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The Lunenburg County Historical Society is pleased to announce that this year’s “Holiday Heritage House Tour” will be held in the Kenbridge Historic District at 300 East Fifth Avenue.  This house will be open to the public on Sunday, Dec. 12, from 1-5 p.m.  The tour supports the historic preservation projects of the society.

Masks are optional (unless there is a new CDC mandate in the interim).  However, a short wait at the door may be necessary in order to avoid crowding in the house.

This charming brick home that was built ca. 1937 for the I. T. Wilkinson family incorporates the best features of Colonial-Revival style, including the perfect symmetry on each side of the impressive Georgian front door frame. The ivy-covered brick cottage at 300 East Fifth Avenue has been the home of newcomer Lori Wray White since mid-August of 2021.

A former high school English teacher, Ms. White is now practicing her art as an author, having to her credit some ten published novels which she writes under a pen name.  She has styled her home as the epitome of a comfortable writer’s cottage, with a hideaway in one of the first-floor wings where she does her writing.

In contrast to the formality of the exterior, she sees the house as informal and rustic, such as you might have found in the colonial countryside outside the formality of Williamsburg.  The house is furnished with an interesting collection of antiques of oak, the wood that she favors.

In addition to Lori’s 10-year-old son Truitt, her father – William Arthur Wray, Jr. – also lives with her.  Much of his work is done online from his office in the opposite one-story wing of the house.

There, Mr. Wray is surrounded not only by modern technology but also by quite a few of his favorite collectibles. Mr. Wray’s eclectic collection often includes formal items, some of mahogany and sometimes with an oriental flair. Visitors to the house will find this contrast in tastes interesting.

You are invited to enjoy the festive decorations throughout the first floor of the house, see the interesting collectibles and partake of light refreshments.  You will exit via the charming and secluded patio area at the back of the house.

There are other beautiful homes in Kenbridge’s Fifth Avenue Historic District, the first prominent residential section of the young town that was founded in 1908.  The 200-400 blocks of Fifth Avenue contain homes of varying architectural styles, with some dating as early as 1909 and 1910.  You are invited to stroll or ride along these blocks to enjoy the homes, many of which are already decorated for the Christmas season.