Tickets are now available for Windsor Historical Society’s beloved biennial house tour which will occur on Saturday, April 28^th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Windsor’s architectural evolution over four centuries may be tracked by visiting six homes representing the 17^th, 18^th, 19^th and 20^th centuries. Informed guides will point out interesting architectural features in each home and share information about earlier homeowners. You will be able to pick up a detailed guide to the features and history of the homes you will be seeing at the Society or at each of the homes on house tour day. And then there’s the pleasure of experiencing how current homeowners have creatively and beautifully adapted the historic features of their homes to fit modern life.

Homes on the tour, some of which have never before been open to the public, range from historic residences, to one of The First Town Square Condominiums in the old Mechanic Street factory complex, to the Society’s national-award-winning Strong-Howard House. Homes on this year’s tour are:

• 124 East Street (1670) – See many original features in one of our town’s oldest homes, including wood and peg beams, feather-edge boards and the original kitchen and kitchen fireplace, once covered over and proudly restored by the current owner.
• 96 Palisado Avenue (c1758) – The Society’s Strong-Howard House has won local, state, and national awards.  Restored to 1810 with reproductions of furnishings used by the Howard family, we invite you to sit at the dining table, heft hearth-cooking tools, try out the canopy bed, and make yourself at home.
• 141 River Street (1870) -This farmhouse overlooking a beautiful spot on the Farmington River was built and occupied by members of Poquonock’s Lithuanian community, drawn to our area by work in the mills. See a gourmet kitchen, bedroom retreat, and the artist resident’s workshop located behind the home.
• 1046 Windsor Avenue (late 1800s) – This Queen Anne style home with Colonial Revival details features a Palladian window, a porte-cochere, and a turret with colorfully-painted scalloped and diamond-shaped wood shingles.  Inside, lincrusta wallpaper, luxurious woodwork, and original lighting fixtures in beautifully-appointed rooms transport you back to another era.
• 33 Mechanic Street (1891) – Located in what was once factory space for Eddy Electric Company and General Electric, this light-filled condominium unit reveals the resident’s passion for art. Seventeen foot high ceilings, twelve foot windows, and a massive support pillar provide a great backdrop for paintings, a hanging needlepoint, and a large wall mask in this beautifully-designed residence.
• 124 Preston Street (1924) – Possibly a Glen’s Falls mail-order house model from Sears, this home features an open, sunny interior, wood floors, and built-in shelving which may be compared with the catalogue’s picture and floorplan on display in the sunroom.  The updated kitchen and furnishings blend perfectly with the home’s original features, providing a peek into Windsor life in the early 20^th century.

The house tour is one of the Society’s two major fundraisers this year, supporting public programs for schoolchildren and adults, and the operation of our historic houses, research library, exhibition galleries, and family learning center. By purchasing an advance ticket for $30, you will save $5 from the day-of-tour ticket price of $35. Order your tickets online by using the “register here” button below, or pick up tickets in person at:

• Ashley’s Distinctive Jewelry and Gifts, 555 Day Hill Road, Windsor
• Jordan Florist, 10 Palisado Avenue, Windsor
• Windsor Federal Savings Town Center branch
• Windsor Historical Society; 96 Palisado Avenue, Windsor

A few volunteers are still needed over the course of the day to make visitors feel welcome and provide brief interpretation on interior architectural details. Training is provided and shifts are just two hours long to allow volunteers the option of taking the tour themselves. And for our volunteers, house tour tickets cost just $25! We can accommodate groups who want to volunteer together, so please share this request with friends and neighbors.

For more information about the house tour, and to volunteer, please contact House Tour chair Ed Paquette  at 860-818-8024 or ed@catpaq.com.

Advance tickets $30, day-of-tour tickets $35.