Three Downtown lofts to be featured on Spring Tour

The Simpson building on the corner of The Square and Spring Street houses one of three lofts which are included on the Candlelight Tour of Homes.The 2008 Washington-Wilkes Spring Tour of Homes is scheduled for Friday and Saturday, April 4 and 5. The annual tour is sponsored by the Kiwanis Club and the Woman's Club in partnership with the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce.
This year's tour will feature three lofts on The Square in Downtown Washington on the Candle light Tour Friday night; and four homes on the Day Tour on Saturday.
The lofts are Stephen Saunders and Linda Lurwig located over Pop- Lahr Possibilities on the corner of Spring Street; Renee Brown, over Master's Wildlife Services; and Deanne and Tim Crook and Dr. Doug Giles and Elyse Giles, over the old Main Street Paint, West Robert Toombs Avenue. Hours for this tour are 6-9 p.m.
Downtown shops on The Square will be open during regular working hours and from 6-9 p.m. Shops will be open for the Day Tour from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m.
The Day Tour homes are Peacewood, B.J. and Bill deGolian on the Tignall Road (former Saunders home); Gail Boyd and Ted Bush, North Alexander Avenue; Pamela and Rod Eaton, 211 South Jefferson Street; Beth and Frank Petersilie, 207 Water Street (former home of Lairee and the late Wallace Rodgers.); and the Goose Pond Cottage at Tignall. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Mark and Emilie Waters will host the Dessert Soiree Friday evening at their home on East Robert Toombs Avenue.
Headquarters for the Candlelight Tour is at the Chamber of Commerce officeon The Square. Headquarters for the Day Tour will be the Washington Wilkes Elementary School on East Street off East Robert Toombs Avenue. Courtesy cars will provide transportation for visitors to the various homes and other sites.
Any home on the tour may be viewed individually by paying $10 at the door.
Churches, museums, and historical sites will be open on Saturday from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; and Sunday, April 6, from 1-5 p.m.
The cost for a combination Friday and Saturday tour package is $60.00 each. The cost for the Friday Candlelight Tour and Soiree is $35.00. Cost for the Day Tour on Saturday is $35.00 each.
The Woman's Club luncheon on Saturday is by reservation only and is $15.00 each.
Tickets will be available at tour headquarters and may be reserved in advance by mailing checks made payable to Spring Tour of Homes, P.O. Box 1293, Washington 30673; or by calling the Chamber of Commerce at 706-678-2013.
For more in formation on the Tour and for a ticket order form, go to the Tour website at www.wwtourofhomes. com
Thre downtown lofts
Three lofts in the Downtown area are included in the Candlelight Tour on Friday night, April 4. The picture above shows the Simpson building on the corner of The Square and Spring Street. Stephen Saunders and Linda Lurwig have purchased the building and made it into a stunning and accommodating apartment.
In the process of renovation, Mr. Saunders uncovered two large signs painted on the front of the building. One says "Izzy Always Busy," (and there's a story about that). The other simply says "BANK." A plaque in front of the building states "William Dearing, founder of the Georgia Railroad and Banking Co., had a three-story mercantile business on the site 1818-1825."
The building had burned in another big fireand this building was built by W.W. Simpson, or his family, with Edward Bonner, a black man, as the contractor.
Another loft just down the street on West Robert Toombs Avenue has been renovated and decorated by Deanne and Tim Crook and Elyse and Doug Giles. The building dates back to the 1880s and once housed the Washington Exchange Bank and was home for the Washington Gazette-Chronicle in 1896. It was probably built by Burl Greene who owned extensive property at that time.
The current owners have made it into an attractive town house and guest house.
The third loft is on the west side of The Square. The building is the T.C. Hogue building, now owned by Renae Brown. The original building burned in the Great Fire of 1895. The present building was built on the same site in that same year. Mr. Hogue, too, owned extensive property at the time.