Historical Society House Tour: Creative Artists Lived Here

"Creative Icons & Historic Houses" is Sunday, May 4 from 1-5 pm

by Susan Emery, illustrations by Phyllis Tarlow

(April 17, 2008) This year's Larchmont Historical Society house tour on Sunday, May 4 from 1:00 to 5:00 pm will feature four elegant homes - including one of the area's oldest - plus an 82-year old fire engine and a new way to pay for tickets - online with a credit card.

All four houses on the tour are associated with the artistic creativity of their current or former owners. One home belonged to famous actor Walter Slezak; another housed Pulitzer-Prize-winning poet Phyllis McGinley and a third was owned by singer-musician Mae Robertson. Interior designer Libby Cameron now lives in the fourth.

The Tour

75 Prospect Avenue

The self-guided tour can begin at any of the four homes, all found in or near Larchmont Manor.

One starting point might be 75 Prospect Avenue, which in the late 20th century was home to the singer and musician Mae Robertson. The house was built in 1896 by Charles Singer, Larchmont's first fire chief. In honor of Chief Singer, Engine One will be parked in front of the home throughout the tour.

The Mill House at 4 Pryer Manor

Another stop is at 4 Pryer Manor Road, where the home's oldest wing is believed to have been built in 1775.

In her book, Images of America: Larchmont, Village Historian and LHS Board member Judith Doolin Spikes describes two former slaves, "Jinny" and "Banjo Billy" who had been owned by the Mott family, which in 1776 purchased the property overlooking the Mill Pond. After they were freed, Jinny and Banjo Billy continued living at the Mott's residence, also known as the Mill House.

Poet Phyllis McGinley lived at 12 Hazel Lane

The home at 12 Hazel Lane, built in 1894, is where its former resident, Phyllis McGinley, worked on her Pulitzer-Prize-winning poetry. The home at 24 Ervilla Drive, completed in 1937, is owned by the interior designer Libby Cameron.

24 Ervilla Drive is home to Libby Cameron, who with Susan Bartlett Crater will present the pre-tour lecture on Sister Parish.

Pre-Tour Lecture

This year there is a special pre-tour lecture on Saturday May 3 from 3:00 to 5:00 pm at St. John's Church, 4 Fountain Square in Larchmont. The lecture and slideshow on the legendary interior decorator Sister Parish will be hosted by the current interior designer Libby Cameron and Susan Bartlett Crater, Sister Parish's granddaughter. The pre-tour event is open to the public; a $5 admission fee is payable at the door.

House tour journals and tour tickets can be picked up at the pre-tour lecture, so tour-goers can spend time previewing the extensive architectural and social history of the featured homes before visiting them the next day. Or journals and tickets can be picked up at the beginning of the tour outside 75 Prospect Avenue, where Larchmont's antique fire engine, Engine One, will be parked.

Modern Innovation - Purchase Tickets Online

This year you can Order Your Tickets Online or download an Order Form to mail in with your check.

A house tour ticket is $35 for members and $40 for guests, whose tickets must be purchased by a member. One-year memberships start at $15 for an individual and $5 for students and senior citizens. LHS members receive a bi-monthly newsletter, The Gazebo Gazette, as well as notice of special events and free monthly programs.

Details on how to order the tickets and where to pick them up can be found at the Larchmont Historical Society's website.

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