2014 Holiday Tour of Historic Homes Benefitting the Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum

The Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum is sponsoring the Holiday Tour of Historic Homes.  This year’s event is on Sunday, December 7, 2014 from noon to 4:00 p.m. and features six historic properties along with the Bigelow House at 918 Glass Avenue NE, where tickets and refreshments will be available the day of the tour. This year’s tour features several important landmarks and Olympia Historic Register properties in the east side area of Olympia: The Bigelow/Bailey House at 936 Glass Avenue is a 19^th Century Decorated Pioneer style house closely associated with the Bigelow Family which offers an opportunity to learn about historic preservation and environmentally sound improvements for historic properties.  The turn of the 20th century Cyrus and Ida Kaler House, at 909 Glass Avenue renovated in the 1990s, has distinctive Queen Anne detailing and interior features. The National Register-designated Charles and Delia Patnude House, at 1239 8th Avenue SE, a Gothic Revival cottage style, built in 1893 has elaborate exterior and interior detailing.  The Frank and Ida Backlund House at 616 Boundary SE built in the 1930s is a brick interpretation of the Composite Tudor style.  The Meyer-Chitty House at 618 Milas Avenue NE built in the early 1920s is a large, impressive Craftsman style Bungalow home.  The White House, now the Swantown Inn at 1431 11^th Avenue SE is an outstanding 19^th Century Queen Anne/Eastlake style home.  The Bigelow, Bigelow/Bailey, Kaler, White and Patnude Houses are listed on the Olympia Heritage Register. A special highlight of the tour will be the grand opening of the restored Gothic Bedroom in the Bigelow House, made possible through a 2014 Thurston County Heritage Grant. Tour tickets are $20.00 per person and are available in advance  at Drees at 524 Washington St. SE; Popinjay at 414 Capitol Way S., and Thompson Furniture at 5407 Capitol Boulevard. Proceeds of the tour benefit the preservation and interpretation of Olympia’s historic Bigelow House and the Olympia Historical Society.  One of the state’s oldest residences, the Bigelow House is owned by the non-profit Olympia Historical Society & Bigelow House Museum.  This National Register House has its original furnishings and has been restored to reflect Washington’s Territorial period, along with later period dining room and kitchen.  It was the home of Daniel and Ann Elizabeth Bigelow and their descendants for well over 100 years before becoming a museum. Please see www.olympiahistory.org/wp/  or e-mail olyhistory@gmail.com