THE ART OF CHRISTMAS ORNAMENTS FEATURE OF OGM HOME TOUR
The true beauty of the season will sparkle during the 27th Annual Original Governor's Mansion Holiday Home Tour in a husband's tribute to his wife's love of Christmas and its decorations.
In addition to five wonderful homes decorated for the holidays for the 2007 holiday home tour, Jim Stevens will share the vintage collection of ornaments his wife, Darlene, collected until her death last year. It is believed to be one of the largest private collections of its kind in Montana.
The tour will be Sunday, Dec. 2, from noon until 5 p.m. with advance tickets at $12 per person available at the Montana Historical Society Museum Store, Ghost Art Gallery and both Leslie's Hallmark stores in Helena. Tickets are $15 the day of the event and can be purchased at the OGM or any of the homes on the tour.
The theme of this year's tour, sponsored by Diamond Construction/Bjerke Architects, and Bank of the Rockies, is "Hats off to the Holidays." In addition to the Stevens ornament collection, vintage hats from the Montana Historical Society's collection will be exhibited.
The front parlor of the OGM will be decorated to reflect what it might have looked like in the early 1900s when Gov. Samuel V. Stewart and his family occupied the mansion.
Here are the homes on this year's tours. Maps and directions are provided with tickets.
Original Governor’s Mansion – 304 North Ewing A special feature of this year’s Holiday Home Tour, in addition to glorious hats from the Montana Historical Society collection, is the vintage ornament collection loaned by Jim Stevens in memory of his wife, Darlene Stevens.
802 Madison ~ Built in 1886 and known as the Seligman -Lanstrum Home was designed by internationally renowned architect Cass Gilbert of St. Paul, the mansion was built by and first occupied by Albert Seligman, as nephew of prominent New York banker Joseph Seligman. Albert was sent by his uncle, who was an important in his day as the Morgans and Rothchilds, to mange his mining interests in the state including the Gregory Mine south of Wickes. The mansion was the scene of some of the most elaborate receptions ever held in the state and attended by foreign diplomats, distinguished easterners and Montana’s social elite. In the 1900s Dr. Oscar M Lanstrum, titular hear of the Montana Republican Party for many years, owned the home, which also now bears his name.
628 Dearborn This house was built over a 3-year period by William Bickett, a stockman and land holder near Cascade. Bickett finished the home in 1908 and is a true craftsmen home with a great deal of woodwork, large rooms, and large windows creating a feeling of openness. The architects were C. S. Haire and J. G. Link of Helena. The most impressive feature of the house is the dining room, featuring a coffered, spoke ceiling, a built-in curved buffet, and 2 lead glass china cabinets. When Knoblocks were refinishing the buffet, they found, behind the second drawer, a stock bill glued to the back of the piece. In pencil is written, “Anton Theigert, Cabinet Maker, Missoula, Mont, Made by him at Bonner, finished Oct 16th 1906”. The room also has the original silk wallpaper and silk window coverings. Linda Knoblock has worked for 2 years restoring the house, including refinishing all the floors, windows and much of the woodwork.
827 12th Avenue The Baxter family, the original owners, built This Victorian stick frame home in 1901 and lived in the home until 1965 when it was sold to Agnes Ballintine. A prominent feature of the home is its magnificent curved staircase. In 1989 Steve and Elizabeth Johnson purchased the home and lived there until 1993 when it was sold to Mike and Katie Munch. The Munch family lived in the home until Paul and Loretta Reichart purchased it in 2000.
611 1st Street - This Victorian style with gingerbread trim home was built between 1890 and 1894 originally for John Wendel who owned and operated the “San Francisco Bakery between 1889 and 1933, operating the business from this residence between 1900 and 1933 - ovens are still in the basement. Wendel was elected to represent Lewis & Clark County during the 10th Legislative Assembly, where he sponsored a bill enabling Montana residents to pay taxes on a twice-yearly basis rather than annually.
135 Quarry Road, Montana City This home was built in 1999 and is a truly “smart” house – a voice controlled automated house that controls everything from the lights to the window shades to the music piped throughout the house. Ron and Yvonne Pearson are the original owners and Ron Pearson was the architect. The house is filled with custom millwork and includes many energy saving features such as radiant heat, south facing exposures, windows in all rooms and snow-melt sidewalks.