TEXARKANA, Ark. - Local homeowners share the Christmas spirit with visitors by opening their century-old residences on Saturday, Dec. 7, and Sunday, Dec. 8, for this year's Texarkana Christmas Tour of Homes.
The Quality Hill Neighborhood Association again offers the tour, this time with four homes located in the Smith Burke Historic District and Kelly Bramble Neighborhood, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. both days.
This year's homes are:
2217 Laurel St. in Texarkana, Ark. Homeowner is Jeff Brown;
2300 Laurel St. in Texarkana, Ark. Homeowner is Toni Nix;
2124 Glendale Ave. in Texarkana, Ark. Homeowner is Kathy Aycock;
721 E. 12th St. in Texarkana, Ark. Homeowners are Wendell and Mary Warner.
The idea is to raise awareness about older, historic homes in Texarkana. Money raised at the previous Christmas Tour of Homes was used to purchase planters for downtown Texarkana. The organization meets monthly and strives to raise awareness about the importance of saving older homes such as these, said Toni Nix of the QHNA. She points out that her home is 92 years old this year.
"Instead of tearing down we need to be restoring and keeping these," Nix said, pointing to the P.J. Ahern Home as one that the Texarkana Museums System was able to keep for the city. Nix's home is on the tour.
Nix hopes tour participants will gain an appreciation of historic preservation. "The charm of an older home, it just matters to keep these. I'm tickled that I have hardwood floors preserved, and the windows, I still have the weighted glass, the glass that was put in from the very beginning," she said.
These homes on the tour possess charming characteristics that can't be replaced. They're worth preserving, she believes.
"They have something that you cannot get in a new home," Nix said. "I've been in it 20 years, and the footprint of the house has not been changed."
These unique homes were built when attic fans were used (in the days before air conditioning), and when kitchens were placed on the north side because it was the coolest side of the home, Nix explained. "It makes a difference," she said.
Nix suggests people wear comfortable shoes. Three of the homes are in the same neighborhood so within walking distance. The homes will each be decked out in their Christmas finery for the occasion.
(Tickets: $25. Tickets can be used during one day or split for both days. Buy tickets online via Eventbrite.com or the Facebook event page. They can also be bought at J Brown for the Home or the Texarkana Chamber of Commerce, cash only. More info: Call Toni Nix, QHNA president, at 903-276-7447.)