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April 21, 2010
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Molly Dannenmaier
Director of Marketing and Public Relations
409-765-7834 (o)
409-771-5105 (c)
“First Impression” Preview Evening Tour Heads Up Wide Array of Special Events During Galveston Historic Homes Tour
(Galveston, TX) – A wide array of special events awaits people visiting Galveston during the first two weekends in May for the “Going Green: What’s Old is New Again” Galveston Historic Homes Tour. Tickets for all special events may be purchased online at www.galvestonhistory.org.
Topping the list of extraordinary added attractions is the evening preview tour on Friday April 30, “First Impression: A Stroll through Galveston’s East End.”
The First Impression Tour--which includes four homes not on the regular tour--begins with a wine and light hors d’hoeuvres reception at the 1890 Trube Castle, a stone mansion designed after a Danish Castle. Trube Castle is located at 17th and Sealy Avenue. The reception runs from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. and the full tour runs from 5:30 to 9 p.m. After refreshments, patrons are invited to stroll through the East End National Historic Landmark District to the other houses open exclusively for the First Impression Preview Tour. They include 1605 Sealy Avenue, highlighted in the May 2009 issue of Houston House and Home magazine; The Thomas Chubb House at 1417 Sealy Avenue, an antebellum home built for a Civil War blockade runner; and 1416 Broadway, built in 1916 for the Carl C. Biehl family and owned by family descendants until 2009. First Impression guests are also able to preview the 1909 Fernand Lobit Tenant House, 1310 Sealy Avenue, one of the 10 homes on the 2010 Historic Homes Tour.
“First Impression” tickets are $60 per person and include a Historic Homes Tour ticket.
For a lunch break during Homes Tour Saturdays, GHF offers “Lemonade Lunches at Custom House.” Gourmet lunches will be served from 11:30 a.m. and 1 p.m., Saturdays, May 1 and 8. Accompanied by fresh lemon-ginger mint coolers, the lunches will be served in the 1861 Custom House courtroom. The classical revival building is GHF’s headquarters and the courtroom is adorned with heirloom quilts as part of the “Bogan-Wilson” Quilt Exhibit. While lunching in one of Texas’ most historic rooms—guests will be treated to a lecture by Susan Bogan and Dawn Wilson. Lunch boxes include a choice of sandwiches on fresh croissants, potato chips, fresh fruit and homemade lemon bars for desert. Sandwich filling selections include tarragon chicken salad, homemade pimento cheese, turkey and cheese or ham and cheese. Lunches must be ordered in advanced.
Lemonade Lunch tickets are $20 per person. Advance reservations are required.
GHF’s Historic Homes Tour also offers a great way to honor Mom on Mother’s Day, May 9. That’s the day for the elegant special event, “Linen and Lace, a Mother’s Day Champagne Brunch.” The event is held annually in one of the city’s most pleasant and picturesque historic settings, the 1880 German dancing pavilion called “Garten Verein.” Besides champagne, the brunch includes a delectable and abundant buffet and a fashion show by Galveston’s Head to Footsies Boutique. All patrons are automatically entered to win prize drawings, including dinners, gift certificates and framed artwork. Linen or lace is the preferred attire.
“Linen and Lace” tickets are $45 per person and include a Historic Homes Tour ticket. Advance reservations are required.
Once in town for the Historic Homes Tour, visitors may purchase the “Art of Eugene Aubry,” who is now the official artist for this premiere Texas homes tour. Aubry grew up at 17th and Avenue N ½ and his passion for Galveston’s historic heritage is unmatched. Earlier this year, the renowned architect and artist hand-drew and water-colored pictures of Homes Tour houses. The prints he created no doubt will be among the most popular art ever created in Galveston. Aubry worked for many years in Houston and now lives in Florida. He is known for designing Houston’s Wortham Theater Center and the Philharmonic Center for the Arts in Naples, Florida, among many other structures across the nation. Aubry will meet patrons at the Trube Castle during the “First Impression” preview tour. Regular tour visitors also can meet this artist and architect at the James and Jessie Fendley Cottage, 1403 Tremont (23rd St.), Saturdays, May 1 and 8, from 11 am to 3 pm.
Other Homes Tour Weekend special events include:
Basement to Attic: Behind-the-Scenes Tours of Bishop’s Palace,
6 p.m., Saturdays, May 1 and 8
Guests will view areas not normally open to the public in this grand structure, named the 14th most important Victorian building in America by the American Institute of Architects. Limited to 24 per tour. Patrons must be able to negotiate steps and may not wear flip-flops or strapless sandals.
Basement to Attic Bishop’s Palace tickets are $30 per person. Advance reservations are required.
Bike Through History, Sunday, May 2, 10 a.m.
1861 Custom House, 502 20th Street.
Get on your bicycle and join GHF’s Preservation Services Project Coordinator Matt Farragher for an hour of fun biking throughout Galveston’s historic neighborhoods. Matt will highlight the more than 50 years of GHF’s preservation efforts and will showcase examples of the Foundation’s projects including properties saved through its Revolving Fund, Paint Pals and the Community Housing Development Organization initiative. Protective gear is strongly suggested.
Bike Tour tickets are $10 per person with signed waiver. Advance reservations recommended.
Sally Wallace Preservation Awards, 6 p.m., Friday, May 7. Ashton Villa Ballroom. These awards recognize outstanding projects involving the preservation, restoration, and enhancement of Galveston’s historic buildings and neighborhoods. This year’s categories are Restoration, Rehabilitation, Adaptive Use, New Construction/Infill, Craftspeople, Community Service Award, and Galveston GREEN.
Sall Wallace Preservation Award tickets are $15 per person, $12 per GHF member.
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