By Larry Favinger
Staff Columnist
YORK —
The 20th Annual Decorator Show House of The Old York Historical Society sits atop a hill overlooking a huge meadow and the York River.
It is a 1920s farmhouse on the historic McIntire Farm on Cider Hill Road, one of York’s most historic sites.
Over the next weeks more than 20 professional decorators from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York will bring their own specific ideas to assigned areas of the house. Working alone or in teams they will transform the house into a show place to be displayed to the public from July 18 through Aug. 15th.
To be selected as a show house, the property must be “of particular interest to Old York,” Marianne Bauman, chairwoman of the Publicity Committee said this week. “It has to have some kind of historic value.”
This site clearly fits those criteria.
The McIntire Homestead, which has been in the same family for over 300 years, located in the Scotland District of York, dates to the late 1600s.
Next to the farmhouse is the McIntire Garrison that was built in 1707 and is the oldest documented house in Maine. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Much of the surrounding property is protected by conservation easements held by the York Land Trust and the Museums of Old York.
According to Old York officials there are no deeds to help identify the exact date of the original structure. By 1872 the York County Atlas identified a second house on the Homestead property.
Where this structure was located and in what style it was built is unknown as it burned in 1922 and again in 1942.
Following the 1922 fire, a Portsmouth architect was hired to build a house there, resulting in an intriguing combination of Greek Revival architecture and 1920s stylistic flair.
While the mantles surrounding the fireplaces are modeled after Greek columns, the interior woodwork was stained instead of painted, a stylish choice typical of a 1920s home.
The event, the largest single fund-raising event for Old York, is made possible by the work of dedicated designers and visual artists, a corps of more than 300 volunteers, and the support of museum members and the community.
McIntire Farm will be open for a “Before Tour” May 2-3 from 11 AM to 4 PM On-site parking is available and a donation of $5 is requested.
The annual Preview Gala will be July 17. The event will feature a live band, food and an open bar. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased by calling (207) 363-4974. Patrons who donate $250 will receive two tickets to the event, reserved seating at the Patrons’ Table and special recognition.
The Show House will be open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, Thursday to 7 PM and Sunday from 1 to 4 PM It is closed on Tuesdays.
On-site parking is available and admission is $20. Tickets to the Show House are good for $2 off the cost of admission to the Museums of Old York.
Photo caption: The McIntire farm on Cider Hill Road is this year’s Decorator Show House of the Old York Historical Society. (Courtesy photo)
Staff Columnist
YORK —
The 20th Annual Decorator Show House of The Old York Historical Society sits atop a hill overlooking a huge meadow and the York River.
It is a 1920s farmhouse on the historic McIntire Farm on Cider Hill Road, one of York’s most historic sites.
Over the next weeks more than 20 professional decorators from Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts and New York will bring their own specific ideas to assigned areas of the house. Working alone or in teams they will transform the house into a show place to be displayed to the public from July 18 through Aug. 15th.
To be selected as a show house, the property must be “of particular interest to Old York,” Marianne Bauman, chairwoman of the Publicity Committee said this week. “It has to have some kind of historic value.”
This site clearly fits those criteria.
The McIntire Homestead, which has been in the same family for over 300 years, located in the Scotland District of York, dates to the late 1600s.
Next to the farmhouse is the McIntire Garrison that was built in 1707 and is the oldest documented house in Maine. It is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
Much of the surrounding property is protected by conservation easements held by the York Land Trust and the Museums of Old York.
According to Old York officials there are no deeds to help identify the exact date of the original structure. By 1872 the York County Atlas identified a second house on the Homestead property.
Where this structure was located and in what style it was built is unknown as it burned in 1922 and again in 1942.
Following the 1922 fire, a Portsmouth architect was hired to build a house there, resulting in an intriguing combination of Greek Revival architecture and 1920s stylistic flair.
While the mantles surrounding the fireplaces are modeled after Greek columns, the interior woodwork was stained instead of painted, a stylish choice typical of a 1920s home.
The event, the largest single fund-raising event for Old York, is made possible by the work of dedicated designers and visual artists, a corps of more than 300 volunteers, and the support of museum members and the community.
McIntire Farm will be open for a “Before Tour” May 2-3 from 11 AM to 4 PM On-site parking is available and a donation of $5 is requested.
The annual Preview Gala will be July 17. The event will feature a live band, food and an open bar. Tickets are $75 and may be purchased by calling (207) 363-4974. Patrons who donate $250 will receive two tickets to the event, reserved seating at the Patrons’ Table and special recognition.
The Show House will be open Monday, Wednesday and Saturday from 10 AM to 5 PM, Thursday to 7 PM and Sunday from 1 to 4 PM It is closed on Tuesdays.
On-site parking is available and admission is $20. Tickets to the Show House are good for $2 off the cost of admission to the Museums of Old York.
Photo caption: The McIntire farm on Cider Hill Road is this year’s Decorator Show House of the Old York Historical Society. (Courtesy photo)
