All nine of the beautiful homes on the Christmas in the County House Tour are being decorated for the holiday season, ready to welcome visitors with hot apple cider on Sunday 7 December.

The official map identifying the chosen homes, however, is a closely guarded secret, revealed to ticket holders only on the morning of the tour.

Nonetheless, tour organizer Ursula Solecki offers some sneak peaks. “We have a beautiful Queen Anne Victorian built around 1883, an antique lover’s paradise,” she enthused. The house boasts etched windows, deep moldings and its original fireplaces.

“Walking through this capacious house is like walking through another century.”

Another is an 1859 home called Meadowview. “The owners of this stunning home bought it a year ago from an architect and his partner who spent 15 years turning this former farmhouse into a thing of beauty.

“One of the most enchanting features is how it seems to be one with the land on which it sits. Black Creek meanders along one side, flowing gently into Jacksons Falls. A quiet swing sways from the limbs of a grand old Maple. A potting shed and a greyed-out barn can be seen through the wealth of windows.

“Inside, the walls are graced with artwork. Large rooms are lit by Gothic windows and an Arts and Crafts motif slyly surprises as the house unfolds.”

Funds raised from the self-guided tour support the preservation of heritage properties in the County. Revenue from ticket sales is donated to the Built Heritage Fund, administered by the Prince Edward County Community Foundation. 

The funds are re-invested in local heritage projects in the form of grants. Between $10,000 and $15,000 is distributed annually to those seeking support for heritage restoration projects.

This year, ticket holders will be entered in a draw for a signed copy of The Story of Ontario Architecture, by Shannon Kyles. The book offers a history of how building styles have evolved to reflect the province’s changing society, economy, and environment. 

The house tour, under the title The Built Heritage Fund, was started by a group of local volunteers in 2010 in response to the demolition of Picton’s historic Methodist Church on Main Street. The loss of the church, sadly not a heritage-designated building, stressed the need for a plan to help preserve and protect the County’s historic buildings.

The destruction of the church was rated by the National Heritage Trust as one of the top 10 losses in Canada that year. In order to prevent further such occurrences, the Built Heritage Fund encourages and supports heritage restoration projects.

Tickets go on sale on November 19. They can be purchased online or in person at Books and Company.