Homes tour in full swing

Editor’s note: The Galveston Historical Foundation’s Homes Tour is in full swing. Clay Wade, director of events for the historical foundation, talked about the annual event.

Q: How did the homes tour get started?

A: The tour began in 1975, mainly as a fundraiser for the renovation of the ballroom of Ashton Villa. The mansion had been completed and opened for tours the year before but the ballroom remained to be completed.

Also, much like Dickens on The Strand’s original purpose was to bring attention to The Strand’s deplorable condition, the Homes Tour’s secondary purpose was to acquaint visitors with Galveston’s rich residential architecture and to encourage the purchase and restoration of homes in neighborhoods needing renewal.

Q: What does the event mean to the Galveston Historical Foundation now? What are the main benefits?

A: The purpose remains the same, to bring attention to the historic areas of the island and to encourage the purchase and restoration of properties. Monetarily, the tour is GHF’s second largest fundraiser

Q: How much did you raise last year?

A: Including all related special events and retail sales, the tour made just under $99,000 in 2009.

Q: What’s the most unusual thing you’ve seen on the tour this year? Do you have a personal recommendation that folks might otherwise miss?

A: The highlight of this year’s tour is to show how our ancestors were “green” in the way they constructed their homes and lived their lives.

We are emphasizing aspects such as transom windows to allow light to filter through rooms, the reuse of salvaged bricks, stone and wood and cisterns, which fulfilled all the water needs of a household, etc.

Each home on the tour is unique and each has a unique history.

Most of the homes on the tour this year have never been on the tour, including our “cover house” the oldest home on tour, the Archibald and Alice Campbell home at 1515 Broadway. Not only is it the oldest home on the tour, built in 1871, but most intriguing is that it remains in the Campbell family.

Q: If I missed the event’s opening Saturday, is it too late to get involved? What’s your best advice for catching up?

A: Actually, Homes Tour began Friday evening with the First Impression Preview Evening tour, this year highlighting five properties in the East End.

A great value, the preview tour ticket price also includes a ticket to the regular tour.

The tour tickets are good for all four days of the tour. Patrons have been known to complete the entire tour in a day and others take their time and spread their touring over several days.

Also, many special events are planned for the remaining days of the tour.

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At A Glance

WHAT: 36th annual Galveston Historical Foundation Homes Tour

WHEN: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. today, Saturday and May 9

TICKETS: $25.

ON THE WEB: galvestonhistory.org