Ontario Travel: The Port Hope Historic House Tour

October 3, 2009 was another ideal day for a country getaway: the Port Hope Historic House Tour, now in its 44rd year, is a highly popular event that attracts visitors from all across Ontario. Port Hope, a picturesque town of about 16000 people just about an hour east of Ontario, boasts a main street that is been designated as the best preserved 19th century streetscape in Ontario. Ten buildings were on the itinerary, and if we hurried we would be able to see most or all of them. We started with the Capitol Theatre just around the corner from Walton Street. Built in 1929, this Art-Deco era masterpiece was completely renovated in the mid-1990s. It is Canada’s last functioning “atmospheric theatre”, a former movie palace whose painted roof gives the impression of a night-time sky, complete with clouds and twinkling stars. Just about ten minutes away we visited two Victorian-era properties, a single-family dwelling owned by an artist, that featured a gorgeous terrace with lakeview, and a few steps away a spacious 1860s townhouse, also beautifully renovated, that was originally built for managers of a Victorian-era mill. Then we moved on to an even older 1850s Georgian style property, located on a hill, whose interior revealed ownership by an artist who had a real passion for collecting birds of prey and animal skulls. His paintings that adorned the hallway were magnificent, and the large backyard was gorgeous. We continued on to a gigantic Greek Revival mansion, also built …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

An Extensive Tour Of Brooklyn NY On Bicycle Ditmas Park Part 24

For more check out myworldtravel.weebly.com An Extensive Tour Of Brooklyn NY On Bicycle Ditmas Park Ditmas Park is a neighborhood in western Flatbush in the New York City borough of Brooklyn, east of Kensington, and is one of three Flatbush neighborhoods which have been officially designated Historic Districts. Located on land that remained rural until the early 20th century, the neighborhood consists of many large, free-standing Victorian homes built in the 1900s. Ditmas Park is roughly bounded by Coney Island Avenue to the west, Beverley Road to the north, Ocean Avenue to the east and Newkirk Avenue to the south. Ditmas Park is patrolled by the NYPD’s 70th Precinct. Newkirk Avenue, Coney Island Avenue, and Cortelyou Road are the neighborhood’s commercial strips while many of their east-west streets are lined with historic Victorian style homes. Since much of Ditmas Park is residential, many locals go to nearby Park Slope to run errands and shop, although the neighborhood has seen increased commercialization due to its recent gentrification. The Ditmas Park Association, founded in 1908, hosts social events, publishes a newsletter and a home improvement directory, and works on numerous civic issues, often jointly with its sister neighborhoods and the Flatbush Development Corporation. The Flatbush Development Corporation hosts an annual Victorian Flatbush House Tour. Throughout the eighties and early nineties, wealthy families purchased the large Victorian homes, but in …
Video Rating: 5 / 5

Property Tour: 321 27th Street Ogden, Utah with Jeremy Peterson – 1887 Victorian Home Project Part 1

Part 1 of 2. Tour a classic victorian home that is ready for restoration and reuse. Jeremy discusses possible uses for the building and explores the original floorplan and construction.

House Tour

Grafton WV home

San Francisco – Pacific Heights — Victorian Homes Tour

On our second full day in San Francisco (February 23, 2008) we were not so lucky: the weather was grey and cool and a major rain and windstorm was supposed to arrive in the area. After a nice breakfast at the Queen Anne Hotel we joined the Victorian Homes Walking Tour, led by local expert Jay Gifford. Jay Gifford, a transplant from Ann Arbor, Michigan, has been a long-time resident of San Francisco since 1979. After his job at IBM was downsized, he decided to become a walking tour guide, specializing in the plentiful Victorian architecture that San Francisco has to offer. We connected with the tour right at the Queen Anne Hotel which is one of the stops on the Victorian Home Walk tour. After describing the building’s interior Jay took our group outside where he explained the difference between Queen Anne, Italianate and Stick Style Victorian architecture. He also explained the term “smothering”, which refers to the removal and covering up of authentic Victorian architectural details as it was often practiced from the 1950s to the 1970s. Many of the remaining 14000 Victorian properties have now been restored, and even homes that were no longer recognizable as Victorian-era structures, are now being lovingly brought back to their former glory with period details and architectural features. Along the way we also saw two synagogues, various churches and apartment buildings from the 1920s. On Laguna Street we stopped for a great view across San Francisco Bay before we …

The James Vincent House Tour

Lumber baron James Vincent built this birck Italianate style house in 1885. The house, at 2800 sq ft is not very large by Victorian standards but the well preserved interior is a excellent example of high quality craftsmanship.

Property Tour: 321 27th Street Ogden, Utah with Jeremy Peterson – 1887 Victorian Home Project Part 2

Part 2 of 2. Tour a classic victorian home that is ready for restoration and reuse. Jeremy discusses possible uses for the building and explores the original floorplan and construction.