It is time for the 17th annual Christmas Tour of Homes in Greenfield hosted by the Greenfield Historical Society. The $10 tour will be held from 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 3, and will feature three homes, a new bakery, and the B&O Depot.

A chicken noodle dinner will precede the tour at the Grain and Hay Building from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost of the meal is $12 and includes chicken and noodles, mashed potatoes, green beans, slaw, a roll and butter, drink and a choice of cakes.

The business featured this year is CC’s Eats and Treats located at 703 S. Seventh St. and owned by Christie Cottrell. The bakery was a year-plus project that opened in October of this year. Christie said her building was formerly owned and built by Charlie Beechler. He had a hardware store in one half and a grocery/deli in the other. Beechler sold various lunch meats and cheeses, household items, and lots of penny candy. Cottrell has transformed the grocery into a bakery with much painting of the interior and adding a commercial kitchen. She was also fortunate to keep the sales counter and the Waddell showcases of Beechler’s. Cottrell has added many antique cooking items that decorate her walls and the store. She welcomes you to come in and explore her favorite hobby of cooking and her new business.

The first house featured will be at 334 South St., the home of Katie Pryor and her daughters, Payton and Paisley. The home is at least 128 years old and was built before 1895 by E.L. McClain for his brother, Arthur. Pryor bought the house in 2021 from Cindi Pearce who lived there from 1989 through 2021. Pearce bought the home from the Eunice Davis family. Pryor has done major restoration to the inside with new windows, new electrical wiring, refinished flooring, a kitchen and a bath remodel, along with other small changes. Pryor describes her decorating style as Scandinavian with touches of modern farmhouse. She enjoys collecting things she loves while visiting thrift stores and then mixing different textures together. She has collected Christmas decor through the years. Her favorite is the tree that she and the girls add ornaments to each year and reminisce about the decorations. She loves making her home feel cozy for Christmas.

The second house is the home of Susie Reeves at 825 Lafayette St. It was built in 1949 by Bill and Maxine Collins. Later residents of the home include Val and Fran Rossman, Joe and Betty Grim, and Joe and Helen Caplinger Grim. Joe Grim made all the kitchen cabinets and woodwork, and Reeves loves them. Her decorating style is country. She has opened the doorway in the living room and added French doors, put a barn door in the back bathroom and has added a new gas fireplace. She loves decorating for Christmas using items she has collected over the years. She looks forward to showing off her home to all who come.

The third house is the home of Matt Unger at 11171 S.R. 753 about two miles south of Greenfield. It is estimated that the house was built around 1830 by Samuel Houlton with bricks made on site and stone from Rucker’s Quarry. The property consists of 200 acres and was deeded to Samuel and Nancy Houlton by Duncan McArthur in 1813. The house passed through several generations of the Houltons, Douglass and Daniels families, and now the Ungers. The house has gone through several remodels over almost 200 years with the addition of gas and electrical work as well as front and back porches and a back kitchen. Unger completed the most recent remodel from, 2018-20. He updated the roof, windows, insulation and electrical system, added a garage, repaired plaster, and finished the third-floor tongue and groove pine.

The house originally consisted of 11 individual rooms, a stone basement and an open third floor. Since Unger’s remodel, the first floor now has a modern open concept, and the 1.5 baths were expanded to three full bathrooms. A new modern kitchen has been installed and the original kitchen converted to a laundry room. The wood floors were restored, and slate floors were installed in all bathrooms. The house features central air and radiant heat fueled by a wood and propane boiler, yet the cast iron radiators are restored to reflect the style of the house. The house will be decorated in a modern farmhouse style for Christmas. Various photographs from in and around Greenfield are part of the decor and a family dining room table constructed from reclaimed wood from an outbuilding along with other modern and historic furniture will finish the rooms.

The B&O Depot will be open for visitors. The historical society wants to share with the community the wonderful model of “Greenfield Throughout the Years” given to it by Tom Adams. The depot has been remodeled in the past two years with a lower ceiling, new windows and doors, lighting and paint. Adams has rearranged his display, added to it, and improved the signage and information. He also features Christmas displays in the downtown stores again this year. His beautifully handmade scaled models of Greenfield remind onlookers of the town from 1920 to 1950.

All three families and one business are excited about the tour this year and hope many visitors come through to see all their hard work and Christmas decorations. The historical society truly appreciates all their time and effort. The tour helps the society carry on its work to preserve and share Greenfield’s history.

The tickets are $10 for the tour and are available at the Community Savings Bank now through Dec. 1. Tickets will also be available the day of the tour at the Grain and Hay building and at the homes.

Additionally, if you need gifts for Christmas, the historical society has many ideas including its book on McClain High School available at the Grain and Hay building. It also has the 2022 and 2023 Christmas cards that sell 10 for $10.

Submitted by Harold Schmidt, Greenfield Historical Society.