The historical Northwest Neighborhood of Delaware announced its biennial Holiday Home Tour. The event is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 3 from 3 to 7 p.m.
This year’s tour will include eight houses, seven of which are traditional family homes and one house that was rescued from ruin to become a community center. One house is considered an invisible house, as it cannot be seen from the street, on the auditor’s site, or even from an aerial view. The NNA is proud of the diverse architecture in their neighborhood. Of the houses on this year’s tour, one was built in 1887, three were built between 1900-1901, two were built in the 1920s, and one was built in 1960, a news release states.
“I am excited for our up-coming home tour,” said committee chair Kris Hyland Kolb. “Several of our participants have had recent renovations and additions completed in their homes. One of our homeowners is so excited to be on the tour that she started planning in August and says she’ll have at least 28 decorated Christmas trees. I’m always pleasantly surprised to find people willing to open their homes for this tour. It shows how proud we are of our homes and our neighborhood.”
All homes will be decorated for Christmas and some will have live entertainment provided by the orchestra students of Delaware Hayes High School, which lends to the festive feel of the tour. Local florists traditionally donate arrangements to the homes to help with the holiday décor.
The tour will commence at Gallery 22 where participants must pick up their programs and maps for the homes and where an exhibit of artwork by Steve Hirsch, photographer, will be on display. FAQ concerning the tour can also be found on the website.
The NNA was founded in 2001 by a group of residents and property owners to address civic and legislative issues facing the neighborhood. The neighborhood is bound by the Olentangy River on the east, Euclid Ave on the west, Pennsylvania Avenue on the north and William Street on the south. It is a 501c3 non-profit community association that is committed to preserving the quality of life and fostering a sense of pride in Delaware’s historical northwest neighborhood.
The NNA has long used funds collected from annual events (the Ghost Walks and Holiday Home Tours) to fund programs for the neighborhood including banners, planters downtown, Strand Theatre seats, and street trees, among other things. The Northwest Historic District was listed on the National Historic Register in 1996 and includes over 700 contributing structures.
