News release from the West Central Neighborhood Association:
West Central Neighborhood 2011 Home & Garden Tour Highlights Several Homes Never Before Open
The West Central Neighborhood Association (WCNA) presents its 29th Annual Home & Garden Tour & West Central ArtsFest September 10 and 11, 2011. The Tour highlights historic homes and buildings from the 19th and early 20th centuries to highlight historic preservation and to promote neighborhood revitalization. The Tour runs both days from 11:00 am to 5:00 pm. Tickets are $13 in advance and $15 on the days of the Tour. Children age 12 and under are free. The ArtsFest is free both days.
This year’s Home & Garden Tour features several homes that have never been open for the Tour. The c. 1908 home at 1308 West Wayne Street presents a mix of Queen Anne and Colonial Revival styles, and, the 1919 American Foursquare home at 1122 College Street with many original interior details join the Tour to make their first appearances. Other first-time showings include a charming gable-front home built in 1860 with a completely renovated interior at 807 West Jefferson Boulevard and a c. 1866 Italianate brick home at 1216 Union Street.
The Scottish Rite, also on this year’s Tour, was built in 1914 and is a fine example of the Spanish Eclectic Style designed by local architect and Shriner Guy Mahurin. Among the Tour’s other stops are homes that display an eclectic mix of history, architectural styles, gardens, and art- and antiques-filled interiors. The 1907 Colonial Revival Lewellen House, which the neighborhood saved years ago from demolition by moving it to its current location at 904 West Berry Street, is also on the Tour this year.
In addition West Central hosts many beautiful gardens. Two of those gardens, located at 521 West Washington Boulevard and 1012 West Wayne Street, will be featured this year.
The West Central Neighborhood was named “Best Old House Neighborhood” in Indiana for 2010 by This Old House Magazine. For more details on this award, go to https://www.thisoldhouse.com/
This year’s ArtsFest is the largest in the Tour’s history. Building on the success of previous years, which included the Downtown Improvement District’s award as “Best Event of 2009,” this year’s festival will be moved slightly to encompass more space along Wayne and Union streets between Jackson and Rockhill streets. ArtsFest presents eight stage performances, including the Fort Wayne Ballet, and approximately 40 artists’ booths displaying a wide variety of fine arts and crafts. The schedule for the ArtsFest performances – which run from 1:00 pm to 10:00 pm on Saturday, September 10, and from 12:00 noon to 6:00 pm on Sunday, September 11 – is listed below.
The Mad Anthony Brewing Co. and other vendors will offer food, drink, and fun to enhance the Tour and ArtsFest experience. All ages are welcome in the food and beverage area, but you must be 21 years old or older to purchase alcoholic beverages from Mad Anthony’s. The ArtsFest is open and free to the public.
For 29 years, the WCNA Home & Garden Tour has presented homes representing a diverse array of both history and style with no featured home appearing on the Tour more than once in at least five years. WCNA provides free carriage and pedicab rides along the Tour route as well as a full-color, souvenir Tour brochure. Proceeds from the Home and Garden Tour are used to support the West Central Neighborhood mission to preserve and renovate historic properties in the neighborhood as well as undertake projects that beautify the neighborhood.
Advance tickets can be purchased at the Neuhouser nurseries, 8046 Stellhorn Road and 4605 West Jefferson Boulevard; Umber’s Do-It-Best hardware stores, 2413 Lower Huntington Road and 2814 Maplecrest Road; Antiques on Broadway, 1115 Broadway; Friends of the Third World, 611 West Wayne Street; and Bittersweet Gifts, JoAnn Plaza, 4630 Coldwater Road. The neighborhood will sell tickets on the days of the Tour on the grounds of the Swinney Homestead, 1424 West Jefferson Boulevard, and at the St. Joseph Hospital parking lot on the corner of Broadway and West Wayne Street as well as at the ArtsFest.
The WCNA Home & Garden Tour is funded in part by St. Joseph Hospital. Free admission to the ArtsFest and the performances is funded in part by the Downtown Improvement District and a grant from Fort Wayne Subaru.
For more information and photos go to https://www.westcentralneighborhood.org/hgt.html or call (260) 385-WEST
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE FOR THE ARTSFEST:
Saturday
1:00 pm to 1:30 pm – The Fort Wayne Ballet
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm – End Times Spasm Band
4:00 pm to 5:30 pm – Mark Hutchins & the Exploding Radio Starts
6:00 pm to 7:30 pm – Groove Caravan
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm – Lee Miles & the Illegitimate Sons
Sunday
Noon to 1:30 pm – Ling-Reeves Duo
2:00 pm to 3:30 pm – The Kenny Kenny Bergle Show
4:00 pm to 6:00 pm – The Beside Hers
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