The Batesville Preservation Association has set the time and places for its 2023 Christmas Tour of Historic Homes. Four homes are on this year’s tour, two on Main Street and two more on Boswell. They will all be open for the tour on Sunday, Dec. 10, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.
The Main Street homes include the Barnett-Wiles house at the corner of Seventh and Main. It is a Victorian house built by Mr. & Mrs. I. N. Barnett II in 1893. The longtime home of Mr. and Mrs. Dean Wiles, it was for a while cut into apartments, but it has been returned to a single-family home and is now the residence of Pete and Megan Roulier.
The second Main Street home is the Frierson house at the corner of Ninth and Main. This house was built in the Victorian period but took its present appearance in two major renovations, the final one including the addition of a large garden room at the rear featuring a large stained-glass window imported from England. It is currently the home of Grant and Jessica Goodwin.
The older of the two Boswell Street homes, the Handford-Schooler house at 659 Boswell, is also Victorian. Built by lumberman Stanley Handford in 1888, it features many of the beloved features of the Queen Anne style popular in the late Victorian period, including a large bay window, shingle siding, and multiple paint colors. Beautifully restored, it is the home of Amanda and Casey Bruce.
The newest home on tour is Handford house. Currently the home of Brian and Karen Colthorp, it was built around 1915 in the Craftsman style and was later remodeled by Mr. & Mrs. Robert Magness using bricks from the old Batesville High School, creating a mash-up of Craftsman and Southern Plantation styles with two bay windows and a two-story columned portico.
Tickets for entry to all four homes are $15 for one person or $25 for two. Those interested can buy them in advance at four locations: Old Independence Regional Museum, the Batesville Area Chamber of Commerce, the downtown branch of First Community Bank, and Clara Jane and Jax children’s shop.
Tickets are also available for purchase via the link found on the Batesville Preservation Association’s Facebook page and will be available for purchase at any of the homes on tour day, Dec. 10.
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