The following homes will be open during the 2018 Stroll Through History for ticketed guests from 11am-4pm.

 

803 First St., Daryl Tutsui

Entertainment Schedule:

  • 11.00 am- 1.00 pm-Twitchell &Franklin
  • 1.30 pm-3.30 pm-(TBA)

Exterior : Built in 1893, this home is a classic example of a Queen Anne Cottage, a popular style from 1880 to the early 1900s. Queen Anne cottages are noted for a wrap-around porch, for slightly asymmetrical façades, and for projecting gables with shingle decoration. In this home the main gable projects over a pedimented front porch, which opens in the center to a double doored main entry, but which also leads to doors at right and left ends of the porch. The left door originally opened to the living room with a bay window, while the right door was a separate entrance to the front parlor, with projecting, but not bay, windows. The slight asymmetry is enhanced by glass transoms over the left and center doors, but not the right, and by decorative glass on the living room bay window but not over the parlor window. The house is supported by the original brick foundation which encloses a full basement.

Interior: True to its style, the house has no central hall. The entry alcove leads both to a front parlor (and from there to a bedroom which was an addition to the original house), and to the living room. The living room opens into the dining room through a sliding pocket door to the east and into a bedroom through a south facing door with transom. The dining room enters either south into the kitchen (remodeled 2015) or into the east bedroom. Refinished oak top-nailed floors throughout the house unify the house and create a smooth flow from room to room, while the 12 foot ceilings and transom windows make the interior light and airy. Note the original duct work, stained glass and decorative window surrounds.

Gardens: The home is on a large lot with an alley. The back yard is south and east facing, with a large lawn, mature trees, and an above ground pool—perfect for Woodland summers.

Ownership: The house is owned by Daryl Tutsui who purchased the home from the Southards in 1998. Interior decoration is by Karen Lucchesi. Karen and Daryl are co-owners of Serendipity.


709 First Street. Doyle and Linda Tuman.

Entertainment Schedule:

  • 11.00 am-Dr. Cleve Baker
  • 1.30 pm-3.30 pm-(TBA)

Exterior: Built in 1886 and completed in 1887, this home is of the Victorian Era and is in the Italianate Cottage Style. The house is a single story with a full, unfinished basement. At some point a large sitting area was created in the attic, with stairs being added and the space finished with redwood bead board paneling. The exterior wood siding is mostly original redwood, as are the window trim and roof corbels. The original brick foundation has been reinforced with a structural block and concrete foundation around the entire interior perimeter of the basement. A brick wainscot was added to the exterior. The prior owners added a garage and office space, which has been converted to a guest house, at the rear of the property.

Interior: This home includes an entry hall, front parlor, a mid-house second parlor with fireplace, a den with adjoining bath, a master bedroom with en suite bath, dining room, kitchen and sunroom. The home includes many original gas light fixtures which have been converted to electric, and six unique ceiling medallions in the centers of the 11-1/2 foot ceilings. The beautiful stained-glass transoms add a whimsical effect to the Victorian home. The interior walls are original wood lath and plaster, and door and window moldings are painted redwood. The floor plan of the house is substantially original, with some alterations to the kitchen/ sunroom areas, the master bath, and with the addition of the second bath off the den.

Gardens: The yards and garden areas are in a work-in-progress state. The home does boast two magnificent old oak trees, one in front and one in the rear. The rear yard contains an old artifact, a Head Frame, from a lumber mill built and operated by the owner’s grandparents in 1927, near the town of Tennant. There is also a newly installed fountain in the backyard area.

Ownership: William Henry Carson built this Italianate cottage for James Isom McConnell. The original specifications and construction contract are on file at the Yolo County Archives. Copies of the building plan/ contract and a 1926 tract map are framed on display in the home.

The exterior of this structure has been well preserved and altered only to the extent of the brick steps and foundation covering. During the early part of his career, James I. McConnell was Principal of Woodland public schools and then became Editor of the Woodland Daily Democrat newspaper. President Grover Cleveland appointed McConnell Postmaster and he also served one term in the State Assembly during the turn of the century. McConnell later went on to establish the Yolo County Savings Bank. Former owners include Kenneth and Elizabeth Fielding. Current owners are Doyle and Linda Tuman. The house received the city’s Heritage Home award in 2004.


540 Cross Street, Lee and Barbara Shebloski

Entertainment Schedule:

  • 11.00 am-1.00 pm-Spaghetti Westerns
  • 1.30-3.30-Karama Loading

Exterior: The home is one of the most unique in Woodland with its double French doors and trellises fronting on First St. This facade is best described as eclectic! The original owner, Asa Proctor, designed the trellises to double as fire escapes for the second floor. Their son reported that he would sneak out at night to visit friends by climbing down the trellises. The exterior is a glass lover’s delight with over 30 separate window panes, many on the two South facing sleeping porches.

