Tour Showcases Victorian Houses In Holiday Finery

 

PLATTSMOUTH - Few time periods could outdo the extravagance the Victorian era wove into its Christmas decorations and traditions.

From popcorn garlands and tinfoil ornaments to live Christmas trees adorned with lighted candles and glistening paper cherubs, the Victorians introduced a heightened interest in holiday festivities than had been seen before.

In Plattsmouth, owners of several Victorian houses showcase new and old holiday traditions during Plattsmouth Conservancy’s Christmas Home Tour scheduled 1-6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8.

Six opulently-decorated houses in Plattsmouth are on this year’s tour. Homes on the 2019 tour are Lienemann, 910 First Ave.; Gappa, 310 Second Ave.; Heppner, 424 N. Sixth Street; McDonnell, 423 N. Sixth St.; Olson, 609 Ave. C; and Medenlik, 324 Ave. C.

 

Lienemann

The architectural style of this home is Folk Victorian (1870-1910). It is a two-story wood frame house with a gable roof, Victorian-style bay window and enclosed porch.

This home has been modernized in the interior, but the exterior is somewhat authentic to about 1905.

Folk Victorian was made possible by the railroads. Railroads brought in supplies of pre-cut lumber from distant mills and the builders would put it together. A lot of the Folk Victorian and Bungalow style homes were built for the workers at the railroad yard here in Plattsmouth.

Gappa

River Hill Cottage is an example of the gable front and wing-style folk house with Italianate and Queen Anne architectural detailing. This simple, basic style was built and “fancied up” by local carpenters in communities across the country when the railroads made building materials available to them in the latter part of the 19^th century.

Gable refers to the pointed section on the left while the section to the right is the wing. The bay window on the gable is Italianate while the porch posts are Queen Anne design.

The property was purchased in 1880 by W. C. Mouton for $90 and sold in 1881 to J. E. Morris for $450.

Don Gappa purchased the house in November 2005. Previous owners had removed much of the original Victorian architectural elements including interior woodwork and porch posts. The current restoration of these elements has given the house back its Victorian identity.

Heppner

This house was built in 1881 for Capt. John O’Rourke who served in the Union Army during the Civil War and served as Mayor of Plattsmouth. This two-story house has a full height basement exposed on three sides, hipped roof with asphalt shingles and deck with decorative iron cresting at the roof. This frame house was constructed on a foundation of red clay brick produced locally.

 

MacDonnell

 

This stately modified Georgian house was built in 1898 by Paul Gering, a local pharmacist. It has Palladium styling and original attached carriage house.

Olson

This residence is a one-and-one-half story Incised Porch Bungalow with some Neo-classic detailing. It was built from 1916-1917. This wood frame, gabled house is finished in clapboard with asphalt shingles on the roof. The main roof gables face the side yards, while a large gabled dormer faces the street. An oculus window is centered at the top of the dormer over a row of three double hung one-over-one wood windows. A flat slab stained wooden door is centered within the porch. It has clean and simple lines.

Medenblik

The two adjacent twin brick houses, located in the northeast corner of North Fourth Street and Avenue C, were constructed in 1889 for two brothers, D. E. Babbington, a carpenter, and his brother D. C Babbington, a mail express agent. Their father, Joseph Babbington, was one of the earliest settlers in Plattsmouth. The two houses are constructed of brick and were originally identical twins, comprised of four principal rooms on the main floor and a large room and two smaller rooms on the lower, walk-out level. Yellow pine was used for the woodwork and floors. Over the years the ‘twin cottages’ have been lived in by numerous families, each having been lived in as small duplex apartment units during the 30’s and 40’s.

If you’ve been on one of these tours in past years, you know its worthy of going again. If you’ve never been before, it’s a must-do for your holiday list. Tickets are available on line at www.plattsmouthconservancy.org or at Shaw Hardware, 433 Main St., Plattsmouth and at the door of each home.