The Laurel-Jones County Council of Garden Clubs will once again be hosting the traditional tour of homes in the historic district of Laurel. The “Renaissance Holiday Tour of Homes” will take place on Sunday afternoon, December 15 from 1 p.m. until 4 p.m. There will be four homes on the tour including the home of Russ and Ann Griffin, located 746 4th Avenue; Randy Jackson’s home, located at 723 N. 6th Avenue; Judy Holifield’s home at 624 W. 7th Street, and the Grandiflora/Lindsey-Stancil House at 705 N. 5th Avenue. Refreshments will be served in the lobby of the Lauren Rogers Museum of Art. Tickets are $10 and may be purchased at Patina’s and at the LRMA.
Our first home to talk about is the home of Russ and Ann Griffin. You may recall seeing their home on Season 2 Episode 10 of HGTV’s “Home Town” with Ben and Erin Napier. The Griffin’s home was built in 1915 and was previously owned by James and Effie Cross who owned the “News Stand” on Oak Street in downtown Laurel.
During the episode Ben and Erin commented that the Griffin’s house was their biggest undertaking to date. The home has 4,100 square feet, which includes 5 bedrooms and 3 baths. One of the major renovations done to the house on the show was returning the area on the back of the house between the two major portions of the home back to its original open-air courtyard. Ben took the wooden beams that were used to enclose the area and made a pergola cover over the courtyard which also features an outdoor brick fireplace. Other renovations included upgrading the kitchen and adding a brick floor in a herringbone pattern, and removing a spiral staircase to nowhere.
“I love the way the house flows and is perfect for entertainment,” exclaimed Ann. “It has the historic charm of an older home, but it also has an updated feel due to the renovations we have done. We have certainly been able to put our personal touch on this home. There is certain warmth that you feel when you walk up to the home, and that feeling continues when you enter the door.”
“I love Christmas and I love to decorate,” said Ann. “I will have several trees, each with their own unique theme. You will see everything from Santas, to pixies, to nutcrackers and nativity scenes. Christmas is a time that all ages can enjoy and be reminded of the true meaning of Christmas, which is the birth of our savior, Christ the Lord.”
Our next house to feature will be the Giles-Jackson house, owned by Randy Jackson, who also owns Flowertyme Florist in Laurel.