Interior: The original owners loved to entertain. The exterior French doors lead into an expansive parlor that served as a ballroom for their many parties. The ballroom has multiple wall sconces and two original overhead lights. At Christmas time, the present owners extensively decorate in the ballroom. All of the floors and woodwork, except the kitchen, are original. There are many interior double French doors, adorned with decorative crowns. Almost all of the cabinetry is original. The doors have over 250 brass doorknobs and other period hardware. There is a whimsical telephone booth next to the stairway that was renovated from a small bath. The stairway, off the Cross St. entrance, has beautiful railings leading the an roomy landing that accesses the bedrooms and overlooks the street. The two summer sleeping porches each have original Murphy beds.

Gardens: The present owner Barbara Shebloski is an energetic gardener. She has replanted the border on First St. with colorful perennials. The back yard is a maze of vegetables, grapes, roses and perennials. A secluded sitting area provides a restful central garden feature. On the back side is a garage that was originally served as a stable.

Ownership: Lee and Barbara Shebloski purchased the home in 2012. The home was built in 1923 by Asa and Elamae Proctor. He was an early Stanford civil engineer and served on many city, county, and state engineering boards. The house stayed in the family until 1972. Steve and Susie Cairns completed a significant rehabilitation during the mid-1990s.


 

631 First Street, Dallas and Angela Hyde.

Entertainment Schedule:

  • 11.00 am-1.00 pm-Trio Manon Troppo
  • 1.30 pm-3.30-U Oh the Backrow

Exterior: This Colonial Revival influenced home has elegant Colonial Revival finishes and a generous amount of windows for natural light including oval leaded glass windows centered on the second floor in both the front and side of the home. The simple shape and symmetry of the home leaves you with the feeling of order and formality. Other features of this classic home are the hipped roof, projecting eaves with modillions, clapboard siding and simple columns.

Interior: The interior of the home features oak floors on the first floors and douglas fir on the second. The home has a beautiful flow to it highlighted by French doors to close off each room. The mantel which was a key element in the current homeowner’s decision to purchase the home is a standout feature. The current owners have renovated every room in the home paying special attention to period materials and finishes while still making the home comfortable.

Gardens: The home features an amazing backyard with lush gardens. If you pay close attention you will notice the Evil Queen theme throughout with the primarily purple foliage and decorative accents. The antique bricks used in the patio were from the original general store in Madison, CA.

Owners: The home was built for Frank and Etta Blanchard. Frank managed the West Valley Lumber Company that owned the property until 1909 at which time their home was built. They resided here until 1924 when they sold to Dan and Viva Wooster. The Woosters lived in the home for 30 years before they sold the house in 1954 to the Neumanns. Dr. Roy Neumann practiced medicine with his partner Dr. William Blevins who lived in the home kitty corner from this one at 618 First Street. In 2013 Dallas and Angela Hyde purchased the home and have spent the last five years lovingly restoring it to what you see today. They were awarded the Heritage Home Award in 2015 for their efforts.


610 First Street, Tom and Betty Rickard

Entertainment Schedule:

  • 11.00 am-1.00 pm- Zach Kincaid
  • 1.30 pm-3.30 pm–Clarence Vanhook

Exterior: This 1906 Queen Anne style house, which offers hints of Colonial Revival architecture, was designed by George Barber, one of the country’s most successful architects of the late Victorian period. Based in Knoxville, Tennessee, his “claim to fame” was a catalog business featuring house plans that were eventually built in all 50 states. The recently repainted house was sinking in the northwest corner and had to be raised 4” with the help of 12 new pillars sunk 66’ in order to find bedrock. A turret rises above the master bedroom. A recently restored widow’s walk is another indication that this beauty is regaining its original majesty.

Interior: Though updated for modern life, the house retains many of its vintage characteristics, including original Douglas Fir floors, windows, hardware, light fixtures and filigree details. Beautiful pocket doors leading into the dining room continue to function. Once a second kitchen, the back porch has been returned to its original purpose and the main kitchen received a complete remodel in 2015. Many of the furnishings and much of the decor speak to the history of the current owners, with an upstairs hall photo gallery showcasing six generations of family.

Gardens: The landscaping of this house, while beautiful today, remains a work in progress for its ambitious owners. A pool was installed in 2017 and a charming gazebo of unknown origin was renovated the same year. Contributing to fertilizer for the lush plantings and new vegetable garden are three chickens who also lay three eggs a day! A Studebaker pick-up truck bed serves as a focal point of the gardens. Construction of an in-ground turtle/koi pond, as well as a greenhouse made of reclaimed wood and vintage windows, are slated for 2019.

Ownership: The house was originally built for Reuben B. Cranston, who came to Yolo County from Ohio in 1879. Mr. Cranston was a stagecoach driver who later worked as a clerk at the Marshall Diggs hardware store in Woodland, which was established as the “richest town in the U.S.” in 1888. He opened his own hardware store on Main Street in 1898 and Cranston Brothers Hardware thrived for almost 100 years. Malcolm Nicholson, the Yolo County assessor between 1978 and 1987, and his wife Margaret purchased the home 60 years ago. It received the city’s Heritage Home award in 1989 and has been owned and restored by Tom and Betty Rickard since 2014. They are in year four of a five-year plan.