Delights of the Annual House Tour Benefit
Village Preservation’s Spring House Tour Benefit has become a herald of the spring season. Friends and fans will visit from near and far to enjoy the first Sunday in May and view this year’s unrivaled collection of private homes featuring unparalleled artwork, gardens, backhouses, period details, and inspiring renovations. The benefit generates vital support for Village Preservation while highlighting the enduring significance of our historic built environment.
Each year, we open the doors to a half dozen or so unique historic homes in Greenwich Village, offering the chance to tour some of the best our neighborhood has to offer. We only share the exact addresses for each house with participants on the day, to protect the privacy of home owners, though we can confirm that all houses will be within walking distance of each other, and that you’ll pass other key historic sites of Greenwich Village along the way. Without revealing the exact locations just yet, here is a preview of some of the incredible spaces you’ll be able to visit if you join us on May 3rd:
One special place we can tell you the precise location of is the Salmagundi Club, which will be this year’s ticket pickup location. Stop by the Salmagundi Club, at 47 Fifth Avenue between East 11th and 12th Streets, from 12:30pm on the day to pick up your tickets, map and brochure, and chat with Village Preservation staff. We’ll be on site to answer any questions you may have.
This is an opportunity to see inside the 1853 building, the only remaining of what was originally a collection of mansions that lined lower Fifth Avenue beginning in the 1830s and 40s. The Salmagundi Club has been a wonderful steward of the building since they acquired ownership in 1917, and many of the interior spaces have been remarkably well preserved. Rooms of note include the main parlor, with its original carved marble chimney pieces and plasterwork, and the second floor library, which contains a collection of rare books on historic wood shelving.
Several of the homes on this year’s tour are Italianate style row houses, which exemplify mid- to late-19th century Greenwich Village. They feature beautifully restored parlor level entrances with grand brownstone stoops leading to wood-paneled doors, stone door surrounds and projecting window lintels and sills at upper floors, crowning cornices, and delicately preserved brickwork and ironwork. Inside, these homes feature a mixture of old and new, with original fireplaces and wood flooring often retained and crown moldings restored or replicated; living rooms, kitchens, and bedrooms have been renovated for modern living, and each space suits the owners’ tastes, offering glimpses into a variety of styles and decor. Fantastic artwork and furnishings can be found in each home, including original works by Louis Bourgeois, Seth Price, Lawrence Weiner, Sol LeWitt, and many others.
One of the stops on the tour is a double feature: a pair of homes that were purchased by two friends several decades ago. The homes are distinct, but complementary. One features a sweeping double-height studio window and skylight, creating a bright and open living room and loft space, while the other retains its original four-room layout on its corresponding second floor. That property features an incredible glass house in the rear yard, with doors that fold back to open the structure completely to the outdoors. The two houses have distinct rear gardens, with different types of paving and plantings to differentiate between the two, yet they are only separated by a partial-depth perforated fence, thus creating an opportunity for the owners to co-host and spend time together.
Speaking of communal gardens, this year, we’re thrilled to offer the rare chance to experience one of Greenwich Village’s “secret gardens,” a private, multi-lot garden that’s only accessible via the individual homes that share it.
When you tour each home, don’t forget to visit top floors, which often contain some of the most surprising and remarkable elements of the entire house. This year, one top floor draws inspiration from the interior of a luxury yacht. Mahogany in high gloss, a media unit that transforms into a bar to serve the roof deck, and sunrise/sunset wall coverings all contribute to the perception that one might be floating gracefully above the Village. At another home on this year’s tour, the apex is a thoughtfully and stunningly converted art studio. Opening the loft space, the owners raised the roof and altered skylights, supplementing the existing 1920s-era studio window to encourage light to pour in.
Click here to secure your participation in this year’s House Tour Benefit as an individual supporter, and here to find out more details about the tour and other ways you can support this momentous occasion and Village Preservation’s work all year round. We hope to see you on May 3rd!