Home & Garden Tour
The 30th Annual Historic Home & Garden Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, June 22, and Sunday, June 23.
“This year’s tour features several homes and a charming garden. The best thing about older homes is there is nothing ‘cookie-cutter’ about them. The CCPA is excited to showcase different types of housing and decorating styles to show that ‘history’ can be very fashionable too,” said Sandy Gonzalez, CCPA’s Home & Garden Committee chair.
Tickets are available online and the day of the tour for $20 each. The tour is not handicap accessible, not all tour locations are close together, and there are no pets allowed.
Funds raised throughout the tour are used for the Matching Façade Grant Program. The CCPA offers matching grants for the repair and/or restoration of pre-1940 homes and commercial grants anywhere in Champaign County.
Champaign County residents or business owners are encourage to apply if the following applies to their building:
- Exterior preservation is to take place on a residential or commercial property that was erected prior to 1940.
- All improvements being made to said property will be visible from a street elevation of the property.
- Projects must include restoration to original or period condition using existing or approved replications. Exterior improvements should preserve the original building design and be sympathetic to the architectural character of the neighborhood.
Eligible improvements may include removing false siding; restoring architectural details; replacing deteriorated or inefficient windows with wooden copies; cleaning and re-pointing brick; painting; removing or repairing awnings; replacing or upgrading porches; repair or replacement of gutters and downspouts; and replacing exterior lighting. It does not include landscaping, roofing, interior repairs or improvements not visible from the street elevation of the property.
The deadline to apply for the grant is June 30. The matching grants are 100% funded by proceeds from the CCPA’s events held throughout the year.
This grant has allowed the CCPA to “have a hand in the continue preservation of many building and homes throughout Champaign County.” Examples who have used this grant within the last five years include the Gloria Theater, Carmazzi’s, and the Douglas Hotel (now senior housing), as well as many residential neighborhoods to improve the area look and feel in Urbana, Mechanicsburg and St. Paris.
My Brother’s Keeper Performance
The 1858 Meeting House, located in Mechanicsburg, will present a musical performance by Ohio natives My Brother’s Keeper at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 26.
My Brother’s Keeper is a bluegrass band from Cincinnati, includes brothers Benjamin on guitar, Titus on mandolin, Joshua Luckhaupt on the fiddle, and Wyatt Murray on the upright bass.
Tickets are available online. Those interested in checking out My Brother’s Keeper ahead of the show can visit .
The 1858 Meeting House is owned by the CCPA. Events held at The 1858 Meeting House generate funds that allow for the maintenance and upgrades to facilitate more use of the building.
For more information on or to apply for Matching Façade Grants, visit . For more information about The 1858 Meeting House, visit . For more information, to become a member or to donate, visit .