Candlelight Tour of Homes returns to Sandusky

SANDUSKY — The Old House Guild's Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes is back.It's the 37th annual tour, and people who have gone on it before will know what to expect when it returns Dec. 4-5: beautiful Christmas interiors in some of Sandusky's oldest and most interesting residences.View more photos of the homes here.There have been adjustments in the tour the last couple of years, said Ed Stout, an Old House Guild board member and the tour's co-chairman.Every effort is being made to have a cluster of houses that are mostly close together so that ticket buyers can get a maximum return for their money by squeezing in as many of the eight stops as possible.Dana Pitcher, one of the people serving as a host this year, said visitors will see how the house is normally decorated for her family.It's been a tradition in the neighborhood for the Pitchers to invite the neighbors to come over on Dec. 23. In addition, luminaries — outdoor lights made of milk jugs — have been set out every holiday."I will have those set out the fourth and fifth," Pitcher said.Visitors who check out the Chris Romick and Mary Mischler home will get to enjoy an unusual location — on the third floor on East Market Street in downtown Sandusky.Romick said he agreed to participate in the tour to help the Old House Guild."As long as the weather holds out, you'll be able to go on the roof, too," he said.Stout said the tour is his group's only fund raiser during the year. He said the guild has more than 110 members."Our main interest is in the preservation and restoration of Sandusky's historic buildings and objects," he said.As the old American Crayon building is demolished, the guild hopes to save the factory's whistle. At noon, the sound of the whistle used to be heard from many blocks away. Homes on the tourHere are this year's stops on the tour, with the building's original date of construction. For more information, go to oldhouseguild.org/tour.html.1. The Cooke-Dorn House, 1415 Columbus Ave., 1843-44.2. The Follett House, 404 Wayne St., 1834-37.3. Leese, Renee & Alex Schock, 1205 Columbus Ave, 1890.4. Tim & Betsy Berkey, 1305 Columbus Ave., 1880.5. Jason & Dana Pitcher, 1120 Wayne St., 1925.6. Gregg Mello & Christopher MacKenzie, 733 Wayne St., 18837. Chris Romick & Mary Mischler, 172 East Market St., 1895.8. Joe & Sue Karis, 915 Central Ave., 1895. Want to go?What: Old House Guild Candlelight Tour of Homes.When: 6-9 p.m., Dec. 4-5.Cost: Tickets are $12 in advance, and $15 the day of the tour. Available in advance at Bailey's Home Decor Shoppe, Barnes Nursery, Cooke-Dorn House, Corso's Flower and Garden Center, Flowerama of Sandusky, Lake Erie Shores and Islands Center. Available nights of the tour at Cooke-Dorn and the Follett House Museum.Information: oldhouseguild.org/tour.html.Joe and Sue Karis pose for a portrait in the entry way of their historic home on Central Avenue in Sandusky. The home is included in the Old House Guild's Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes on Dec. 4-5. A hand painted design outlines the dining room at 915 Central Avenue in Sandusky. The home, owned by Sue and Joe Karis, is included in the Old House Guild's Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes on Dec. 4-5. The historic home at 915 Central Ave. in Sandusky is decked out with Christmas decorations by owners Sue and Joe Karis in preparation for this year's Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes sponsored by the Old House Guild of Sandusky on Dec. 4-5. Christmas decorations adorn the library at 915 Central Avenue in Sandusky on Wednesday, Nov. 23, 2016. the home, owned by Sue and Joe Karis, is included in the Old House Guild's Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes on Dec. 4-5. An upstairs bedroom, recently re-decorated for a granddaughter, features light, classic tones at 915 Central Ave. in Sandusky. The home, owned by Sue and Joe Karis, is included in the Old House Guild's Christmas Candlelight Tour of Homes on Dec. 4-5.