How to go
What: Tipp City Holiday Home Tour
Why: Part of 2012 Christmas in Village
When: Home Tour: Noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, Dec. 1
Where: Seven North Third Street homes
Tickets: $15 in advance; $20 day of tour
More information: www.downtowntippcity.org or (937) 667-0883.
An early 1900s North Third Street house lovingly restored by Charles Kessler’s family and friends following a 2003 fire is among neighborhood homes on the Holiday Home Tour.
Kessler and housemate Bob Park said they talked about having 1,000 people come through their home on the tour before agreeing to participate at the friendly badgering of next-door neighbors.
“I like they are spotlighting the older homes, the older part of town,” said Kessler whose family has owned the house at 206 N. Third St. for more than 50 years.
Kessler and Park worked with interior designer Diana Begley of Home Comfort on decorating ideas to include a tabletop in Begley’s design as well as a tour addition this year of porch decorations.
“She gave us ideas. We just kind of ran with what we came up with,” Park said of the decorating that was done primarily over four weekends. “Simple and elegant was our theme.”
The home features several Christmas trees in varying color schemes along with garland, wreaths and other holiday touches. The dining room, Begley’s focal point, is in white.
The men said they enjoy Christmas and usually decorate, but not to the extent done this year.
“We enjoy Christmas a lot – the warmth, the color, getting together with family,” Kessler said.
He said the 2003 fire nearly destroyed the house, leaving a stairway and linen closet. The rebuild basically followed the pre-fire floor plan and was done except for interior touches in 2004. A couple of years later, Park oversaw the completion of the interior.
“He whipped it into shape,” Kessler said.
Other houses on the tour include: 115, 118, 121, 203, 210 and 211 N. Third St. A biography of each house will be featured in the tour book.
Proceeds from this year’s Home Tour and other Christmas In The Village activities will benefit the Tipp Monroe Community Service’s Lunch On Us program and the Downtown Tipp City Partnership’s Healthy Community Market and Business Incubator projects. Other activities Saturday will include special events downtown such as historic interpreters and specials in shops.
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