French Art Colony hosts 16th annual holiday tour

GALLIPOLIS — Nestled in the Appalachian foothills, Gallipolis, is blessed with a spectacular natural setting, and some of the region’s most distinguished Victorian architecture.

The City of the Gauls is memorable at any time of the year, but dresses in her very best for the holiday season. Trees are trimmed. Lights are strung. Gracious homes are warmed by log fires and candle light. Best of all, it’s a seasonal celebration everyone is welcome to share at the 16th annual Holiday Homes Tour.

No place decks the halls like Old French City and this “must see” event invites you into beautifully decorated homes, public buildings, churches and museums in Gallipolis and Gallia County.

Sponsored by the French Art Colony, a local arts center, the Candle Light Tour runs Friday evening, Dec. 3, from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Guests may also use the unmarked portion of their tickets to complete the tour on Saturday afternoon, from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m.

Settled by the French aristocrats fleeing the guillotine in post-Bastille Day France, the Federal and Greek revival-style buildings in Gallipolis Public Square and Garden Lots Historic District, have earned this bucolic riverfront community a place on the National Register of Historic Places.

This year’s host property is Riverby, the French Art Colony’s historic Greek Revival mansion. Constructed between 1855 and 1858, it’s notable for a floating stairway, which spirals gracefully to the third floor. The long curved handrail was expertly fashioned from a single piece of wood.

The upstairs provides an elegant setting for the Gallipolis Junior Women’s Club Christmas Tree and Wreath silent auction, while downstairs, the French Art Colony is hosting its annual Arts and Crafts Fair. It’s a warm and welcoming environment where guests can get out of the weather, sample cookies and beverages, purchase holiday presents and enjoy Riverby dressed in her finest for the holidays.

Sites on the tour vary from historic to contemporary, with an eclectic mix of styles. Each one has a story to tell and everyone will be trimmed in their holiday best, replete with glittering light, evergreens and precious family heirlooms.

A circa 1895 brick Queen Anne style home—converted to a duplex in the thirties, will showcase the spacious second floor 3-bedroom apartment of a local surgeon. This charming home, overlooking the city park, was originally built by a banker, and has been featured in Mid-West Living.

The Sibley home on Second Avenue, features a “bandstand corner”, brimming with memorabilia related to the historic Gallipolis City Park Bandstand, the town’s most enduring and visible symbol. Mrs. Sibley is descended from the Sterlings, the father and son duo that erected the bandstand in 1878, as a memorial to soldiers in the Civil War.

In nearby Rio Grande, stop in at the newly redecorated President’s residence on the University of Rio Grande campus. Then spend some time at the Greer Museum, filled with fascinating works of art. Built in 1884, the Romanesque Revival building was originally a general store.

Resplendent in garlands and mistletoe, the university’s Madog Center for Welsh Studies creates a seasonal tableau worthy of Dylan Thomas’ “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.” Housed in the expansive Elizabeth Davis building, the center takes its name from Madog ab Owain Gwynedd, a Welsh prince who, according to legend, sailed to America in 1170, over three hundred years before Columbus.

Guests looking for a weekend “getaway” can browse charming galleries and boutiques, or visit the original Bob Evans Restaurant in Rio Grande. Christmas in City Park is one of the area’s favorite holiday traditions. The park, which dates bake to 1790, is aglow with holiday lights and decorations, and is the centerpiece of the picturesque downtown. The town’s annual Christmas Parade, scheduled for late Saturday afternoon, is a heartwarming holiday spectacle that shimmers like a snowflake on a crisp winter’s night.

For more information regarding ticket prices and additional homes on the tour, please contact the French Art Colony at info@frenchartcolony.org or (740) 446-3834.