Some call it voyeurism. Others, to appear more academic, refer to it as the study of period architecture and antiques.
However described, Baltimore’s annual Holly Tour is a day well spent — worth it alone for an A-list entree into the most interesting and elegant homes in the city neighborhood of Mount Vernon.
Thirteen selected residences are open to visitors for a leisurely, self-guided tour. This yearly invitation to experience the graceful and cultural side of Baltimore’s past and present raises funds for the support and maintenance of the Mount Vernon Parks, one of America’s greatest urban park environments and a National Historic Landmark.
“We look for the great effort in the restoration of these homes, [and] preservation of the details,” said Jane McConnell, the show’s chairperson and president of The Friends of Mount Vernon, the sponsoring group.
Federal period architecture will be viewed as well as Beaux Arts (think of the flourishes to the facade of the Belvedere Hotel) Italianate and Renaissance Revival.
“I was honored to be asked to [participate] in the tour,” said resident David Wiesand, owner of a Greek Revival property that serves as his ground-floor furniture business and second- and third-story residence. “I did 85 percent of the restoration and surrounded myself with furniture and antiques of the period.”
A particular standout in the home is what Wiesand calls his “Moroccan Room.” Here he created a 19th century, Middle Eastern feel with tiled walls inspired by Baltimore’s Old Masonic temple, a plasterwork ceiling with ornamental details such as star-shaped rosettes and octagon coffers, and stacked oriental carpets on the floor.
A few homes are on Biddle Street. One houses the owners’ collection of memorabilia belonging to the Duchess of Windsor, a former resident who grew up in Mount Vernon.
“Mount Vernon definitely gets better as time goes on,” McConnell said. “Visitors will have a great opportunity to see Baltimore’s past and how it is developing positively for the future.
IF YOU GO
Mount Vernon’s Holly Tour
• Tour begins at the Monumental Life Building, 1111 N. Charles St., Baltimore
• 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday
• $50.00 package includes tour, lecture, cocktail reception, free parking; $25 package for tour alone, plenty of on-street and lot parking
• For detailed information, and to order tickets online: www.hollytour.com
