Please join us for an enchanting weekend in historic Washington, Georgia for the annual Christmas Tour & Dinner. The weekend will begin on Friday evening with a romantic Candlelight Tour. Four lovely private homes will be decorated for the Christmas season and the historic First United Methodist Church will be open and offering Christmas music while you enjoy the beautiful stained glass windows and rich woodwork of the sanctuary.
On Saturday you may tour six private homes included in our town and country, Mistletoe and Smilax Day Tour. You may also purchase a ticket for our Champagne Reception and Colonial Dinner that will allow you to enjoy the Day Tour, the complementary Champagne Reception and your multi-course Colonial Dinner graciously served in one of our elegant historic homes. Also available is our Premier ticket that includes all of the above plus the Candlelight Tour as well.
Additional information may be obtained by callingToll free 877-221-7689 or(706) 678-5001
For a copy of our brochure, with prices and enrollment form, click here (MS Word required).
Candlelight Homes
Friday night from 5:00-9:00 four homes and the Methodist Church will be open for tour. Be sure to slip into the Methodist Church and enjoy some of the wonderful Christmas music and see the beautiful stained glass windows.
Among the featured homes will be Pembroke, built in 1825, this magnificent home has six Doric columns and a pergola down the right side of the house. As you approach the house look for the five chimneys and the widow’s walk on top.
Pembroke, 1825
Coulter Cottage, 1840
Methodist Parsonage
Grove Street Cottage
First United Methodist 1819
( Rebuilt 1907)
Town and Country Homes
There are six homes on our Mistletoe and Smilax Tour. One featured home will be Pine Heart, circa 1898 in Tignall. Restored in 1999 this beautiful home has a wrap around porch and a side portico. It is one of three houses in the country. There will also be three private homes in town to visit on Saturday. One of the featured homes is Hyde Away, circa 1840. It is a beautifully restored Plantation house with cobalt blue side- lights and a wide central hall.
Penna House, 1883
Hyde Away, 1840
Goose Pond Cottage, 1790
Tignall
Pine Heart, 1898
Tignall
Holly Ridge, 1825
Sandtown
Ryder House
Special Exhibits & Events
There are several very special exhibits and events that are available for the weekend and you will not want to miss them. The information that follows tells about the exciting things available to our guests.
The Washington Historical Museum and the Washington Historical Foundation are honored to present the Daniel Bibb Russian icon collection. This very special exhibit will be on display at the Washington Museum November 16, 2006- January 31, 2007.
Inspired by European religious influences the Russian iconographic tradition traces it origin back to the 10th century Kiev. Icons are often described as windows to heaven or vehicles of divine revelation. Helping worshippers gain spiritual communion with God, icons have played an important role in Russian religious practice for many centuries. The form and content of icons have changed very little over the centuries. Usually painted on wooden panels, icons use a rich visual and symbolic language to illustrate scripture from the Bible.
The museum will be open Tuesday-Saturday from 10:00- 5:00 and on Sundays from 12:30- 3:00. The Museum will also be open and the icons on display during the Christmas Tour of Homes and admission will be only your tour ticket.
During our Christmas Tour of Homes this year we are pleased to include the Holice McAvoy Museum. It is not in an elegant antebellum home, but in a small brick museum just outside of town. However, when you enter and see the big blue-sky ceiling and the miniature warplanes it doesn’t matter. This fine collection of the most significant World War II planes is all hand carved woodwork in accurate detail. There is a display room of World War II memorabilia as well. Part of this extraordinary collection is on display at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. This museum is not publicized and will be a treat to all who visit.
If you enjoy planes and appreciate detailed woodcarvings you should not miss this extraordinary exhibit.
Kettle Creek Revolutionary Battlefield
The Kettle Creek Battlefield will come alive with stories told on Saturday December 9, 2006. There will be someone on site to tell about the battle at 11:00 and again at 2:00. This battle took place on February 14, 1779 between the Tory forces under the command of Colonel John Boyd and Patriot forces under the command of Andrew Pickens, John Dooly, and Elijah Clarke. Don’t miss this special event.
*Please note that this weekend is sponsored by the Washington Historic Foundation to benefit the Kettle Creek Revolutionary Battlefield.
Music and Art at The Livery
Friday night, December 8th, during our Candlelight Tour of Homes, the Livery will host a special event that everyone will enjoy. There will be a group of violins and a cello to play while you view original artwork and talk with the artists.
The Livery and the Washington Farmer’s Market will also be the venue for our Champagne Reception on Saturday night. After a full day of the Town and Country Tour, there will be the scent of Christmas trees and wreathes in the air as you enjoy the art and champagne making a wonderful beginning to a delightful evening.
Yet another special event will be at The Livery during the day on Friday and Saturday sponsored by cook-off winner, Joe Barnett. He will have Shrimp and Grits available to benefit Georgia Training & Support in the Community (Ga. TASC) from 10:00 – 2:00. Come relax and enjoy a taste of the South.
Many Thanks---from the Washington Historic Foundation
go out to the businesses that have been so supportive in helping to make this weekend possible.…
