Tour visitors enjoy NASA display

An old Tiger football helmet and football playbook were highlights of displays at the North Alexander School Saturday. The school was open for Spring Tour of Homes visitors, allowing old students and visitors alike to see the work already done and the work still needing to be done. Display cases were filled with Washington High School memorabilia and classwork. With noticeable improvements already made to the school, the North Alexander School Association (NASA) is continuing its effort to restore the old structure.

Spring Tour was a success’ with perfect weather, happy crowds

Homeowners Charles and Betsy Wagner welcome Spring Tour of Homes guests to their newly renovated Barksdale-Thomas-Wagner home on North Alexander Avenue Saturday. Local and out-of-town visitors enjoyed seeing the extensive restoration of the house and garden area that the Wagners have accomplished in just two years.

Homeowners Charles and Betsy Wagner welcome Spring Tour of Homes guests to their newly renovated Barksdale-Thomas-Wagner home on North Alexander Avenue Saturday. Local and out-of-town visitors enjoyed seeing the extensive restoration of the house and garden area that the Wagners have accomplished in just two years.
“In all our travels, we’ve not seen anything like this Tour of Homes,” said Phil and Kaki Jones of Denbeigh, Wales. “Friends invited us and we came two years ago, and it’s just gotten better.”

“I’d say the Spring Tour of Homes was a success,” said Carol Jackson. “We had guests from all over, we had perfect weather, and even if it was Easter weekend, the crowds were great and everyone seemed to enjoy themselves.”

This year’s annual Washington- Wilkes Spring Tour of Homes gave visitors a look at nine private homes and other historic places throughout the city beginning Friday evening, with a full day of touring Saturday.

Jackson recognized all the hard work done by everyone involved. “Thanks to all the homeowners and the volunteers, the drivers, the hostesses, the docents, for giving up their Saturday to take part in the Tour. We really appreciate it.”

The annual Spring Tour of Homes is sponsored by the Washington Woman’s Club, the Washington Kiwanis Club, and the Washington- Wilkes Chamber of Commerce with help from nearly 300 community volunteers of all ages.

Visitors took the weekend as an opportunity for shopping and dining in Washington. One woman, part of a group of six from Danielsville, won Saturday’s drawing for 500 Washington Dollars at the Washington-Wilkes Chamber of Commerce, Jackson said. The Washington Dollars may be spent at Downtown businesses, she said, “but they already did a good bit of shopping in town.”

Both civic luncheons were popular, she said, and restaurants did good business all weekend.

The North Alexander School was popular with visitors, too. “They’re really drawn to the display of an old football helmet and a playbook,” Susan Abramson said. “We’ve had a steady stream of visitors all morning.”

At the Robert Toombs House Historic Site, the Toombs Family and friends welcomed visitors with a living history program on Saturday, while the “1860’s Civilian Society of Georgia” period dance group performed downstairs.

This year’s spring musical by the Washington Little Theater was well-attended. This year’s production, the musical, My Fair Lady, will again be performed this weekend at the Bolton Lunceford Playhouse on North Alexander Avenue, at 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday nights. Tickets are $10 each.

One visitor from Madison, which also holds a tour of homes, said that he preferred Washington’s chauffeured Spring Tour. “This is a class act,” he said. “You’re like a welloiled machine.”

"Welcome to the Norman home"

Over and over, Georgia belle Sylvia Lee Walker welcomed Spring Tour of Homes guests to the home of Gary and Suzanne Norman during Friday’s Candlelight Tour. She was just one of hundreds of docents and other volunteers who put in many foot-sore hours on duty during the Tour weekend. “It gets a little tiring, but it’s fun,” she said.