November 30, 2006 in Voices

Historic homes will be open for annual tour

Cindy Hval Correspondent
 
Brian Plonka photo

Several homes along West Ninth Avenue on the South Hill are part of the Spokane Preservation Advocates Seventh Annual Holiday Home Tour.
(Full-size photo)

Fast facts

If you go

The Holiday Home Tour is Saturday.

Hours: Noon-4 p.m.

Tickets: $15, available during tour hours at the three open houses.

» Children 12 and under will be admited free when accompanied by an adult.

Locations:

“Comstock-Shadle House, 1106 W. Ninth Ave.

■ Shadle-Hughes House, 1112 W. Ninth Ave.

■ Shadle-Veasey House, 1118 W. Ninth Ave.

» For more information about Spokane Preservation Advocates, visit www.spokanepreservation.org.

Spokane Preservation Advocates’ annual Holiday Home Tour lets residents look inside beautiful historic homes.

This is the seventh year the organization has hosted the tour. The focus this year is on homes built for two prominent Spokane families, the Comstocks and the Shadles.

James Comstock, a former mayor of Spokane, was founder of the Spokane Dry Goods Co., whose retail branch was The Crescent department store. Eugene Shadle was Comstock’s son-in-law.

Shadle and his wife, Josie, are best known for their philanthropic work and contributions to beautify Spokane’s parklands and waterways.

The Comstock-Shadle Historic District consists of four Tudor Revival homes built between 1905 and 1911 on Ninth Avenue on the lower South Hill.

“This is our biggest fundraiser of the year,” said Suzanne Markham, event organizer.

Spokane Preservation Advocates’ goal is to maintain and improve Spokane’s historic character by preserving the city’s heritage and pursuing compatible development.

The money raised from the Holiday Home Tour goes toward the organization’s grant program, which funds repairs and improvements for local buildings.

Lighthouse Tabernacle Church at 25th Avenue and Grand Boulevard is one such recipient. SPA members worked with the church to paint the exterior and do some minor repairs.

“They were very helpful,” said Bishop Walton Mize. “They’re very passionate about what they do.

“It was a pleasure to work with them.”

SPA also helped with the renovation of the Five Mile Schoolhouse.

“A lot of people worked together to save it from demolition,” Markham said.

The group is part of the fundraising efforts for the Fox Theater project as well.

“We encourage renovation and restoration instead of demolition and destruction,” Markham said.

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