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Here is your chance to peek inside some of
downtown Albany's historic 19th century homes and their secluded
gardens. See the innovative ways in which city homeowners have adapted
100-year-old townhouses to fit their 21st century lifestyles.
The ever popular Hidden City House &
Garden Tour, now in its 16th year, will take place on Thursday, June 15
from 5 to 8 p.m. The event is co-sponsored by the Historic Albany
Foundation and the Center Square and Hudson Park Neighborhood
Associations.
Homes on this year’s tour date from the mid 1800s to the early
1900s. Many were designed for Albany’s most prominent citizens by
noted architects of the period. Homes on display include a grand
mansion, elegant townhouses, cozy cottages and homes that survived
years of neglect and are undergoing extensive renovation. All of
the homes are within walking distance of one another which makes for an
enjoyable evening stroll.
“Some owners have spent years resurrecting once gracious homes
that had become eye-sores in the center of the city. Many homes
have been restored to their original grandeur and feature exquisite
architectural detail, including inlaid floors, ornate plaster moldings
and carved woodwork,” said Susan Holland, Executive Director of
Historic Albany Foundation.
Hidden gardens on the tour demonstrate the talents of creative city
gardeners who have designed innovative solutions to gardening
challenges in limited space. Gardens include shady courtyards
featuring bubbling fountains, and sunny spaces filled with colorful
annuals, perennials, vegetables and herbs.
House and garden tour participants will also have the opportunity to
view two special exhibits at the Albany Institute of History and Art
designed to celebrate the bicentennial of Albany’s Washington
Park. The exhibits feature 200 years of Washington Park
history and photographs. Admission is free of charge to tour
participants.
“More than 500 people attend the Hidden City House & Garden Tour
annually. The tour features different homes and gardens each year
so it is always interesting to those who are regular attendees,” said
Frances Tarlton, tour chairperson.
Advance sale tickets are $15 per person prior to June 5, 2006.
For information call (518) 436-7630 or download the prepaid ticket form
on our website (www.historic-albany.org). After June 5 tickets
will cost $20 on sale through the evening of the tour at Ben &
Jerry’s ice cream store (250 Lark Street), Mezzo Marketplace (340
Hamilton Street) and the Historic Albany Foundation office at (472
Madison Avenue).
Proceeds from the tour benefit community
preservation and beautification projects.
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