The 5th Annual Lancaster Lights & Tour of Homes will mark the unofficial start of the holiday season in Lancaster with a Preview Party on Friday, December 4th at the beautifully restored American Victorian home of Deborah and Jeff Nelson.  Guests will begin the evening mingling with friends and sampling the delectable pasta bar prepared by Kale's Kitchen, and will then be treated to a tour of four distinctive Lancaster homes.  Tour Homes include an American Prairie home, a Sears & Roebuck Catalog home, and a Traditional home with untraditional Christmas decorations.  The final stop of the evening will feature a dessert coffee bar at the American Four Square home of Emily and Ray Lewis.  Tickets for the Preview Party cost $35 per person and may be purchased at Hardscrabble Antiques on Lancaster's Historic Town Square.  Tickets are limited, so don't delay!

On Saturday, December 5th, the Tour of Homes will feature three homes in Lancaster's Historic District and one in Millbrook.  These homes will be open from 5:00 PM - 7:00 PM and may be toured in any order.  Tickets cost $15 per person and are on sale at Hardscrabble Antiques.

2009 Tour Homes:

Sam Randlett, a former sea captain, came to Lancaster in 1887and established a hardware store.  He prospered, and in 1889 he married Addie White, the eldest daughter of Mrs. Lou White, one of Lancaster's wealthiest citizens.  The site of the home was given to Addie as a wedding gift, and construction on this American Victorian/Queen Anne home was completed in 1896. The grandeur of the home reflected the social standing of its owners.  The Randlett House is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and is one of only four Victorian homes still standing in Lancaster.  In recent years, it has been restored to much of its original splendor, including the iron fence with period detail.  Read more about this house at www.waymarking.com.

This American Prairie style home was most likely built for Clifford and Lela Head about 1924.  The Heads purchased Hammond's Store and continued operating it as Head's Department Store until the late 1980s.  This home has been beautifully restored and features a wrap-around porch and a huge back yard that stretches to Lancaster City Park, assuring lovely views year-round.

Built circa 1920, this bungalow is the perfect example of the smaller homes Sears, Roebuck & Company sold for over three decades in their famous catalogs.  These house kits were shipped by rail and usually fit into two boxcars ready for assembly either by the new homeowner or a local contractor. The home retains the original floor plan and has been refurbished in recent years,

The Motes are a family who takes "big pride" in their Christmas lights and enjoy what it takes to create their amazing display. They work all year to design and hand-craft new ornaments to add to their outdoor display, and people come from miles around to admire and enjoy the fruits of their labor.  Inside, the home is warm and inviting, and Tonya's collection of crosses is prominently displayed.

This American FourSquare style home was built by R. P. Henry in 1911 and retains the original floor plan.  The American FourSquare was a popular post-Victorian style that shared many features with the Prairie architecture pioneered by Frank Lloyd Wright.  The boxy shape provided roomy interiors for homes on small city lots, and also made this style practical for mail order house kits from Sears and other catalog companies.

Lancaster's Train Depot opened in December 1888 as a stop on the Dallas and Waco Railroad.  In 1891, this railroad became part of the Missouri, Kansas, and Texas (MKT) line, running from Dallas to the Gulf Coast of Texas.  The Depot's original location on East Main Street was slightly north of its current location at Centre and Pecan.

The Historic MKT Depot is owned and maintained by the Lancaster Historical Society for the benefit of the citizens of Lancaster.  During the Tour of Homes, the Historical Society will host a Christmas Open House with refreshments and Christmas carolers from First Baptist Church.

Map for 2009 Tour of Homes:

For more information, call the Lancaster Chamber of Commerce at (972) 227-2579 or send an e-mail message to  .