JULY 9, 2009 ISSUE
St. Mary of the Hills Tour of Homes July 24
Volunteers Still Needed
Community-minded volunteers are still needed for the 51st annual St. Mary of the Hills Tour of Homes in Blowing Rock, scheduled for Friday, July 24. Last year, the Episcopal Church’s fundraiser netted about $90,000, most of which is donated to area nonprofit organizations.
“The lion’s share of the money goes to nonprofits in the region,” said Judy Domer, chair of this year’s Tour of Homes.
This year’s tour takes place from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., meaning the last tour will depart at 2:00 p.m. The end time is one hour earlier than in previous years. Participants will depart in private cars and vans driven by volunteers to tour the interiors and exteriors of four Blowing Rock area homes. The selected homes differ every year.
Last year, more than 2,000 participants—traveling to the event from all corners of the state—took part in the tour, and despite a lagging economy, organizers still hope for between 1,500 and 1,800 tour-goers, Domer said.
“People look forward to it year after year,” she added.
As part of the Tour of Homes, several activities also take part at the church, located at the corner of Main and Chestnut streets in downtown Blowing Rock. A food tent will serve homemade desserts and breads along with coffee and water, which can be purchased from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. The Golden Needle will sell handmade items and the church’s cookbook at the needlecraft tent on the front lawn of the church. Visitors can also bid on items in the silent auction, which will also be located on the front lawn.
Beginning at 11:00 a.m., box lunches from The Best Cellar—including a sandwich, dessert and drink—will be available for $10 in the Parish Hall. Docents will be in the sanctuary until 4:00 p.m. to share the history of St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Parish.
A new feature this year is the sale of specially made note cards that depict the beautiful floral arrangements volunteers created for each of the homes on last year’s tour. The note cards are available in packs of six for $12.
Tickets to the Tour of Homes are $25 per person. Free parking and a shuttle are available at the Hayes Performing Arts Center, located on Jamie Fort Road just off Highway 321. The shuttle will leave every 20 minutes between 8:30 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. The last return shuttle leaves from behind Rumple Presbyterian Church at 4:30 p.m.
A number of tasks—including hosting, driving and working the silent auction—are available to anyone who would like to help St. Mary’s community outreach efforts.
“Our church could not do it without the army of volunteers that comes from the community,” Domer said.
For information about volunteering, call Domer at 828-963-7507, Nancy Hutcheson at 828-898-9427 or Judy Gloster at 828-295-4086. For more information about the tour, call 828-295-7323 or click to www.StMaryOfTheHills.org and click the “News & Events” tab.
Want To Go?
Date: Friday, July 24
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.
Location: St. Mary of the Hills Episcopal Church, Blowing Rock
Cost: $25
The 2009 Homes
The following four homes will be featured in the 51st annual St. Mary of the Hills Tour of Homes in Blowing Rock.
Timbertops
In the two years that they have owned their Wonderland Trail home, Timbertops, Monica and Chip Perry have been able to remodel and redecorate it completely, giving it their own style. Today it has an “Old World” styling and is richly decorated with beautiful fabrics, reproductions and antiques, many of which are mementos of the Perry’s travels.
The house was built in 1946 as a second home for J. E. and Satie Broyhill. It became known as “the house where President Nixon spent the night” when he was entertained by the Broyhills. The spectacular views of John’s River Gorge from the expansive decks are not to be missed.
The Generation Gap
Chris Albertson and Joe Coyne bought their house on Green Hill Road in 2005, lived in it for a year and then began a three-year renovation project to make it their own. First came a new exterior and new windows, then a new kitchen and finally all new bathrooms.
Today, “The Generation Gap” looks and feels like a brand new house. It is tastefully decorated in a sophisticated manner mixing simple contemporary upholstery, wonderful works of art and reproductions along with genuine antiques. Warm and comfortable, a perfect weekend getaway, they avoided the temptation to give it a typical “mountain house” décor.
Tall Pines II
This newly remodeled Mayview cottage owned by Alice Roess is a small gem. As a long-time renter in Blowing Rock, she could not resist purchasing and renovating this cottage on one of the most convenient streets in Blowing Rock, Wonderland Trail. While the beautifully decorated interior features some of her special antiques brought back from her many trips to China, the large lot that backs up to Glen Burney Trail has been spectacularly landscaped by the owner herself, an avid gardener. Multi-leveled decking and an inviting pergola provide a place to relax and entertain.
Do-hi Cottage
This new Timber Creek home of Peggy and John Carlson is a study in personal interests and pastimes. Peggy, an interior designer, designed the house with the help of an architect friend. She personally decorated the three-level, five-bedroom house, using personal collections of old prints, antique maps and many of her own charming paintings as well as those of other artists. John helped Peggy with the refurbishing and refinishing of antiques and furniture and then added his own unique perspective to the house with his many hunting trophies. Do-hi (pronounced doe-hee) is Cherokee for “Peaceful Cottage.”
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