Enjoy Mother's Day weekend with home tour - May 4

When Jane Pfost first decided to put together a home tour for the Wayne Theatre Alliance, she had no idea how much effort it would take to pull off the event but she knew that people would be interested in the history that the Waynesboro homes had to offer.

"There are just so many stories about the homes and inns and some of the antiques in them, and I thought people would enjoy knowing something about their own hometown," said Pfost, co-organizer of the Walk Down Memory Lane home tour.

For the first year of what will likely become an annual event, Pfost worked with area homeowners, museums and inns to put together a lineup of historical treasures to tour on May 10.

One of the homes to take in on the tour is the Old Stone House at 805 Oak Avenue, along the river.

Will and Kat Strickland and their two children now live in the two-and-a-half century old home in Waynesboro.

"We weren't considering Waynesboro initially just because we liked Charlottesville but my husband read '250 year old home, two English walk-in fireplaces, on the river', and he said 'this I have to see,'" wrote Kat Strickland in the Spring 2008 edition of The Tree Streets Gazette, a newsletter distributed to homes in the Tree Streets of Waynesboro.

Nine months after signing papers and moving in, the Stricklands are now proud to call this historical marvel home. "Our house is a humble house with humble beginnings as the building where the migrant apple pickers lived during harvesting months," Strickland wrote. "There is nothing too showy about the inside of it, furnished with worn, well-lived in things ..."

"It's not a house for everyone," Strickland wrote. "It doesn't have many of the amenities modern people of today expect, the biggest being air conditioning."

Other homes on the tour include the Lambert House at 633 S. Wayne Avenue, the Geiger House at 701 Locust Avenue and the Heafner House at 607 Oak Avenue.

Also part of the tour are two inns, The Tree Streets Inn on Walnut Avenue and The Belle Hearth Inn on Wayne Avenue. The Heritage Museum and The Plumb House are also included.

"To me, it's really eye-opening that we live in such an historical area," said Pfost, who is chairing this event along with Lynn Hilton Conyers. The pair has been busy lining up volunteers at each home, refreshments and getting flower arrangements for display in all of the homes.

"I think this will be one of the most successful events that we do," said Clair Myers, executive director of the Wayne Theatre Alliance. He is optimistic that people in the community will take advantage of the opportunity to tour homes and gardens on Mother's Day weekend.

All proceeds from the home tour benefit the Wayne Theatre Alliance, a 501(c) 3 non-profit organization. Part of the organization's first Parade of Events, this is the fifth of six events that are part of the parade. The series of events conclude on June 14 with "Bluegrass, Barbecue and Blue Jeans" which will feature of celebration including music from High Ground, 100 Proof and Blue Mountain Sunrise.

For more information on the Walk Down Memory Lane historical home tour or the Parade of Events, please call (540) 943-9999 or visit www.waynetheatre.org.

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INFO BOX:

WHEN:

Saturday, May 10

TIME:

10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

COST:

$25 per person

TICKETS:

Advance tickets are on sale at ...

Waynesboro Heritage Museum; or

Wayne Theatre Alliance office, 533 West Main Street, Waynesboro, Va. 22980

(540) 943-9999

INCLUDED ON TOUR (additional information attached)

The Heritage Museum, corner of Main and Wayne

Located in downtown Waynesboro, this museum features Native American artifacts, Civil War relics, and items from the industrial past and present.

Belle Hearth Inn, 320 S. Wayne Avenue

A historic B&B featuring fine craftsmanship of the late Victorian and Neo Classical period.

Lambert House, 633 S. Wayne Avenue

Owned by Dr. Michael Brookings and Dr. Melinda Ferguson

A two-story Craftsman/Colonial revival home, built by Clyde Lambert for himself and his wife, Anne.

Geiger House, 701 Locust Avenue

Owned by David and Marcia Geiger

This World War II era home was built with pre-civil war brick and has extensive interior woodwork.

Old Stone House, 805 Oak Avenue

Owned by Will and Kat Strickland

The oldest home in the district, this home is built of 18-inch thick stone walls.

Heafner House, 607 Oak Avenue

Owned by Jim and Kay Heafner

Charming brick revival home with an Alaskan touch.

Tree Streets Inn, 421 Walnut Avenue

A 1914 Colonial Revival Inn with a touch of Southern hospitality.

The Plumb House, 1012 Main Street

The museum was home to the Plumb family who lived in the house for five generations.