Historic tour a success at many levels Courtesy of "the Freehold Historic Preservation Commission" Posted:07/09/10
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Freehold - "It accomplished every purpose we set out to accomplish, and then some," said Muriel J. Smith, chairman of the recent Historic House Tour featuring homes, an art studio and a church in the borough dating back to the 19th and 18th centuries.
"The number of visitors was double what we had last year when we offered the first tour," the chairman said, "they represented all age groups as well as both residents and non-residents of the borough."
The Historic House Tour was designed to bring attention to the variety, individuality and beauty of the many types of architecture in Freehold, Mrs. Smith continued, and to show the pride residents take in preserving their own corner of history.
"We accomplished that, in that guests on the tour were amazed at the creativity that went into the décor of each house. Even though the houses were all built in the 1880s, there were no two alike," Mrs. Smith said, "and it was impossible to compare one to another. Each one was totally different."
Houses on the tour included the former Taylor Farm Homestead on Broadway, owned by Interior Designer Nelson Kuperberg and Dr. David Giffler, the Earle and Loring homes on Broad St., the Still and Andres homes on Broadway, the Gil Burgess home on Hudson St., the Daley Carriage House Art Studio on W Main St., and St. Peter's Church, built in 1771. Headquarters for the day was the McDonnell home on W Main St., which also featured refreshments, a collection of antique Freehold post cards, and photography from Freehold over several decades, and memorabilia from the late Dr. McDonnell, who, together with his wife, raised their 14 children in the home.
In addition to accomplishing the original goals for the tour, Mrs. Smith said there were numerous other advantages.
"The tour was sponsored by the borough's Historic Preservation Commission, whose mission is to preserve the historic integrity of buildings in Freehold. Tour-goers who had not heard of the Commission in the past recognized the importance of its work," Mrs. Smith explained.
Tour goers also enjoyed stories and interesting bits of information provided by homeowners as they visited each home. "It's one thing to read the Still house has a slaughter kitchen," the chairman continued, "and quite another to see the slanted floor and hear why that was important 100 years ago. It's nice to appreciate a stained glass window in an art studio, and yet so much more memorable when you hear it was once in a fire station. These are facts that fascinated people who never knew there were such idiosyncrasies here."
Another advantage of the tour was the camaraderie and friendship it generated, not only with tour visitors but with hosts and homeowners as well. "We had an abbreviated tour the night before the event, followed by a wine and cheese party so hosts and homeowners could see all the homes, then meet in a casual setting to talk about different characteristics, " Mrs. Smith said, "and it resulted in a great level of enthusiasm and interest. Just about all of the hostesses asked if they could volunteer for next year's tour, and several of the homeowners have offered to show their homes again in the future."
Funds from the ticket sales go into the borough treasury and will be used to promote historic preservation in the community.
