Holiday Home Tour
November 14, 2009
11AM - 5PM
Take a tour through beautiful homes festively decorated for Christmas in the Sayles and Elmwood areas of Abilene. Stroll the homes of Rep. Susan King and Abilene Opera’s Jane Guitar. Enjoy the Philharmonic music of the holidays and purchase your chance to win 3 great prizes. The tour is 11AM – 5PM and each ticket comes with a detailed map.
Home Tour Tickets $20
Raffle Tickets $5 each, or 3 for $12
702 Sayles Dr.
Susan and Austin King
This house was built in 1924 by a local builder, R. Gambill, and has been owned by 8 subsequent families. The Kings purchased the home from Carol and C.G. Whitten in 1996. The house was home to 2 families in the 70’s and 80’s who had 10 and 12 children respectively. Thus the MAJOR renovation in the mid 80’s brought some needed work. Since its purchase in 1996, renovations have included the Guest House in the backyard with black and white tile floors, installation of neon lighting and hand painted artsy countertops. The Kings installed a uniquely shaped pool with a low brick wall-type surround designed by local architect, Rick Weatherl. All bedrooms and living areas have been returned to the original wood floors and survived a plaster ceiling crash in 2007 that resulted in a preventative reinforcement to all the plaster ceilings. Many building experts were fascinated with this occurrence! A favorite light fixture was a rescue from a Jr. League storehouse that was “throwing out all trash.” It’s a beautiful original light fixture from the Jr. League Headquarters, now in the King living room. Most of the furniture and collectibles are family pieces with many dating back to the mid 1800’s. Much of the artwork is done by the King children and in particular by the son who was a studio art major and is a professional photographer. Of particular interest are two Charlie Hukill commissioned oil paintings of family members. Seen through the window off of Dr. King’s library is a fountain/garden area that he designed after the chapel gardens at Trinity University. You can also see the footprint of a former custom wood spiral staircase that was in the den. That was added on in the mid 1940’s. It, along with the 2 story ceilings, were removed when a previous owner opted for a tanning bed room upstairs. This is the only room that is not original.
770 Sayles Dr.
Ashley and James Puryear
Construction on 770 Sayles began in the early 1920’s. It took the Munger family approximately three years to complete construction. Due to the difficult times of the 20’s the home was then sold to the Jones family. The Jones’ raised their brood including son Senator Grant Jones in this home for approximately forty years. In the 1970’s the home was then purchased and carefully restored by Cindi Love and Sue Jennings. The renovation was an amazing undertaking inside and out. They painstakingly revitalized the property to much of its current splendor. The James Puryear family purchased 770 Sayles in 2006 where they raise their two sons today. The home consists of a basement, the first story, the second story, and a large attic. The original boiler for the home was still in the basement when the major remodel of 1998 began. At that time the boiler was removed and the coal chutes sealed. The first story consists of the formal living room, sunroom, dining room, gourmet kitchen, and stepdown half bath. The second floor has four bedrooms, four baths, and an office off of the master bedroom. Off of the main home is a two car garage and above the garage is a one bedroom apartment with a full bath, kitchen, and small living area. During the Dust Bowl drought the massive oak trees throughout the property were kept alive by horse drawn water wagons delivering water from Buffalo Gap to Abilene. The wisteria covered arbor in the back yard next to the Koi pond is from an 18th century choir loft shipped from England. The wisteria that covers the arbor is from the Arboretum in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The roof is Vermont slate. The slate was shipped to Texas by railcar in the 1920’s. Two sections of the roof had to be replaced in the 1990’s. It was replaced with slate from the original manufacturer in Vermont. The Koi pond and heated pool was added in the 2003 by a previous owner. In the past two years the pool area has had an ornamental fence added, flagstone laid, and palm trees planted.
2141 S. 8th St.
Carol and Lloyd Chisum
The Chisums have lived in the home for 10 years. This Tudor style home was built in 1927 with the traditional dark-colored brick. During one of the several remodeling phases, the bricks were painted a light color. The second story, which is now two bedrooms and a bath, was originally two apartments which were used as rental property. The Tudor style is seen through the steep-pitched roof with many gables and the stone arches on the front porch. The arched front door is original, along with the arched fireplace opening in the living room.
742 Rivercrest Dr.
Jane and Phil Guitar
The Residence was designed by the world famous Architect Preston Bolton of Houston, Texas, and Interior Designer Douglas Carpenter of Buffalo Gap. Both have completed many projects that are unique and grand around the world. The Contractor was Weldon King of Abilene and Fredericksburg Texas. The Residence is a culmination of Phil’s birth home evolving into the home of which he and Jane have dreamed. The home style is Traditional French, with elements of Georgian and Southern Plantation. The interiors are magnificently Jane Guitar. Craftsmanship is of the most notable, with attention to details rarely seen in homes of today.
1141 Sylvan Dr.
Kristy and Cliff Smith
Designed by Richard Drummond Davis Architects from Dallas. Built in 2001 by Weldon King and Kristy Smith. Landscaping by Gardens of the Southwest Abilene. The architecture is formal and Italianate. The exterior is painted brick with cast stone accents and a custom blend clay barrell tile roof. Front entry courtyard with fountain. The loggia is the outdoor living room overlooking the pool. In the interior are collections of 17th, 18th, and 19th century French and Italian antiques, art and chandeliers, including antique Persian and Turkish Rugs.
1217 Hollis Dr.
B.J. Naranjo and Ellis Smith
Starting as a small 3 bedroom cottage in the 1940’s, this is the little house that grew! Today, that cottage is a five bedroom, four bath home with over 4400 square feet. The pool is the original, and we have been told about swim parties that took place when the war ended! Today, the house has a large master bedroom and sitting room with a bathroom featuring his and hers vanities, a shower and Jacuzzi tub. The entry area opens into an expansive area that is used as a dining room with displays of silver and religious art. A bronze head Buddha stands in the corner next to the 19th Century English sideboard. A mesquite Virgin de Guadalupe from Chiapas, Mexico, early 20th Century shares a corner with the antique dining table that seats 12. The table is set with Lenox Winter Greetings china and vintage silverware. The living room is an open area with walls of windows looking out onto the glass ceilinged patio, the gardens and water feature that the Smith’s have developed in their seven years in this home. The back yard has had extensive remodeling with stone fencing, stone edged flower gardens and the 60 foot water feature with an arched stone bridge. Dozens of adult and baby koi call the pond home, and most have names! The back yard also has a stone enhanced pool house, a carport and shop, and a greenhouse to winter their collection of flowering plants and succulents. Sharing open space with the living area is the kitchen, breakfast area and back entry. A passion for collecting Mexican tourist pottery is expressed with walls being decorated with valuable black plates and two cabinets boast some treasured pieces. The back entry has the collection of antique kitchen primitives, with the addition of a pair of cash registers that came from Ellis’ father. A special tree in this area is in memory of BJ’s son, Mike, who died in 2003. The little tree holds ornaments from his bedroom tree that was decorated every year he was a child. The Christmas tree in the master bedroom area is in honor of their granddaughter Henrietta, who was a 2 lb baby born in England 6 weeks before Christmas in 1993. Not being in the mood to decorate for the holidays after her return from England, BJ opted for a small tree, covered with assorted angels, which she knew were watching over that minute baby girl thousands of miles away. Since that year, a special angel is selected by Henrietta and BJ to hang on this small tree.
