The 29th Historic Dennisville Christmas House Tour is our premier fundraising event. On the third Saturday of December, a minimum of eight beautifully decorated 18th and 19th century historic homes, as well as several public buildings and two churches, are open to the public. Start your holiday season with a festive glimpse of history in Dennisville at Christmastime!
Sponsored by the Dennisville Historic Home Owners Association, this year’s event will be held on Saturday, Dec. from 4 to 8 p.m. The featured home will be the Jonathan and Sarah James House, ca. 1860.
The Jonathan and Sarah James House was built in 1860 in a vernacular interpretation of the Greek Revival style. The main portion of this two-story frame house is three bays wide and two bays deep with a center entrance. The side gabled roof has overhanging eaves and a boxed cornice with returns in the gable ends. The eaves are decorated with ca. 1890 flat jig saw cut trim in a tear-drop shape. The front door has a surround of reeded pilasters that support a cornice with a dentiled pediment. Of special interest to visitors is the side sun room with the many multi-paned windows. The house has survived the foreclosure process and its new owners are giving the house plenty of well-deserved attention.
Refreshments and comfort stations will be available at the Dennisville United Methodist Church Social Hall, the Dennis Volunteer Fire Station and the Dennis Township School House Museum. The Middletones Carolers (Middle Township High School’s a cappella vocal quartet) will perform through the village in period costumes. Alice Belanger McGuigan’s illustrated “Historic Dennisville: A Walking Tour” will be available for sale at the ticket center. The Dennis Volunteer Fire Station will be open with new and antique equipment on display. Light refreshments will also be available there.
Tickets are $15 and available at the Dennisville Post Office, 24 Hall Ave., the day of the tour beginning at 3:30 p.m. Advance ticket sales are available online at www.dhhoa.org.
Dennis Township Middle School Student Government students will serve as greeters to distribute programs and get tour goers started on their way. The Dennis Township School House Museum will open at 3:30 p.m. and houses open at 4 p.m.
For more information, visit www.dhhoa.org, or contact Jack Connolly at (609) 861-1338 or dennisvillechristmashousetour@verizon.net.