What lies behind the ivy-covered gates, the 100-year-old trees, the old adobe walls?
Find out Sunday, June 13, on the Sonoma League for Historic Preservation’s 2010 Cottage and Garden Tour. The four-hour architectural adventure begins at noon, with ticket pick-up at the Toscano Hotel on Sonoma Plaza.
“We’re really excited about the tour this year,” said the league’s Micaelia Randolph. “We’ve expanded the geography to include both the east and west of the Plaza, so — more wonderful homes to choose from.”
Homes on the tour span over 150 years in age, from authentic adobes to a historically appropriate contemporary cottage built in 2008. All are charming treasures, many with exquisite gardens and each with a story to tell.
New to the event this year is The Design Showcase, bringing together many talented designers from the home and garden community: Sonoma Country Antiques, Chateau Sonoma, Baldwin Interiors, Harvest Home, The Corner Store, Villa Terrazza, and Wedekind’s. Each group will transform a room or outdoor space at the Maysonnave House into a unique design environment.
The tour is book-ended by two large properties, both built in the 1850s. One was owned by Benecia Vallejo, wife of General Vallejo, and is a classic adobe structure. At the other end of the tour is another adobe, originally built by Stephen William Shaw, one of California’s leading portrait painters of his time. The home reveals views of a mysterious ruin.
One of the tour stops was the childhood home of Lloyd Bridges. One home was originally a stagecoach stop; another has a collection of rare, classic BMW motor vehicles.
“It goes without saying that gardens, pools and fountains will be delightful,” Randolph said.
Another stop is the General Joseph Hooker House in El Paseo, which is hosting an exhibition of oil paintings by Barbara White Perry, the gifted artist whose work singularly captures Sonoma landscapes, vineyards and farms.
Tickets are $40 in advance, $45 at the Toscano Hotel starting point on Sunday, and include the tour, the Design Showcase, and light refreshments. For more, sonomaleague.org visit.
