GHHA hosts Historic Homes Tours

GONZALES — Once again the Gonzales Historic Homes Association has assembled a lovely cast of homes for the Annual Historic Homes Tour.

First on the list is the T.R. Skinner House. The home, built in 1914 and located at 205 St. Andrew Street, is owned by Greg and DeeDee Singlemann. This is the second time the home has been featured on the tour.

Second on the tour is the Jacob Stahl House, owned by Larry and Johnnie Edwards. The home was built in 1907 and is located at 206 St Francis Street. This home was featured on the tour once before, but the owners have added an addition since the home's tour debut.

The Solomon Joseph house was built in 1898 and is owned by Alise Mullens. The home is located at 226 St. James Street. This is the first time this beautiful house has been featured on the tour.

Clint Hille has agreed to have his 104-year-old home, the C.E. Dilworth House, on the tour once again. The house was built in 1912 and is located at 222 St. Peter Street. This home always draws a large crowd of historic home enthusiasts and is featured on the tour every few years.

The Daughters of the Republic of Texas own the oldest house on the tour. The T.N. Matthews House, better known as the J.B. Wells House, was built in 1885 and is located at 829 Mitchell Street. This home is always featured on the tour because of its age and popularity.

Tour hours are 2 p.m. until 6 p.m., Saturday, December 3 and Sunday, Dec. 4. During these hours the homes are open for come-and-go style touring.

Tickets are $20 and available that Saturday and Sunday, at Gonzales Chamber of Commerce, located at the historic Gonzales County Jail and Museum, on the Conner of St. Lawrence Street and St. Joseph Street.

The Historic Home Tour is sponsored by the Gonzales Historic Homes Association and proceeds go to beautification and historic preservation projects. The GHHA is a non-profit organization and has raised more than $65,000 toward the beautification of Gonzales and the preservation of Gonzales history.

This year marks 19 years of home tours, according to Barbara Krozier, director with Gonzales Visitors and Convention Bureau and member of GHHA.

Krozier said the tours started in 1997 when Gonzales was featured in Texas Home and Living Magazine.

Annually the tour brings approximately 500 visitors from all over the state, to stay the weekend in historic Gonzales. Those visitors, according to Krozier, not only fill local hotels, they will likely visit other attractions, such as Stars in the Villiage, The organ concert at the Presbyterian Church, The Annual Parade of Lights, Santa's Market – Arts and Crafts, as well as local museums and monuments and local retailers and restaurants.

Krozier and the GHHA are currently looking for homeowners interested in starting an annual Spring Garden Tour. For more information on that endeavor, please call Krozier at Laurel Ridge Antiques, 830-672-2484.