Historic Newton’s 41st annual House Tour is a home run

Visitors who went on Historic Newton’s 41st House Tour were happily surprised to learn an extra “property” was on view – although some may have needed magnifying glasses to see inside.

While there were six official locations open to the public on May 19, architecture fans got to peek inside a seventh gem: An electrified, intricately detailed dollhouse on display inside Peggy Garland’s Arts & Crafts home in Newton Highlands. Garland and her husband updated the 1934 toy house, created by her grandfather, to reflect aspects of their actual house – including the shingled exterior.

Asked why she decided to open her Saxon Terrace abode to the public, Garland said, “It just seemed like a really fun idea to share my house.”

^{Dollhouse reflecting style of its Arts & Crafts home on Saxon Terr.
(photos: Julie M. Cohen except Historic Newton as noted)}

The Arts & Crafts esthetic, which emerged during the late Victorian period in England, carries through the rooms on each floor.

“Arts and Crafts designers sought to improve standards of decorative design, believed to have been debased by mechanization, and to create environments in which beautiful and fine workmanship governed,” according to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York.

“Every room has a special meaning,” said Garland, who greeted visitors in the small music room of her home, which was built in 1906. “We worked on every room to make it as beautiful as we can.”

Much of the reproduction furniture and interior wooden details were influenced by period artist and craftsman Gustav Stickley.

Visitors Michaela Wasson, who grew up in Newton, and Mhairi Baird, had never been on the tour before and were impressed by Garland’s home.

“It was extremely unique,” said Wasson.

“So cozy,” said Baird as the duo went to the next house on the tour, right next door.

In fact, Garland’s neighbor, interior designer Sarah Cole, was the person who asked her to participate in the event.

Cole’s home stood in contrast to Garland’s, both inside and out. It was built in 1902 in the Shingle style which originated in the U.S.

“The focus of the Shingle-style aesthetic was complex shapes and forms encased within a smooth surface of wooden shingles meant to unify the irregular outline of the house,” according to Historic New England.

Cole updated and restored the house after purchasing it in 2014.

“I think it really shows how you can renovate a home and honor the past,” she said. For example, the light fixtures above the dining table and in the kitchen have a modern look, but feature seeded glass, which has been used since colonial times.

“The owner has seamlessly integrated the old with the new,” according to Historic Newton.

This mixing of styles is especially visible on the second-floor landing, where visitors were greeted by a gallery wall that included a funky combination of children’s artwork, photos, butterflies, and a round mirror.  

The homes of both Garland and Cole have beautiful views from the upper floors. The Shingle-style home has a balcony off the main bedroom while the Arts & Crafts-style home has a dramatic, tiered backyard that can be admired from above.

Over in Newtonville, owners of a Linwood Avenue Victorian also renovated their home while honoring the past.

Architect Jay Walter, who volunteered for Historic Newton during the tour and answered visitors’ questions, said it took almost a year to renovate the house, which was built circa 1874.

“In 2022, later additions to the original house were removed and replaced with a two-story addition for a kitchen, family room, and primary suite above,” according to Historic Newton. The home includes “a harmonious blend of old-world charm and modern convenience.”

Asked what part of his design he liked best, Walter said he loved how the back stairs open to the new kitchen and the fact that “it’s a sustainable project.”

He said the addition incorporated pieces of architectural salvage, both from the home itself as well as other buildings. Walter also worked on making it more energy efficient, a problem plaguing many older properties.

The Linwood Avenue home – much like Garland and Cole’s Saxon Terrace residences – successfully blended new and historic elements to create pleasing and functional spaces.

“Homes are made to be lived in – they’re not museums,” said Cole.

In addition to the properties on Saxon Terrace and Linwood Avenue, Historic Newton’s 2024 Newton House Tour included homes on Chase Street in Newton Centre and Eden Avenue in West Newton. The only stop not being used as a private residence was the Mary Baker Eddy Historic House and Carriage House in Chestnut Hill, which was recently renovated and will be open to the public starting June 14.