curren family in the 1960’s. 
     
Kevin and Sonya have many future renovations on their “to do list,” maybe leading to a second showing on a future tour. They love sharing this historical home and its history with our community this year.
 
• The third house is the home of Sharon Baxla at 507 Spring Street. This 75-year-old house was built in 1950. The previous owners were Carl Albright and David Ross.
     
Sharon feels like she lives in a beautiful cottage with three bedrooms, kitchen, living room, laundry room, bath and a garage with a porch attached. She has updated the electrical and air conditioning and remodeling the kitchen. She added a new roof, fencing, porch and landscaping since she moved here. 

Sharon loves her home that her parents, Roy and Helen Newman, bought. Her decorating style is farmhouse. She looks forward to sharing all her Christmas decorations with the visitors. 
 
• The fourth house is the home of Jon and Rachel Soards at 654 Madison Place. This house was built in 1967 by Jon’s parents Bill and Jackie Soards. It has a ranch style design and retains much of its original character. Their home is an eclectic mix of mid-century modern and French country style. This family enjoys combining clean line and natural materials with warm details for a balanced look.  

Their recent renovations include radiant tile floors, custom carpentry, retaining walls, stamped concrete patio and a pool. The Soard family enjoys a quiet country setting that offers privacy within the village. They have recently purchased the field beside them to extend their driveway to Sixth Street.
     
Jon and Rachel have lots of fun decorating for Christmas, featuring multiple trees, outdoor lighting, and whimsical indoor décor. Come check out all the changes to the property and enjoy their Christmas decorations too.
 
• The fifth house is the home of Samy and Brendan Chaney at 11199 Burgess Lane. The house was previously owned by John and Karen Wagoner, who bought it at auction and used it as a rental for 10 years. In May 2024, Samy asked her grandmother Karen if she could use the property for a new build. Samy and her father, Eric Rowe, created a floor plan and in August broke ground and used the previous build as a basement for the new home. They made a full remodel of the basement and built on top, finishing in April 2025. 
     
The house holds sentimental value as John has passed. Grandmother Karen gifted Samy the land and Eric built the home for his daughter’s family. Samy describes her decorating style as day to day and modern boho. 
      
For Christmas décor, Samy enjoys cottage-core, which emphasizes simple rural life and soft colors.  Since this is the first year in the new home, the family is drenching it in Christmas decorations and letting the kids play a part in decorating. Come enjoy their family’s new tradition of decorating together.
 
Finally, the B&O Depot will be open to visitors. The historical society wants to share with the community the wonderful model of Greenfield Through the Years given to them by Tom Adams.  

The depot has been remodeled in the past four years with a lower ceiling, new windows and door, lighting, and paint. Tom has rearranged his display, added to it, and improved the signage and information. Tom also features Christmas displays in the downtown stores again this year. He has also added an Island Grove display in the last year. His beautifully handmade scaled models of our town are amazing to look at and remember our town in the years 1920-50.
 
All five families are excited about the tour this year and hope many visitors come through to see all their hard work and Christmas decorations. The historical society truly appreciates all their time and effort.  The tour helps the society carry on its work to preserve and share Greenfield’s history.  The tickets are $10.00 for the tour and are available at the Community Savings Bank starting Nov. 24 through Dec. 5.  

Tickets will also be available the day of the tour at the Grain and Hay building and at the homes. Also, if you need gifts for Christmas, we have many ideas available, including our book on McClain High School available at the Grain and Hay building. We also have the 2022 and 2023 Christmas cards that sell 10 for $10.  

Remember, a meal will be available at the Grain and Hay from 11:30 a.m.-1 p.m., costing $12.  Come out and support the Greenfield Historical Society and these families who have generously opened their homes for the tour.