From oldest to grandest

This year's Historic Homes Tour will look at the oldest and the grandest of Findlay's houses. "This year's theme was inspired by one of our homeowners, who said this year is really from Findlay's oldest to grandest homes, and she's right," said Sarah Sisser, executive director of the Hancock Historical Museum, which organizes the biennial event. The tour will be held Oct. 7 and 8, showcasing five historic homes encompassing a variety of architectural styles. Between the two days and the volunteers who help with the event, as many as 1,000 people have previously attended the tour, which is held rain or shine. The weekend will kick off Oct. 7 with an exclusive champagne and candlelight preview from 6-10 p.m. The featured homes will be open for a limited number of guests. Attendees can tour the homes at their leisure from 6-8:30 p.m. before enjoying a "soiree" at the Jones Mansion from 8-10 p.m. with live music, heavy appetizers and a full cash bar. Two drink tickets (beer and wine) are included in the ticket cost. The homes tour will be held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 8. Docents will offer information about the history of the homes and their unique architectural details. Guests may start at any of the homes and proceed in any order. Included this year is one of the oldest homes in Findlay that is still standing, the Rawson-Cramer House at 210 Baldwin Ave., according to Sisser. "It is not in its original location so we believe that the oldest residential structure in its original location is the Engleman House that the YMCA owns," she said. The Rawson-Cramer House predates the Engleman home by about three years, she said. It was originally located on South Main Street before being moved to Baldwin Avenue in the 1890s. The house was built by Bass Rawson, Findlay's first resident physician. Sisser said the home has been owned by the Cramer Family for over 100 years. In the last few years, Jane Kramer, who lives in Texas, has been coming up in the summers and working to restore the home, which features Federal-style architecture, she said. "There are a lot of Federal-style details that have been revealed over the last few years in her restoration efforts, and those are so unique and quite rare in our area because we just don't have many examples left," she said. The Robinson-Mathias House at 865 S. Main St. is also part of this year's tour. Sisser said the house is believed to be the oldest residential structure still standing on South Main Street. This folk Victoria-style home has undergone several transformations since it was constructed in 1860. Sisser said there are also several "grand homes" on the tour this year, including the Jones-VanRenterghem Mansion at 313 E. Sandusky St. Built in 1867, she said it is the last unaltered mansion in Findlay. The Hull-Richter House at 200 Hancock St., built in 1887, and the Hurin-Boes House, 1029 S. Main St., are also included. Sisser said the Hurin-Boes home was built by Silas Hurin in 1901. Hurin practiced law in Hancock County for 25 years before serving as a Circuit Court Judge and becoming a candidate for the Ohio Supreme Court. Sisser said they try to include new homes on every tour. "Sometimes if it's been many years, ownership has changed or they've made several different improvements or changes to the house," she said. "So it's fun to see them again and how they might have changed." A fundraiser for the museum, the tour is also a way to highlight some of the history of the community and inform people more about these historic homes, said Sisser. "And then I think perhaps most importantly, it serves as inspiration hopefully for people that these homes are very livable and need to be well cared for. We need great stewards for these historic houses or they don't survive. Hopefully it inspires further preservation efforts in the community," she said. Tickets for the preview event are limited and must be purchased in advance at the museum, 422 W. Sandusky St., or on their website at hancockhistoricalmuseum.org. Preview tickets are $60 for museum members and $75 for nonmembers. Tickets for the tour are available presale and on Sunday. Presale tickets may be purchased for $15 at the museum or online. Tickets may also be purchased for $20 on Sunday at the museum. Sponsors include Merrill Lynch — The Bonnoront/Mangiola Group and the Findlay-Hancock County Convention and Visitor's Bureau. For more information and a map of the tour, visit the website or call 419-423-4433.