Christmas House Tour 2009
The weather cooperated this year, with clear blue skies, lots of sun and just a chill in the air to remind us Christmas is two weeks away. This year decorated trolleys made the round of houses, which helped speed things along and spare weary feet as they climbed the hills of The Hill section of the city.
Homes on Belmont, Lincoln Ave, Cherry St. and Rock St. threw wide their doors to an appreciative throng of visitors. Fires crackled merrily, the fragrance of cloves and cinnamon, hot mulled cider and balsam flooded the air as decorations were admired. Period furnishings, historic photos and mementoes, and homey touches were appreciated by all who were lucky today to enjoy the insides of magnificent homes usually only glimpsed from the street.
18th century tea service and reproduction epergne
The Fall River Historical Society outdid itself this year as well, and all agreed that this was the best year ever for the popular house tour. At 4:30 footsore house tour guests were treated to a concert of holiday music by the Durfee High School String orchestra. All in all- a perfect day. Thanks to families participating this year. It was grand!
Signs of Spring
The beautiful Dana Brayton house porch is getting a nip-tuck this week as the Rock Street side porch has supporting pillars replaced.
A little further south on Rock, one of the two “Twin Sisters” on the east side of the street recently received a little paint and powder which she sorely needed. The dove grey clapboard color and the chalky grey-lilac trim are worthy of any Painted Lady.
Her twin sister next door-
Underwood Street
Although Mapquest does not even show Underwood Street on its map of Fall River- it does exist and is a charming street which begins at the corner of French with the Hooper House, crosses Lincoln and Pearce streets and terminates at the intersection of President’s Avenue. There are a good many styles of houses, but the gambrel roof or Cape Anne seems to be very popular. The Hooper House, only a few doors down from Lizzie Borden’s Maplecroft begins Underwood in the shadows of the looming Charlton Hospital- and has always been a landmark structure. Today it is a multi-family home which some have compared to the popular Addams Family home from the old television program. Underwood is tucked away neatly, but for avid admirers of Painted Ladies, it is well worth the effort. Underwood also offers some fine views of the Simeon Borden/ Sarah Brayton House.
Charm on High Street
Tucked away on the east side of High Street are these two delightful capes which face each other like two old friends. Unlike any other architecture to be seen on the street, these two charmers are showing their west side elevations to the street and are easy to miss when driving by.
The unexpected color combinations of sage with violet shutters, surrounded by the white picket fence and exuberant plantings of hot pink cosmos make this gambrel-roofed “Cape Anne” a Painted Lady of sorts. 
The facing sister cape in buttercream paint with chocolate door and shutters boasts a venerable brick chimney and picture book welcome home warmth.
The Simeon Borden/ Sarah Brayton House
This elaborate High Victorian Ruskinian Gothic residence was built in 1875 for Simeon Borden. He was a prominent civil engineer and land surveyor who was deeply involved in Fall River’s expanding street system following the Civil War.
The residence was built of brick instead of wood, which at that time made this an unusual building for the city. This particular style was popular in the mid-1870′s and many of the city’s buildings which resemble this house were designed by Hartwell and Swazey, such as the Academy Building in the Borden Block and the Central Congregational Church on Rock Street.
Simeon Borden sold the residence to Sarah Brayton in 1895 and it was then christened “Broadview”. Sarah S. Brayton died in 1915 and willed the home to her niece, Nancy Jannett Bowers Brayton who married Judge James Madison Morton in 1955. Their heirs donated the mansion to the Christian Day School which closed in 1992. Since 2001, it has been the address for the Women’s Center/ OB-GYN.
Summer in the Garden
Everything is in bloom at the Fall River Historical Society’s Victorian Garden!
New Boston Road Gingerbread Gem
Also in the north end of town, New Boston Road, which passes by the Charlton Hospital is peppered with charming smaller Victorian homes and storefronts. The former 1890 Leanna Barker grocery store is a captivating and nicely -restored storefront, now functioning as Dr. McDonald’s Primary Care office. The porch is an inviting spot to linger in the summer months.
After admiring the houses on New Boston Road, a pot of tea and fresh cream puffs may be enjoyed in Victorian splendor at the New Boston Bakery.
A Drive Down Highland Avenue
Highland Avenue boasts many styles of glorious houses from Victorian to turn of the 20th century to the 1930′s. The drive portrayed in the slide presentation below represents both the east and west sides of Highland Avenue and begins just north of the Charlton Hospital , crosses over President’s Avenue and follows north on Highland Avenue up to about Harvard Street.
