Annual Christmas Tour of Homes in Greenfield Dec. 4
Lead Summary
By
Harold Schmidt-
It is time for the 12th annual Christmas Tour of Homes in Greenfield hosted by the Greenfield Historical Society.
The tour will be held from 12:30-4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. The tour will feature five homes, a church and the B&O Depot. A chicken noodle dinner will precede the tour at the Grain and Hay Building from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The cost of the meal is $10 and includes chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, slaw, roll and butter, drink and a choice of cakes.
• The historic church featured this year is St. Benignus Catholic Church located at 204 Mirabeau Street. The original church was started in 1856 with stone cut from the Rucker quarries. It was located on South Second Street and was dedicated on Dec. 25, 1858.
In 1904, the Methodist congregation left the church on Second and Mirabeau streets and moved to Fourth and South streets. Edward Lee McClain bought the church and offered it to the Catholic congregation.
The first mass was celebrated on Dec. 11, 1904. The church was repainted in 2011. Members of the church will welcome visitors and share some of the special history along with the special Christmas nativity scene that has been a part of the church for almost 100 years. Father Mike Paraniuk will also welcome people to see his radio collection in the rectory next door to the church. The church and rectory will not be open until 1 p.m. after mass.
• The first house featured will be at 335 North Fifth Street, the home of Debbie Baal. This home is believed to be one of the homes moved from the school property when E.L. McClain was building the vocational building and the football field. It is known that the home was not on the lot in 1919, but was there by 1922.
Debbie thought the home was built in 1904. She also knows that the kitchen and attic were added onto the house before she moved in. Debbie has lived in the home for 38 years. When she and her husband, John, moved in, they loved that it was so close to the school where they taught. She describes her decorating style as eclectic. One of her special decorations is a book tree made out of John’s math books. This is the second year for the tree.
• The second house is the home of Ted and Lana Jackman at 300 North Street. It was built in 2014 in the Craftsman style.
The Jackmans love living in the downtown area of their hometown, having lived outside the city limits beforehand. Lana describes her decorating style as traditional/eclectic with a little of every style here and there.
One of Lana’s favorite things in her home is an old post office cabinet which displays old paperweights her mother collected. This is their third Christmas in the house and there will be three trees in the downstairs and one upstairs.
• The home of Mike and Becky Anderson at 441 Jefferson Street is the third home on the tour. It is the Presbyterian manse built in 1903 that has been completely remodeled in four years. The family has been in the house since May of this year.
Mike describe their interior as simple and classic in style with a few antiques included. Their favorite part of the house is the woodwork on the front grand staircase and throughout the house which as all been restored and refinished. They will be sharing the upstairs and downstairs with guests, and will have the original mantel decorated and have a nine foot Christmas tree at the grand staircase.
• Teena Thornton will welcome visitors to her home at 750 Jefferson Street. Her home was built around 1950. She has heard that it was a two-story once, but after a fire, the second floor was never restored. Teena has lived there for one year.
She considers her style as eclectic and loves her big kitchen, large bedroom sitting room, back porch, and her four car garage. Her Christmas decorations will be lace and lights.
• The final home belongs to Ian and Angie Trefz at 11471 State Route 753 South. This is a farmhouse located about a mile outside of town. The farmhouse was built in 1901 with the Wilson family residing in the home for 80-plus years.
Their family has lived there for two years now and have concentrated on the interior so far. They have completed a new kitchen, laundry room, and bath, and have also removed wallpaper and painted the entire downstairs area. Angie describes her decorating style as primitive. Her favorite part of the house is the old character the house has with all its little nooks and crannies. There will be Christmas decorations throughout the entire downstairs.
• Finally, the B&O Depot will be open for visitors. The Depot has been recently renovated. Tom Adams has donated his models of the railroads in Greenfield during the 1920s to the historical society this year. He has beautifully made scale models of some of the buildings and homes in town along with the railroad tracks and depots.
We encourage you to stop in and see his displays and view the newly renovated military displays and railroad items that the historical society possesses.
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 history in Greenfield. The tickets are $10 for the tour and are available at the Community Savings Bank. 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.
Bill Roller will be at the Grain and Hay signing books, including his Christmas book, "Old Time Christmas Story," set in Greenfield in 1915.
