Beloved by many, the annual Christmas tour of historic Peoria homes is back

Leslie Renken, Journal Star
·2 min read
Christmas decorations brighten the Murray Baker House, one of six historical properties open for the Peoria Historical Society's Holiday Home Tour Dec. 3 and 4.
Christmas decorations brighten the Murray Baker House, one of six historical properties open for the Peoria Historical Society's Holiday Home Tour Dec. 3 and 4.

PEORIA – The in-person Peoria Historical Society Holiday Home Tour is back after a two-year hiatus caused by the pandemic.

This year, six historic homes will be open for tours on Dec. 3-4. There was no tour in 2020, and in 2021 the society produced a video for people to enjoy online.

“We had to do something with COVID still rearing its ugly head last year," said Susie Papenhause, chairperson of the home tour. "In 2020 we couldn’t do anything, but last year we really took a chance. We had homeowners who were willing to open their homes for video where they might not be willing to do it in person. We were able to go in and capture gorgeous photos of their decorations and of the architecture of their homes.”

Take a historic tour through Peoria:Here are 14 places to check out

This year, three private residences, a business and the society’s museums are on the tour. New this year are evening hours, 5-9 p.m. on Saturday, to provide a candlelight tour. People who prefer to see the homes in daylight can do the tour on Sunday from 1-5 p.m.

Tickets are $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Visit www.peoriahistoricalsociety.org or 309tix.com, or call (309) 674-1921.

The annual event is a fundraiser for the historical society. While the video tour did OK thanks to sponsors and people who bought the link, most people prefer to see the homes in person, said Papenhause.

Fundraising efforts by the historical society help to support its two historical home museums and year-round programming celebrating Peoria and educating people about its history.

“Peoria’s history is so rich, so we are just trying to get people excited about it and to enjoy some of the offerings that we have," said Papenhause.

Festooned with lights for the Christmas holidays, the Murray Baker House is one of six historic properties on the Peoria Historical Society Holiday Home Tour Dec. 3 and 4.
Festooned with lights for the Christmas holidays, the Murray Baker House is one of six historic properties on the Peoria Historical Society Holiday Home Tour Dec. 3 and 4.

Featured on this year’s tour are:

  • The Tudor revival at 805 W. Moss Ave., a home recently featured on HGTV.

  • The Flemish revival home at 936 Glen Oak Ave., a home built in 1904 with Flemish, Dutch and Italianate details and a view of the Illinois River.

  • The Murray Baker home at 1222 W. Moss Ave., a Georgian revival mansion built by the man who brought Caterpillar to Peoria.

  • The second empire mansion at 300 NE Perry Ave., a home built in 1885 for a banker and most recently the law offices for Benassi & Benassi.

  • The John C. Flanagan House at 942 NE Glen Oak Ave., which will be decorated in the shimmering elegance of a late Victorian Christmas.

  • The Pettengill-Morron House, 1212 W. Moss Ave., which will have a display of wedding gowns worn between 1866 and 1975 to go with a “winter wedding” theme.

More:Peoria takes 'important step' for historic landmark on the East Bluff

Leslie Renken can be reached at (309) 370-5087 or lrenken@pjstar.com. Follow her on Facebook.com/leslie.renken.

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: 6 historic Peoria properties will be featured on beloved tour