Elgin tours put visitors ‘into the spirit of the house’
Pedestrians carrying blue shoe covers and maps were a common sight on the sidewalks of Elgin’s historic district Saturday as groups toured 11 buildings on the Gifford Park Association’s 30th annual Historic House Tour.
Volunteers at each house showed off the architectural flair of Bungalow, Queen Anne and Italianate styles.
And while the home tours were about showcasing the old, some homes, like the Gothic Revival residence at 373 Park St., also displayed modern elements.
“The inside is new. It’s kind of a different house than we’ve done before,” said John Martson, house captain at 373 Park St. “It’s an old house that wraps up a new house.”
The two-story home retained its exterior, painted light purple with darker plum shades of trim, an original winding staircase and many original windows, including some that curved up to a point.
“They look like church windows,” said Marcia Borzeka of Elgin, who went on the house tour with a group of friends.
Borzeka’s friend Barb Curran of Elgin said the group will guide house tours on Sunday, gaining a sense of ownership for the historic features retained and maintained over time.
“You find out a lot more about the town that you live in,” Curran said. “It’s something we look forward to every year.”
The homes available for touring are spread out around Elgin’s historic district, and participants can visit the buildings in any order.
Tour takers will find wood-lined doorways, wraparound porches, curved radiators, custom stained-glass windows and other relics from homes built as early as 1854. Also open for touring are the Elgin Historical Museum, an art gallery and a church.
Stepping inside a home from another era as a participant or a tour guide is more than a history lesson, said Virginia Pipeline of Elgin, who guides and tours homes every year with Borzeka and Curran.
“It just makes you get into the spirit of the house,” Pipeline said.
Registration for the tours, which continue Sunday from noon to 4 p.m., takes place at the Elgin Historical Museum, 360 Park St. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $10 for kids younger than 12 and seniors older than 65.