Spring Tour of Homes guests, like these at the Petersilie home on Water Street, enjoyed tour activities and other events despite the steady rain Saturday.Steady rain may have kept the crowds down, but hundreds of visitors still braved the weather this past weekend to visit Washington for the annual Spring Tour of Homes."We still had a total of 452 guests for the tour," said Tour of Homes treasurer Amy Johnston. "We're happy though, that despite the weather and gas prices, people still came, and they had a good time."
"We've had a steady stream of visitors all morning," said home owner Beth Petersilie Saturday, a line of dripping umbrellas lining the home's porch.
As always, more than 40 Washington Kiwanis Club members served as drivers for the Tour, and the lower-than-usual turnout allowed drivers to give personal curb-to-curb service to umbrella-toting visitors.
The weather only threatened the well-attended Candlelight Tour Friday night, and some 85 people attended the dessert soiree at Mark and Emilie Waters' home.
Restaurants and retailers saw some impact from the Tour Friday and to some degree Saturday in the rain. "We've opened our Christmas store this month for a spring clearance," said Henry Harris, "so Friday was good and we had a pretty good day Saturday, considering the rain."
Karen Carter rushed to open her new Restore Galore home restoration shop on The Square in time for the Tour. "We had a very successful day and a half," she said. "Lots of out-of-towners and local people were here, not just looking but making purchases. We were very pleased, in spite of the weather."
Nearly 200 visitors attended "A Celebration of Southern Culture" at the Robert Toombs House State Historic Site Saturday. Dressed in period costumes, the Robert Toombs House Performers represented members of the families who lived in the home - the Abbott, Webster, Quigley, Harris, Toombs and Colley families, said Marcia Campbell.
The historic North Alexander school was open for tours Saturday for visitors and alumni to see the ongoing restoration process and to reminisce with teachers and students.
Rain had no effect on one Tour weekend staple. A local production of "Fiddler on the Roof" was presented to sold-out crowds all weekend at the Bolton Lunceford Playhouse.
"Although we missed out on the day tour visitors because of the weather, the people who did come, came to tour," said Kiwanian Mark Waters. "And we had lots of good comments about the city and the homes. People love Washington."
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