27th Huntingburg Christmas Stroll Holiday Home Tour
The Holiday Home Tour is November 9th from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. Tickets are currently available for purchase at the Hospitality House, The Downtown Emporium, Touch of Class and Gehlhausens’ Flowers & Gifts for $10.00 each.
519 E. Fourth Street
Carla and Steve Pershing’s home on Fourth Street should be your first stop on the tour. You’ll be able to buy tickets for the tour, pick up maps and have some coffee and refreshments. In addition you can park across the street in the Huntingburg City Hall parking lot and then carpool the rest of the tour.
Visitors will be able to tour the home that has been in Carla’s family for four generations. Originally built in the 1880’s, Carla’s grandfather Emil Schmutzler purchased it in 1913 and operated the Schmutzler Funeral Home there until the 40’s when it was moved to Geiger Street. Carla’s mom had the portions of the funeral home removed from the house and now that area is an expansive enclosed porch.
If you ask Carla how she has the home decorated, she’d say it’s primitive with a bit of country. Through the years she has collected many Santa mugs and Santa statues and these will be on display through the home.[adrotate block=”13″]
Salem United Church of Christ
This historic church sits on Fourth Street about a block west of the merchant district. Its majestic bell tower pierces the skyline of Huntingburg. The recognizable silhouette has been a historic part of the town since 1890.
In the words of Judy Olinger, the church provides one bookend of Huntingburg’s historic downtown district. The historic St. Mary’s Catholic Church serves as its sister bookend on N. Washington Street.
Both churches have been submitted to the National Register of Historical Places and Salem is five or six slots from being considered for inclusion to the listing.
The church was originally named the “German Evangelical Lutheran and Reformed Protestant Congregation in and about Huntingburg, Indiana” and was later shortened to “German Evangelical Salem Church.” It was changed to “Salem Evangelical and Reformed Church” and finally, in 1961, it became the Salem United Church of Christ.
The church will be in full holiday regale with Christmas trees and candelabras on display in the sanctuary and entrances. Mrs. Olinger will be on hand to take tours through the church.
The church was designed by renowned architect Charles D. Meyer of Louisville and is interesting to note the sanctuary is on the second floor. Currently administrative offices and classrooms are located on the first floor.
The Celebration Singers will be holding their first Christmas event of the season here at Salem United Methodist Church November 10 at 7 p.m. The Candlelight Christmas Concert ‘A Celebration of Carols’, tells the story of Christ’s birth through beautiful song and scripture. Admission is free but donations will be accepted.
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100 North Chestnut
Tina and Mark Fetter’s home is always dressed for the holiday occasion. You won’t be disappointed when you tour their home and witness the Christmas trees in each room of the house.
The home was built in the 50’s by Tina’s grandfather, Rollo Hillsmeyer —he built the next two down the block as well— and has been owned by members of the family ever since. Tina and Mark have lived in the home for over twenty-years and as with any home the couple have continually updated and added on to create a cozy well-decorated home for their family of six. They have four children, Rhegann,19; Gaage,15; Amerynn, 4; and Spencer Barrett, 23.
Each holiday the exterior of the home goes through a transformation as Mark changes scarecrows for snowballs, or Valentines for Easter Bunnies. They say the decorating passion comes from their childhood; their families loved to celebrate the holidays with decorations and now their own children share in that joy.
It’s hard to miss the exterior of the home driving down Chestnut but the interior will delight as well. Each room has a distinct tree that matches its decor. All in all the home will feature 15 trees with styles and colors ranging from a Victorian-themed tree in burgundy to hot pink in 4-year-old Amerynn’s room and even a Southridge sports-themed tree in 15-year-old Gaage’s room. One tree even has over 1500 ornaments.
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523 East First Street
This home is sure to be a hit simply for its historical significance as the home of renowned Huntingburg citizen Dr. Harvey Stork.
Gary and Susie Stetter moved into the Stork Home with their five children (at the time) in 1991 and have been working on it ever since. This is a special home for many residents of Huntingburg as Susie and Gary have found out. “Since we have had this house we have learned how many lives Dr. Stork touched through the years.” Susie said.
Dr. Stork’s philanthropy and doctoring were very important to the continued growth of Huntingburg. He established the Stork Hospital in 1939 on Fourth and Van Buren Streets and operated it until turning it over to the Sisters of St. Benedict with the promise to operate it for ten years at that location. As an enticement to bring doctors and medical professionals to the area, Stork also built many homes throughout the city.
Dr. Stork’s craftsman style home was built in 1929 and still retains many of its original features today. Gary and Susie purchased the home from Salem United Church of Christ, who received the property from the Stork family. The Stetters didn’t know what they were in for as that winter they learned the home had no insulation and the 31 original windows throughout the home leaked horribly.
It was a big beautiful home though and the Stetters have raised seven children in it. All have left the nest except the youngest, Theresa Marie, a 16-year-old attending Southridge High School.
As Susie and Gary have fixed up the old house through the years, they worked hard to retain much of the original wood trim —painstakingly removing years of paint to restore the beautiful oak underneath. When they first moved in, the floors through the house were covered with green shag carpet and the walls were all painted pink. The main bathroom was a sparkling tile from top to bottom. The original wood floors are now exposed and the tile is gone from the bathroom.
Last year the Stetters repaired the leaking tile roof. A single tile weighs 13 pounds and their son Angus was charged with taking them down to be placed on the ground in stacks while the roof was fixed. According to Susie he took almost all of them down six or nine at a time and then had to carried them back up when the repair was finished.
The old windows have been replaced and the wood-burning furnace in the basement keeps the house snuggly. Reproduction paintings adorn the walls and interesting furniture pieces, Susie has collected through the years, fit well with the home.
Visitors will be treated to an iron Christmas tree, so heavy it has to be packed up a few pieces at a time. The branches and leaves are formed from wrought iron and the trunk is iron as well. Susie isn’t sure how she will decorate the rest of the home but it will be a treat just to tour this piece of Huntingburg history.
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The Apartment at 431 East Fourth Street
Ellsworth Pickering is a collector of ruby glass, a prolific painter and a lover of English royalty. Visitors will be able to experience all of this and see how this tasteful decorator turns an apartment above the Edward Jones building into a cottage of Christmas delight.
You’ll admire his extensive collection of oriental style wall hangings, an enormous collection of ruby glass as well as many portraits of Princess Diane and even an autograph from Wallis Duchess of Windsor. “I wrote her and told her of my extensive collections of English royalty,” Ellsworth explained. “I told her it would be an honor if I could have her autograph.”
Pickering is in the throes of Christmas decorating now and will be featuring several trees and candlelit windows throughout the apartment.
His artwork will be on display and features many familiar places in Huntingburg. It’s a fine home to end on before strolling to the final stop.[adrotate block=”13″]
