Ticket sales from the tour will go towards the development of the proposed Historical Village at the rear of the Auburn Museum.
These $10 tickets can be purchased at any of the four locations on the tour, or, before Dec. 9, from the Auburn downtown businesses.
During the tour, the Auburn museum, which always houses interesting artifacts, will be dressed in holiday fare from bygone days.
Homes on the tour include:
Kyle and Staci Hines family, 239 Viers Street
Watervliet, or Shaker Sugar Maple Farm, was first built by the Shakers in 1830.
It is believed that the kitchen and dining room section of the home was the kitchen 'ell' of the original Shaker dwelling.
In 1850, the home was purchased by the Viers family, who remodeled and enlarged the house by adding the front facade. In 1930, Mr. and Mrs. Curry Hall bought the property and sought to preserve its history.
For more than sixty years, Mrs. Deedy Hall, the home's most well-remembered occupant, furnished the home in antiques of all kinds, specifically, Shaker furniture.
In September 2000, Kyle and Staci Hines purchased the home and began restoration. The house is a work in progress, with most of the restoration work performed by Kyle and his team of helpers, four-year-old Maggie and two-year-old Nicholas.
The home still has many of its original features, including wood floors, moldings, plaster walls, and fireplaces. The most notable portion of the Christmas decorations is the Santa Claus collection.
The collection was started by Staci's grandmother and mother, a tradition spanning thirty years.
Rev. Dudley and Faye Moseley, 611 Main Street
This property was in the Deweese family for many years. The 100-year-old home is situated on four acres within the city limits of Auburn. Present owner Dudley Moseley has named the home "Main Place."
The one-story, ten-room house with 3,183 square feet of living space has the original slate shingled roof. Three cozy fireplaces and the wonderful meandering yard give the feeling of being at "grandma's house."
The Moseleys are very proud of their 'old' new home and plan to make Auburn their final resting place. Dudley can't wait to spend the lazy days of summer sitting in the porch swing, sipping lemonade and watching the traffic go by.
The Moseleys say, "Thank you for sharing our home at Christmas time. We have enjoyed preparing for your visit and hope you find our house as wonderful as we do. Main Place will be our home for many years to come."
McCutchen Meadows, Ken and Neda Knowles
Located a half-mile east of Auburn on Hwy. 68/80, McCutchen Meadows' earliest land grant is dated 1798 and is signed by James Garrard, the second governor of Kentucky.
The exact date when McCutchen Meadows was built is not known, but is believed to have been between 1810 and 1820. The original structure had four rooms and a wide central hall with a simple staircase and landing. The house remained in this form until 1910, when the front porch and sunroom were added.
Around 1902, running water and gaslights were installed. In 1924, the house was enlarged by using old bricks from buildings being torn down at Shakertown.
Most of the downstairs woodwork was specially milled and carved in Nashville. Much of the original blown glass used for the window frames still exists in the house today.
The house was passed down through the years to various McCutchen family members. Carrie McCutchen married James Guthrie Coke in 1887. Their son, William Gaston Coke, who was born in the house and lived there all his life, left the house to his son, William Coke of Nashville.
Then, in 1983, Ken and Neda Knowles moved from California to Kentucky and purchased the home, listing it with the National Register of Historic Places.
Besides the main house, the original McCutchen-Coke family burial plot, located on the property, is listed in the National Register, as is the large oak tree in front of the main gate entrance. This tree is certified to be over 200 years old.
McCutchen Meadows has a grand old foundation based not only on brick and mortar, but also of history and legend.
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