New Bern Homes and Gardens tours features a ’60s touch

The annual Spring Homes and Garden Tour is a key fundraiser for the New Bern Historical Society and the New Bern Preservation Foundation.

2017 is the 50th anniversary of the event, with the first one being held in 1967 and so, Historical Society Director Mickey Miller said, “We’re having some special ’60s things.”

Among those are some docents at various houses wearing ’60s-era fashions, a display of ’60s memorabilia at the City Laundry and performances of ’60s music at the same venue from noon to 2 p.m. On Friday the Bears band performs while Saturday features the curiosity of the Down East Dulcimers playing ’60s tunes.

Classic cars are also located at various homes throughout the tour.

As usual, students are also assisting as docents with fifth graders from Bangert Elementary portraying 18th century characters at the Attmore-Oliver House on Friday and students from Trent Park Elementary taking over the roles for Saturday.

“They’re so professional,” Miller said of the students. Students from the Epiphany School are working the Palmer-Tisdale house on both days.

A total of 12 homes and businesses and five gardens were selected, including five homes in the Ghent and DeGraffenried districts and the remainder in the downtown historic district.

Tryon Palace also opened its gardens to visit for free during the tour. A historic plant sale is being held on the Daves House lawn on Friday and Saturday.

Each house includes docents interpreting the different rooms that visitors walk through, describing not only the house’s history but its décor. Among the more interesting for its furnishings is the Joseph E. Slater House at 1509 Tryon Road. The bath includes a huge steam shower and among its furniture and decorations is a dining table made from the bed of an antique tractor trailer and mounted on hand cast legs and wall-mounted candle holders that are fashioned out of antique metal stool seats.

Contact Bill Hand at bill.hand@newbernsj.com, 252-635-5677, and follow him @BillHandNBSJ.