Chestertown, MD – The owners of eight residences in the heart of Chestertown’s Historic District will welcome visitors from 10 am to 2 pm on Saturday, December 7, 2019 as part of the third annual Dickens of a Christmas weekend.
Custom wreaths by the Chestertown and All Seasons Garden Clubs and live music complete the merry atmosphere of this distinctively Dickens house tour. Participants will have ample time to partake of the day’s other fun, food and festivities both during and after the tour.
Reservations are required for entry. House tour tickets are $30 and are available online only at mainstreetchestertown.org/dickens-2019/.
The Federal style Nicholson House (circa 1788) will be open to guests for the first time in several years by new owners Michael Singer and James Smith. Their first holiday celebration in Chestertown includes David Singer’s remarkable antique operating train exhibit, a menorah-filled Hanukkah display and a festive Lemax Victorian Christmas village.
Silvia and Enrique Pallares’s home, the Wroth-Wade House, reflects a love of wine and their native Ecuador. Built in 1903, this magnificent Victorian-style home features original oak paneling, arched oak central hall doorways, original oak pocket doors and 10-foot ceilings, complemented by large porches and gardens.
A surprising discovery of 1884 Baltimore American newspapers under the floorboards dates the construction of this lovely Victorian home to 1884, possibly for a ship’s captain as evidenced by the pointed bay windows that mimic a ship’s prow. Owners Anna Wolgast and Ed Hugler have decorated their home with artwork by some of Chestertown’s amazing local artists.
Built in 1769 for one of Chestertown’s most prominent families, the Wallis-Wickes House and its gardens remain one of the true treasures of Chestertown. This monumental Georgian-style mansion was beautifully restored by former owners Eugene and Margaret Johnstone and is meticulously maintained by the current owners.
The charming frame home of Marjo Rasin was built in 1877 and once housed a store in the historically African American community of Hicks Court, which is depicted in a painting by the late Carmen Ford, an artist affiliated with the Harlem Renaissance. The carefully redesigned floor plan is a model for modern in-town living.
One of Chestertown’s oldest wooden houses, the Bolton House (circa 1759) was carefully restored and preserved to maintain the historic layouts. Current owners Susan Flanigan and Michael McDowell are dedicated to maintaining its wonderful historic character, including painting the exterior a period-correct red.
David Turner and Randy Crawford moved to Chestertown from a farm where they bred and showed carriage horses. Their recent remodeling of this Craftsman Foursquare style residence (circa 1915) includes an art deco bathroom and features artwork that reflects their Texas roots, foreign residences and love of horses.
Built in 2007 by former owner Bob Bennett, this Colonial Revival home was designed with sensitivity to its historic environs. Today its interior decor reflects the new owners’ love of the sea, and its recent renovation features a light-filled, open floor plan that flows seamlessly into a tranquil garden where guests are welcome to stroll.
The house tour is part of a three-day “Dickens of a Christmas” festival inspired by Charles Dickens’ beloved novella A Christmas Carol and sponsored by Main Street Chestertown. Set in downtown Chestertown, the festival will celebrate the season with live music, carriage rides, Victorian food and drink, costumed characters and more. For more information: mainstreetchestertown.org/dickens.
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