House Tours Open Window on the Past

 About 300 visitors spent Sunday afternoon touring some of Huntington's oldest homes, including some dating back to the 1700s.

The homes were decorated for the holidays with Christmas trees set up in the parlor, banisters adorned with garland, and candles set aglow through window panes.

The sixth annual Historic Holiday House Tour was a fundraiser for the . Toby Kissam, the group's executive coordinator, said the funds would go toward continuing programs and education and restoration of the group's four historic properties, the , the Dr. museum, the , and the on Main Street.

The tour started off at the Conklin farmhouse where carolers sang by the heat of an open fire spreading the Christmas spirit to all near. The David Conklin Farmhouse museum, located on High Street in Huntington Village, was the home of one of the founding families of Huntington. The farmhouse was built in 1750 as a one-room home relying on the fireplace for heat and cooking. The Conklins raised nine children in that one-room farmhouse; it wasn't until the early 1800's that the house was restructured to what you see today, adding on the front Federal Parlor, rear Victorian Parlor, hallway, staircase, and two upper bedrooms. 

Also on the tour were five other historic homes privately owned and opened up to the public once a year for the annual Holiday Tour. The Fleet/Jarvis House circa 1700 was originally owned by Thomas Fleet, an English sea captain who settled in the area now known as Fleet's Cove. The house's structure was built with what is called "gun-stock" framing, leaving exposed beams as was the style of architecture at the time. In the late 1800s a second floor and front porch were added, changing the look of the house's exterior.

The John T. Robb House and the Alling/Robb House, both built in 1895, sit next door to each other in East Neck and were both built as summer cottages with water views of Huntington Bay. Robb, an executive for the Pennsylvania Railroad and Alling, a New York City financier, lived in these homes seasonally until Robb obtained both houses in 1900. The Alling/Robb house was then rented out as a summer home through the first part of the 20th Century. The homes have been modernized but still show the characteristics of traditional of 19th Century summer cottages with ornate moldings, French doors opening up to a back porch over looking the water, and original thick glass window panes to capture the view.

The Joseph Bunce Jr. house is representative of the late 19th Century. Joseph Bunce Jr. and his father, Joseph Titus Bunce Sr., were both sea captains, with Joseph Jr. first setting out to sea at 12 years of age in 1850 and sailing for most of the rest of the 19th century. The house built in 1868 was kept in the family until 1997 when it became vacant for 12 years. It was then bought in 2009 and restored and is now currently on the market again for $1,249,000. The house still holds the charm of the 19th Century with the original mantel, banister, and wide planked floors but has been updated with a gourmet kitchen and all new bathrooms.

The Samuel H. Cook house, originally belonging to Cook, a prominent pharmacist of the time, built in 1928 is a prime example of one of the first Tudor style houses built in Huntington in the early 20th Century. The style was considered modern with brick and stucco architecture. The present owners have kept the house original while updating it to keep the look intact with the era, as the wallpaper, door knobs, furniture, etc. are all consistent with the style of a 1920's home.

When asked about how the house tours came about Kissam said, "People like to see how other people live and in some cases lived in the past. Our house tour is really based on a historic house tour and so all the houses have a history. Even though some of them may be from the 20th century, they still have a history that related to the town of Huntington either in architectural design or by the people who lived there so there is always a story with all of our houses."

With the price of admission came refreshments served in the Conklin barn and  hot tea and cookies at the Tea Room on West Main Street for tour guests which were greatly appreciated on this cold, brisk day.

If you missed the Historic Holiday House Tour, the David Conklin Farmhouse Museum will be decorated and tours still available by the Huntington Historical Society through the months of December and January on Fridays from 1-4 p.m.,  closing only for Christmas Eve and New Year's Eve. Admission is free for members of the Huntington Historical Society, $5 for adults, and $3 for children under the age of 12.