Hilltop Home and Garden Tour is a first

(by Sandi Latimer, Staff Writer - May 27, 2009)

Houses and gardens in the Westgate area south of Broad Street will be open for public viewing June 13, when the first-ever Hilltop Home and Garden Tour is offered.

This tour is an outgrowth of several other similar tours that had been offered over the years, according to Gary Baker II, president of the Friends of the Hilltop. It is a project of his group and two others in the area - Friends of Westgate Park and Westgate Neighbors Association.

Houses and gardens will be open from 4 to 8 p.m. in the area bounded by West Broad Street on the north, Sullivant Avenue on the south, Hague Avenue on the east and Demorest Road on the west.

Tickets sold before the event cost $8, but the price goes up to $10 if they are purchased the day of the tour. Proceeds will be split among the three groups.

This tour has been in the planning stages for a couple of years, Baker explained.

“Leaders of the three organizations have been talking since 2007,” about having such an event, Baker said. “We figured it was time to bring it back and 2009 was the year to kick it off.”

The Hilltop Historical Society used to have a historical home tour. The Greater Hilltop League for the Arts used to have a Christmas-time event, and the Westgate Kiwanis used to have a garden tour.

“For some reason, each of these events was discontinued,” Baker said.

Early sale of tickets has given Baker hope of the project continuing.

“We hope it would be an annual event,” he said.

Five hundred tickets were printed “and we’re prepared to print more,” he said.

As of May 17, as many as 100 tickets had been sold. Tickets are currently on sale at several Westside businesses, but the day of the event they can be purchased at the Westgate Masonic Lodge, 2925 W. Broad St.

People start the tour at the Masonic Lodge and exchange their ticket for a program book. The ticket is then considered for a door-prize drawing and the program book is the guide for the tour, Baker said.

At some addresses, people will be able to tour the house, whether it be the first floor or the entire house. Some locations will have just the garden available, while others will offer both the house and garden.

“Some of the gardens are amazing,” Baker said. “They have ponds, unusual plants and path ways.”

The tour will be offered rain or shine. In case of rain, people are advised to bring an umbrella, according to Baker.

With this revival, the three sponsoring organizations hope to bring people to the area and to spread the word about the Hilltop.

“We want people to see the area as great as once was and with help, it can get better,” Baker said.

Advance tickets are on sale at Gearhart’s True Value Hardware, 2885 W. Broad St.; Growing Solutions, 1040 Georgesville Rd., Haldeman Cleaners, 3117 W. Broad St.; TigerTree, 771 N. High St. in the Short North; Wallpaper Outlet, 3770W. Broad St. and The Columbus Messenger, 3500 Sullivant Ave.

Further information about the event can be found at www.friendsofthehilltop.com.

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