Home Tour in the History Books ...
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Early morning lines were short; here, visitors wait to enter the 1893 Burr House, with over 4700 square feet on its three stories.
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Students in Mary Archibald's adult education class take up residence in the front yard of "Idlewild" and demonstrate their artistic skills for the tour goers.
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Monrovia City Councilwoman Becky Shevlin (far right) provides a history lesson for visitors set to enter 'Leven Oaks, formerly a hotel and now an independent living facility.
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House captain Janey Kane (in blue) helps field questions from an inquisitive group of tour goers.
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Docent Carol Lee Daley (right) plays the role of a Victorian housewife as she displays typical kitchen items.
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"Carburetor Carl" in his bowler hat proudly shows off several items from his antique motorcycle/bicycle collection.
Early morning drizzle and the threat of rain may have initially caused concern among the tour organizers, but the drizzle morphed into clouds and moderate temperatures and failed to deter tour goers intent on visiting this year’s offering.
The 29th annual Mother’s Day Home Tour, held on Sunday, May 8, 2011, and sponsored by the Monrovia Historic Preservation Group, drew larger crowds than last year, as 878 attendees delighted in the five, pre-1893 Victorian homes open for viewing.
These lovingly cared for homes allowed visitors to step back in time and imagine life in Monrovia in the late 19th century.
Three trolley buses ran all day, transporting tour goers to their destinations without the need to drive and park, drive and park etc. Lines at the homes swelled at times, especially at the always popular Burr House and Idlewild, two of the largest Victorians in town.
Numerous docents stationed at various points within each house enhanced the visitors’ experience with information about the history of the house and the owners’ efforts at restoration.
In addition to the houses, ‘Leven Oaks, and the Monrovia Historical Museum that were open for viewing, numerous vendors added to the atmosphere by their displays. An antique sewing machine display, window glazing demonstration, a class of painters demonstrating their skill, not to mention the almost 20 “horseless carriages” driving around town – all these and more provided a truly memorable day for all the mothers who chose to celebrate their special day with this home tour.
By the time 4:oo p.m. arrived and the doors closed, the efforts of over 260 volunteers who contributed to staging the event had paid off handsomely as evidenced by the abundance of “oohs” and “ahs”, and smiles were the order of the day.
Photos by MOHPG member Larry Marotta