Festive red heralds burst from the landscape of Wilmington’s historic downtown and overlay districts last weekend when the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society invited ticketholders to visit 14 homes and church sites during the 2014 Old Wilmington by Candlelight Tour. Papery white luminaries lit the pathways after sunset Saturday, Dec. 6. An encore tour was held Sunday, Dec. 7.
Boxwood, pine, cedar and poinsettias were popular decorating materials, as were imported fruit assemblies.
“We encourage homeowners to decorate according to their customs,” said Linda Snider, who chaired the tour this year.
Musky boxwood wrapped white columns at the Izna and Blair Both House on South Fifth Avenue. In the side hall foyer, where leaded glass transoms and windows were featured, a collection of dolls was squeezed onto a child-sized bench.
Exquisite poinsettia trees anchored the deck between indoor and outdoor spaces at the Horace P. Munson House on South Fourth Street.
Pine garland twinkled with white lights inside the Thomas H. Wrights House on North 15th Street where traditional Williamsburg-inspired apple and pineapple topiaries graced the dining table.
In this neighborhood, a cluster of Colonial Heights bungalows revealed early 20th century architectural details embellished with the homeowners’ personal touches.
The coffered ceilings in the Martin G. Schnibben House on North 15th Street soared above a white brick hearth displaying knit stockings hung beneath the mantle. The pungent aroma of clove, nutmeg and cinnamon mingled with the scent of fresh fir garland in the Arts and Crafts period rear stair. In the dressing room, amid vintage garments, a collection of the homeowner’s handbags and shoes, the cut boughs of a cedar tree formed the skirt around a dressmaker’s dummy.
In the 400 block of North 15th, a fresh green wreath with red ribbon hung over the white, tongue in groove plank door at the Glasgow Hicks House. Inside, the dining table was draped in white linen paired with burlap runners arranged beneath a crystal chandelier. Crisp white linen napkins trimmed in crimson artfully folded inside empty goblets echoed the steepled church centerpiece. Each place was set with Lenox holly and berry Christmas china with flatware tucked inside drawstring burlap bags.
Across the street, the staid Colonial Revival façade of the J. Lawrence Hiatt House belied the owners’ holiday décor supported by colorful paintings found throughout the home. Jewell-toned ornaments framed the white kitchen window. A faux rose tree posed as a counterpoint to an oversized silvery snowman. Whimsical gingerbread houses anchored the eat-in kitchen table. The influence of young children in the home was very apparent.
Without final ticket sale figures from Harris Teeter, Snider estimated 1,100 tour goers purchased tickets last weekend, and 300 volunteers assisted with the 2014 candlelight tour — from committee members who decorated the organization’s flagship Latimer House to docents who entertained lines of patrons. Inside they shared their knowledge of the home’s origins, from the architect and original owners to present-day residents.
The annual two-day event is one of many hosted by the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society throughout the year. Plans are already in place for three events in January and February 2015.
Art historian Dr. Kemille Moore, of the University of North Carolina Wilmington College of Art and Sciences, is the keynote speaker for the Lower Cape Fear Historical Society’s annual meeting. Moore will lead a presentation on Civil War photography at 3 p.m. Sunday Jan. 11, at the university’s Cultural Arts Building, room 2033. There is no admission fee for this event.
Book author and local historian Beverly Tetterton will discuss her recent release, “Maritime Wilmington,” at the Latimer House at 11 a.m. Jan. 29. An optional lunch will follow in the Tea Room at noon. The cost is $5 for the talk and $10 for the talk and lunch. Tetterton’s is the first in a series of monthly book talks through April by local authors on local history. Tony Rivenbark, Thalian Hall Center for the Performing Arts executive director, will speak in February and Dr. Chris E. Fonvielle Jr., UNCW associate professor of history, will speak in March.
In February, Dr. Moore, a James McNeill Whistler aficionado, will host tea with Whistler’s Mother. Following the presentation, an English afternoon tea, accompanied by traditional Victorian treats, will be served. Held at the Latimer House, at 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 8 , the cost is $25. Proceeds from this event help fund future educational programs and support upkeep for the Latimer House. To reserve seats, call 910-762-0492.
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