"Come Home To Lakewood" Home & Garden Tour 2010

The biennial Lakewood Historical Society Home & Garden tour was Sunday, September 12. It was a perfect day with over 1400 attendees enjoying 6 private residences and The Nicholson House located throughout Lakewood, Ohio.


The house tour, rightfully so, does not allow pictures to be taken of the interiors of the homes. On behalf of the House Tour committee and for sharing on the Lakewood Observer, I was able to capture plenty of how the day went. What i loved just as much as the homes themselves was seeing many people of the Lakewood community and beyond who were enjoying family and friends company while on the tour.

(click photo to enlarge)

  • Carol Hunt and friends making their first stop, the Riverside Dr. home. They did the tour by bike again this year.

  • The little side road that led to the Clifton Place residence was closed for the day which helped accommodate the constant long line of house tour attendees waiting for the turn to see the beautiful interior and gardens.

  • Familiar faces were everywhere. Here I caught a favorite fellow Lakewoodite, Maggie Fraley, waiting to get into the Clifton Place residence. Maggie handles Lakewood Observer ad sales and can be reached at lo.adsales@gmail.com.  

  • Clifton Place residence which is owned by Plantation Homes owners located at Detroit Ave. and Lincoln Ave. They have an incredible eye for decorating and this was reflected in their home. 

  • Just a glimpse of the outdoor space at the Clifton Place residence.

  • Greg Sent former trustee of the Lakewood Historical Society serving as one of the many volunteers who helped host the tour.

  • Captivating back patio of the Clifton Place residence.

  • This tour attendee was making the trip by cozy bike. Truly the best way to soak in the sights of Lakewood. And she didn't have to worry about parking spaces.

  • Patty McLaughlin (right), owner of the Belle Ave. residence, enjoying the tour with a friend.

  • Beck Cafe offered a free cup of coffee to all house tour attendees. If you haven't been in yet you must stop in and check this cafe out. The current art work he has on display is worth the stop alone. But enjoying a beverage and/or something light to eat for the full experience.

  • Sunday's weather was beautiful. Beck Cafe has a great outdoor seating area where you can catch a live performance. Check out their website at www.beckcafe.com for more info and schedule of performers.

  • The residence in the Clifton Park neighborhood on Clifton Road. Recently completely renovated this residence was stunning with its traditional and historically correct details.

  • One of the many lemonade stands held by neighboring children. Also, a regular sight in Lakewood more this year than I've ever seen, bikes are everywhere! More and more people know this is the way to go.

  • Gaynell Mellino (second from left) out enjoying the tour with friends. She had quite the night before as the Mellino's hosted the House Tour Patron Party. Thank you to all our gracious homeowners for sharing their homes with us.

  • Homeowner of the Clifton Road residence, John Forgetta, greeting friends as they pass through on the tour in the lush back patio.

  • Junior Women's Club of Lakewood hosted the Edgewater Drive residence. About 70 volunteers and homeowners are needed to pull this entire tour off for the day. Pictured here Margaret, Tanya Orivetz, and Mary Dodge. Thank you to all the volunteers!

  • The tour would not be complete without a view of Lake Erie! Attendees walk the back yard of the Edgewater residence.

  • Cozy corner looking out to the lake.

  • Mike Loje chatting in front of the Belle Ave. home.

  • The Belle Ave. home is over 100 years old. It has been renovated by the current homeowners staying true to the integrity of the house inside and out. Gorgeous woodwork inside!

  • Front porch of the Belle Ave. house. You gotta' love it!

  • Rhonda and Michael Loje did the tour by scooters.

  • Belle Ave. house volunteers on the front porch.

  • The craftmanship details of this house were stunning. This stained glass speaks for the house. I'm glad I was able to see the inside of this beauty.

  • Lakewood isn't known to be one of the greatest City of Homes for nothing. Here you see the row of houses lined up from the Belle Ave. residence.

  • Nearing the end of the tour, Heather Rudge, house captain of the Manor Park residence, gets to sit down for a bit as she talks to attendees.

  • I wish my back yard looked like this. At the Manor Park residence a private veranda is off to the side of the back yard.

  • The vegetable garden area of the large Manor Park back yard.

  • At the Nicholson House welcoming volunteers of the Rossen family were serving free cookies and refreshments for tour attendees.
  • At the Nicholson House the Lakewood Historical Society had items for sale. Here are a couple books all Lakewoodites should have on their coffee table: Lakewood The First One Hundred Years & Images of Lakewood. You can purchase these books online at www.lakewoodmuseumstore.com or visit the Oldest Stone House Museum on Wednesday afternoons. Or borrow from the Lakewood Library.

  • Tour attendees relaxing at the Nicholson House.

  • One of the rooms of the Nicholson House which can be rented for reasonable rates for your party of upto 125 guests. The Nicholson House is operated by the Lakewood Historical Society. It is the oldest frame structure home in Lakewood built in 1830. For rental information visit www.lakewoodmuseumstore.com or call 216-221-7343.

  • At the Nicholson House, Grant Elementary students of the Discovery Program displayed their project on Lakewood's earliest settlers. The project included researching and making a movie with help from Lakewood Historical Society Executive Director, Mazie Adams. Pictured here are students, Danny McCloskey and Gibson Burns.

  • After viewing the movie made by the Grant Elementary students, here Gibson Burns and Danny McCloskey answer the audiences questions about the project.

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