The Preservation Society of Chapel Hill

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Those Who Make It Possible

House tours are hard work, and we are grateful for the many people who make this event possible. Co-chairs Beth Isenhour and Susan Green toil tirelessly for the benefit of the Preservation Society, and manage to carry our all of their duties with style, charm, and good humor. Beth has worked with Mary Brenda Joyner to assemble an impressive list of hostesses who recruit volunteers to man the houses.

Special thanks to head hostesses Madeline Cains, Sue Coutret, Tom and Kathie Heffner, Sara Hill, Charlotte Newby, Luke Page, Barbara Pipkin, Barbara Spenner, and Betty York for taking on the job of finding reliable people to act as guides and working with homeowners to find the most effective ways to showcase these wonderful properties. Carol Douglas offered her talents as a writer to help research and write the ticket brochure that will guide tour goers and serve as a resource to learn more about our history and “the way we live.”

Thanks also to Bitty Holton who will offer decorating advice to homeowners and to Carol Smith who has been planning for months to beautify the Horace Williams House with a festive Christmas atmosphere. Caroline Rechholtz will see to it that tour-goers enjoy refreshments while they experience the music, decorations and juried art exhibition at the Horace Williams House.

Gail Norwood has organized the distribution and collection of tickets and posters, and Mary Alice Dorton will serve as treasurer to keep our tour finances straight. Roland Giduz is in charge of traffic and has given careful thought to ways to keep tour goers safe as they cross busy Franklin Street.

In addition to our volunteers, we wish to thank the underwriters and business partners who make such substantial contributions to the success of the tour. Tony Hall of Tony Hall and Associates will once again underwrite the cost of the printing of the ticket-brochures and posters. We are very happy this year to add the Harrington Bank to our list of sponsors. Many thanks to Larry Loeser, president of this growing community-based bank, for underwriting the cost of the original sketches created by Robin Britt that are such a special component of our ticket brochure.

In addition to arranging for musicians to perform at select tour spots, Preservation Society past president Florence Peacock also funds musical performances that create a festive atmosphere and highlight the many talents of our community.

Finally, in addition to opening his lovely cottage to tour goers, Williams Hooks has offered to donate a percentage of the proceeds of the sale of his book The Christmas Rose to the Preservation Society. The book is dedicated to tour homeowner Maryellen Bowers who first introduced Mr. Hooks to the helleborus niger, also known as the Christmas Rose, that inspired this touching story. Signed copies of the book are available for only $10 at the Horace Williams House, and Mr. Hooks will be glad to offer personalized inscriptions to tour-goers who visit his home.

Most importantly, we wish to thank Jennie Barbour and the staff at the Chapel Hill Museum, Wayne and Maryellen Bowers, Bob and Molly Broad, Candy Davies, Bob Epting, Marilyn Freed and the members of the Tri-Delta Sorority, William Hooks, Susan Lyons and the members of the Chapel Hill Historical Society, Jonathan and Dina Mills, Bob and Teresa Moulton, Stephen and Sandra Rich, and Lynda Rubinstein for opening their doors to the Preservation Society and to the community.

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