The 4th Annual Lancaster Lights & Tour of Homes will mark the unofficial start of the holiday season in Lancaster with a Preview Party on Friday, December 5th at the Creekwood home of Carol and Tom Annello.  Guests will begin the evening mingling with friends and sampling holiday hors d'oeuvres, and will then be treated to a tour of four distinctive Lancaster homes.  The final stop of the evening will feature a dessert coffee bar at a restored Tudor home on Dallas Avenue.  Tickets for the Preview Party cost $35 per person and may be purchased at Hardscrabble Antiques on Lancaster's Historic Town Square.  Only 100 tickets are available, so don't delay!

On Saturday, December 6th, the Tour of Homes will feature two homes on Dallas Avenue plus two in Creekwood Estates.  These homes will be open from 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM and may be toured in any order.  Tickets cost $15 per person and are on sale at Hardscrabble Antiques.

2008 Tour Homes:

L. B. Hash and his wife Helen Henry had this striking Tudor built in 1929, and the current owners restored it to its original splendor in 2003-04.  The home retains original leaded glass windows, slate roof and tile baths.

This American FourSquare style home was built by Woody Ferguson and his wife Stella White circa 1911-12 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.

Built in 1978, this home features an open floor plan and modern amenities.  The owner's collection of Victorian lamps bring a warm glow to rooms throughout the home.

This modern Tudor style home was built in 1979 and features faux finishes throughout.  The deep yard in back provides the perfect place for a pool and gazebo.

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 Victorian Christmas carolers from First Baptist Church.

Map for 2008 Tour of Homes:

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