It has become tradition for the Loveland Historical Society to raise funds and help celebrate Historic Preservation Month in May by holding their annual Loveland Historic Homes Tour. This years tour takes place this Saturday (May 5th) in downtown Loveland.

The Loveland Historical Society selects six homes a year for the tour and so far has featured 66. Homes only need to be 50 years or older to be on the city and national historic registers if they meet certain criteria, such as historic significance, structural integrity and unique architectural style. Members of the Loveland Historical Society research the history of each tour home, using newspapers, obituaries and the Loveland Public Library. They knock on doors, make phone calls and use word of mouth to contact the homeowners, asking if they would like to be on the tour to show off their homes, or the owners ask to be included.

This year, the homes date from 1881 to 1937.

  • 1125 N. Garfield Ave, Depression Era House, built in 1937, vernacular wood-frame architectural style. Owned by Lynn Kincanon, the home at one time was part of the Tom Johnson farm, which was sold and platted after his death in the 1930s. The land was turned into lots on Garfield and Grant streets.
  • 924 N. Cleveland Ave., Mitchell House, built in 1918, prairie-style, presumably by the Mitchell family, who lived there until 1940. Michael Eckert purchased the home in 2011 and has spent the past seven months restoring it. He retained the original steam registers, kitchen pantry and decorative leaded glass.
  • 317 E. Sixth St., Swan House, built in 1908, craftsman-style. The home’s namesake, A.M. Swan, built the house and owned Swan and Hill Grocery at 139 E. Fourth St. In 2001, Harold and Madeline Daniels bought the home and converted it into an antique shop and tearoom.
  • 620 E. Sixth St., Whorton House, built in 1917, Queen Anne style. The home’s namesake, Leland B. Whorton, lived there from 1919 to 1929. Daniel and Megan Tracy now own the home, which has the original front and back doors.
  • 608 E. Seventh St., Richards House, built in 1898, vernacular style. The first listing found in the Loveland city directories was for William Richards in 1907. David and Linda Jessup — members of the Jessup family that has owned Sylvan Dale Guest Ranch since 1946 — purchased the home in 2000 and call it Celestial Seasonings after the carved shingles and the tea company.
  • 2306 E. First St., Timberlane Farm Museum, built in 1881, late Victorian bungalow style. The home is owned by Louise Gardels and is on the Loveland Historical Register as Historic District. The Medina Cemetery, built in 1864 off Namaqua Road, also is part of the tour. The cemetery is owned by Jess Rodriguez. The Loveland Historical Society is in the process of gaining ownership of the property.

The event is from 10am-3pm Saturday and tickets cost $12 in advance or $15 on the day of tour. For more info visit http://lovelandhistorical.org/

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