Seven Decorated Landmarks on 27th Annual Holiday House Tour

Remember: Whatever happens under the mistletoe, stays under the mistletoe. As part of the 27th Annual Holiday Historic House Tour, seven local landmarks will offer seasonal refreshments, organize time-honored activities, and provide glimpses of Christmas celebrations from as far back as the 17th century on Sunday, December 7th. Visitors will be able to check out any (or all) of the venues — Kingsland Homestead; Voelker Orth Museum; Lewis H. Latimer House Museum; Friends Meeting House; Flushing Town Hall; Bowne House; and Louis Armstrong House Museum — and a van will continuously run between sites from 1 pm to 5 pm.

After the jump, more information on each participating venue and its tour plans…

Kingsland Homestead (1785) was occupied by the King/Murray Family until the 1930s.  In 1968, the house was moved from its second Flushing site to its current location. For the tour, musical performances will take place throughout the day along with a special holiday gift sale. Plus, the current exhibit — Remembering Yesterday: Queens and Its World’s Fairs — will be on display.

Voelker Orth Museum, Bird Sanctuary & Victorian Garden (1891) was purchased by an immigrant who published German-language newspapers. For the tour, visitors will enjoy piano performances all afternoon and a special gift and plant sale in this dressed-for-the-holiday house.

Lewis H. Latimer House Museum (constructed from 1887 to 1889) is where African-American inventor Lewis H. Latimer lived from 1903 until his death in 1928. This son of fugitive slaves played a vital role in the invention of the telephone and the incandescent light bulb. Traditional holiday refreshments will be offered throughout the day along with a glass-painting demonstration.

Friends Meeting House (1694) is NYC’s oldest structure in continuous use for religious purposes. The house will be open for tours, including a walk around the property to the historic cemetery.

Flushing Town Hall (1862) features a jail cell with a rich and varied history that includes murder trials, operas, visits by Teddy Roosevelt and Ulysses S Grant, and a performance by PT Barnum & Tom Thumb. Fredrick Douglass once spoke to the community from the portico. Now a performing and visual arts space, it is home to the Flushing Council on Culture & the Arts. For the holiday house tour, it will host its first holiday market with art and crafts from local artists.

The Bowne House (1661) is a city, state and national landmark where John Bowne and eight successive generations lived. The museum has been closed since 1999 for restoration and preservation. For the tour, visitors can enjoy the parlor decorated for the holidays and sneak a peek at the newly restored exterior.

The Louis Armstrong House Museum (1910) was purchased by the Jazz legend and his wife, Lucille, in 1943. The holiday tour will feature rare audio clips from Satchmo’s personal recordings. Visitors will hear his magical voice reading “Twas the Night before Christmas.” This was the last recording made by the trumpeter before he died later that year in 1971. The museum will recreate an outdoor Christmas tree in the garden in keeping with Lucille’s tradition.

Details: Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for children ages 12 and under (accompanied by an adult). They provide admission to all seven sites and can be purchased at the Queens Historical Society‘s website or Event Brite. Tickets will be sold at each house for $25 each on December 7. A free shuttle service from each site is included, as is another shuttle connecting the Armstrong House in Corona to the Flushing sites.

Site details: Kingsland Homestead, 143-35 37th Avenue, Flushing, 718.939.0647; Voelker Orth Museum, 149-19 38th Avenue, Flushing, 718.359.6227; Latimer House, 34-41 137th Street, Flushing, 718.961.8585; Friends Meeting House, 137-16 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, 929.251.4301; Flushing Town Hall, 137-35 Northern Boulevard, Flushing, 718.445.1920; Bowne House, 37-01 Bowne Street, Flushing, 718.359.0528; and Armstrong House, 34-56 107th Street, Corona, 718.478.8274. For more information, try 718.939.0647 or info@queenshistoricalsociety.org

Top photo: Louis Armstrong House Museum; bottom photo: Lewis H. Latimer House Museum