Come out and support these families by attending the annual Christmas Tour of Homes.
The tour will be held from 12:30-4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 4. The tour will feature five homes, a church and the B&O Depot. A chicken noodle dinner will precede the tour at the Grain and Hay Building from 11:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. The cost of the meal is $10 and includes chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, slaw, roll and butter, drink and a choice of cakes.
• The historic church featured this year is St. Benignus Catholic Church located at 204 Mirabeau Street. The original church was started in 1856 with stone cut from the Rucker quarries. It was located on South Second Street and was dedicated on Dec. 25, 1858.
In 1904, the Methodist congregation left the church on Second and Mirabeau streets and moved to Fourth and South streets. Edward Lee McClain bought the church and offered it to the Catholic congregation.
The first mass was celebrated on Dec. 11, 1904. The church was repainted in 2011. Members of the church will welcome visitors and share some of the special history along with the special Christmas nativity scene that has been a part of the church for almost 100 years. Father Mike Paraniuk will also welcome people to see his radio collection in the rectory next door to the church. The church and rectory will not be open until 1 p.m. after mass.
• The first house featured will be at 335 North Fifth Street, the home of Debbie Baal. This home is believed to be one of the homes moved from the school property when E.L. McClain was building the vocational building and the football field. It is known that the home was not on the lot in 1919, but was there by 1922.
Debbie thought the home was built in 1904. She also knows that the kitchen and attic were added onto the house before she moved in. Debbie has lived in the home for 38 years. When she and her husband, John, moved in, they loved that it was so close to the school where they taught. She describes her decorating style as eclectic. One of her special decorations is a book tree made out of John’s math books. This is the second year for the tree.
• The second house is the home of Ted and Lana Jackman at 300 North Street. It was built in 2014 in the Craftsman style.
The Jackmans love living in the downtown area of their hometown, having lived outside the city limits beforehand. Lana describes her decorating style as traditional/eclectic with a little of every style here and there.
One of Lana’s favorite things in her home is an old post office cabinet which displays old paperweights her mother collected. This is their third Christmas in the house and there will be three trees in the downstairs and one upstairs.
• The home of Mike and Becky Anderson at 441 Jefferson Street is the third home on the tour. It is the Presbyterian manse built in 1903 that has been completely remodeled in four years. The family has been in the house since May of this year.
Mike describe their interior as simple and classic in style with a few antiques included. Their favorite part of the house is the woodwork on the front grand staircase and throughout the house which as all been restored and refinished. They will be sharing the upstairs and downstairs with guests, and will have the original mantel decorated and have a nine foot Christmas tree at the grand staircase.
• Teena Thornton will welcome visitors to her home at 750 Jefferson Street. Her home was built around 1950. She has heard that it was a two-story once, but after a fire, the second floor was never restored. Teena has lived there for one year.
She considers her style as eclectic and loves her big kitchen, large bedroom sitting room, back porch, and her four car garage. Her Christmas decorations will be lace and lights.
• The final home belongs to Ian and Angie Trefz at 11471 State Route 753 South. This is a farmhouse located about a mile outside of town. The farmhouse was built in 1901 with the Wilson family residing in the home for 80-plus years.
Their family has lived there for two years now and have concentrated on the interior so far. They have completed a new kitchen, laundry room, and bath, and have also removed wallpaper and painted the entire downstairs area. Angie describes her decorating style as primitive. Her favorite part of the house is the old character the house has with all its little nooks and crannies. There will be Christmas decorations throughout the entire downstairs.
• Finally, the B&O Depot will be open for visitors. The Depot has been recently renovated. Tom Adams has donated his models of the railroads in Greenfield during the 1920s to the historical society this year. He has beautifully made scale models of some of the buildings and homes in town along with the railroad tracks and depots.
We encourage you to stop in and see his displays and view the newly renovated military displays and railroad items that the historical society possesses.
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 history in Greenfield. The tickets are $10 for the tour and are available at the Community Savings Bank. 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.
Bill Roller will be at the Grain and Hay signing books, including his Christmas book, "Old Time Christmas Story," set in Greenfield in 1915.
Come out and support these families by attending the annual Christmas Tour of Homes.