Washington Plantation – 15 Lexington Avenue The 2006 Spring Tour of Homes of Washington-Wilkes will be held on March 31, and April 1 and 2.

The Candlelight Tour will get underway on Friday, March 31, at 6 p.m., and continue until 9 p.m. The Candlelight Tour will also be held on Saturday evening, April 1, during the same hours.

A Dessert Soiree will be available to those on the tour and others at Holly Court Inn, home of Phillip and Margaret Rothman, 301 South Alexander Avenue, on Friday and Saturday from 6 to 9 p.m.

The Day Tour will begin Saturday, April 1, at 10 a.m. and will conclude at 5 p.m. The day tour will also be available on Sunday, April 2, from 1 to 5 p.m.

Tour headquarters will be at the Washington-Wilkes Elementary School on East Street, just off East Robert Toombs Avenue.

DAY TOUR

There will be five homes on the Day Tour, with one more pending. These five homes are:

The home of Jerry and Kay Robinson, 104 Pembroke Drive;

Southern Elegance, Jean Davis Blair, 115 West Robert Toombs Avenue.

Lafayette Manor Inn, (former Maynard’s Manor), East Robert Toombs Avenue, home of Guillaume Slama and Sokunvathany Nuon-Slama.

Deborah Rainey’s Downtown Loft; and

Wisteria Hall, home of Jim and Jane Bundy, 225 East Robert Toombs Avenue.

CANDLELIGHT TOUR

The Candlelight Tour will feature three homes and Holly Court Inn where the Dessert Soiree will be held. These are:

The home of John and Kathleen Overstreet, 401 East Robert Toombs Avenue;

The Rider House, Smythe and Jane Newsome, 109 Court Street;

Washington Plantation, Tom and Barbara Chase, Lexington Avenue; and

Holly Court Inn, Dessert Soiree, South Alexander Avenue

OTHER ATTRACTIONS

The Washington Little Theater Co.’s presentation will be “1940s Radio Hour,” and will be presented Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m., and Sunday at 3 p.m. Cost is $10.

The Washington Woman’s Club Luncheon will be available by reservation only at noon on Saturday, at a cost of $10 each. This is a seated luncheon with a home-cooked meal served in the exquisitely decorated historic Woman’s Club.

The First United Methodist Church will also provide lunch for $10.

Admission to the Robert Toombs House, Washington Historical Museum and Callaway Plantation will be free with the purchase of any ticket package. Cost to non-ticket holders is the regular price at the door.

Other attractions on the tour which are free include the Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Washington Presbyterian Church, First Baptist Church, First United Methodist Church, the Mary Willis Library, and an Arts and Crafts Show at the Livery Stable coordinated by Debbie Wells.

Tourists and local people are invited to visit the many shops and attractions in Downtown Washington.

COSTS

Ticket prices are $25.00 for the day or candlelight tour; $45.00 for both Day and Candlelight tours; $5.00 at the door of any single home; and $10.00 for the Dessert Soiree.

TICKETS

Ticket and reservation information are available by calling 706678-2013.

HOMES FEATURED

Each week until the tour days, The News-Reporter will feature one of the homes on the tour. This week’s home is Washington Plantation, home of Tom and Barbara Chase, 15 Lexington Avenue.

Washington Plantation

The first recorded home on this site was in1828 when Daniel Chandler, a young Washington lawyer, married Sarah G. Campbell, the daughter of Duncan G. Campbell. The house was built on lands owned by Campbell and became the seat of a large plantation which bordered Lexington Avenue and Road for quite some distance.

Isaiah Tucker Irvin II bought the property in 1835. He was commander of the Wilkes Guards, Confederate States of America (CSA), and when he was drowned after an explosion in New Orleans in 1860, the soldiers changed the name of their company to The Irvin Guards. Captain Irvin was Speaker of the House of Representatives at the time of his death.

Charles E. Irvin became owner of the two-story white frame house located in a grove of water oaks and magnolias in the 1880s. He added the balustrated Corinthian portico and the side porches that lead into cross hallways. High wainscoting, paneled doors, and two mantels from the original house are combined with modern architectural features to form a composite style. The columns on the house are the rarelyseen Temple-of-the-Woods Corinthian pillars.

Whereas many of the old homes had the kitchen separate from the rest of the house (for safety from fire), this house originally had the kitchen in the basement. A stairway connected the kitchen to the upstairs dining room.

Charles E. Irvin brought his family up on this ancestral home and his daughter, Emmie, and her husband, Howard (Jake) Orr, lived here for many years. Mr. Orr served as mayor of Washington at one time.

Lonnie and Jerry Ray bought the house in 1979 following the death of Mrs. Orr. Without making any structural changes, the Rays restored the house to its original condition and added some contemporary conveniences. The original pine floors have been uncovered from many layers of paint and the 11½ foot ceilings and walls have been restored. The Rays also extensively improved the grounds surrounding the house.

Tom and Barbara Chase from New Jersey bought the property in 2004 and have developed it as an elaborate Bed and Breakfast facility.

There are five rooms, each with a private bath, ready to accommodate visitors. Each room has been named for one of their children and features many amenities to make for a pleasant experience. Mrs. Chase has designed and made all of the window drapes and curtains as well as other decorations for each room.

The kitchen has been enlarged and includes a small office area. Breakfast is served in the dining room and the parlors.

The original old pine floors have been refinished. Restoration has also been done on the outbuildings at the plantation and the buildings will be available for visitors during the tour. The grounds have been further improved and two beautiful garden spots established.