Editor's note: This article appears in the Eagle Times this morning, Tuesday June 19. Come to the tour! It should be fun and interesting! SLB 

Surprises Spice Walpole House Tour

    by Sue Bingaman, Contributing Writer

    The Walpole Historical Society hosts its most extensive home tour ever Saturday, June 23, after a six year hiatus. But if you want all the facts about the homes you won't find them here--you will have to take the tour!  House owners' names and addresses are not being publicised until the day of the tour. 

    "The tour, previously only open to Historical Society members", according to Marche' Brown chairperson of the event, "is open to the public for the first time --ever". And docents, volunteers from the Historical Society, will be in each of the homes to fill in the details. 

     The tour covers the town! And the gamut! Participants will visit and see the interiors of notable historic homes in the village, an antique farmhouse with artistic flair in the countryside, several contemporaries--one designed by local architect Livingstone Elder, a post and beam based on the owner's designs, 'Braewood' a transformed vacation home,'the Castle' on Rice Mountain, the result of the passion of 'The Accidental Architect', the owner who collected architectural artifacts and created the estate.  And more.

     Two tour homes are on Wentworth Road which was developed from 1762-1774 and known as Queen Anne Road until 1783. Professor Franklin W. Hooper began constructing a stately neoclassical home in 1911 but had financial problems and never completed it. The present owners- painstakingly renovated and restored what was built and completed the home now called 'Alpaca Dance'. Legend has it that the house is haunted!

         The other home on Wentworth, the Knapp house, was built by Josiah Bellows II in 1812. "The large brick house was to be the most substantial and imposing private residence in town" according to A History of Walpole. A favorite landmark in Walpole, this classic Federal was the home of Amos Bronson and Abigail May Alcott, parents of Louisa May Alcott, author of Little Women, from 1855 - 1857. It was known as 'Yellow Wood' after the tree in the south garden. Louisa, who lived in Boston, spent time with her parents in the summers and was inspired by Walpole's abundant lilacs to write Under the Lilacs.

         The Howland home, a Classic Revival style brick house built in 1833 by Aaron P. Howland, a skillful carpenter and cabinet-maker, was more recently known as the Guy Bemis' house. Bemis owned the grocery store in the village, was a selectman and well-known about town. The present owners restored and decorated it according to the original construction period.

     And that is not all.  Participants may enjoy a box lunch from Fiddlehead's (from Hancock), or their own offering, in Walpole's only vineyard high above the Connecticut River Valley with breathtaking views of the Green Mountains of Vermont and beyond. Vineyard owner Virginia Carter will be available to answer questions about the vineyard and wine-making at Barnett Hill Vineyards.

          Proceeds of from the tour will benefit the Walpole Historical Society, a not-for-profit organization, and will help to pay for the renovation of the historic Academy building that houses the Society's collection. 

     The Walpole Home tour is Saturday, June 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. rain or shine. Tickets are $25 and are available at Ruggles & Hunt, the Walpole Village Market, Galloway Real Estate,and Real to Reel Video in Walpole;  at the Village Square Booksellers in Bellows Falls, VT; or by mail by calling 756-3664. The box lunches may be purchased for $10 in advance only.