Blocker house a feature of holiday homes tour

Wednesday, December 3, 2008
The 121-year-old Chenault mansion, 812 S. National Ave., will be one of the featured stops on the 29th Annual Homes for the Holidays Tour this weekend. The recently-restored Victorian mansion, currently owned by Dale Blocker, was built in 1887. -- Jason Silvers/Tribune Photo

By Jason E. Silvers

The Fort Scott Tribune

The 121-year-old Chenault mansion, 812 S. National Ave., will be one of the featured stops on the 29th Annual Homes for the Holidays Tour this weekend.

The recently-restored Victorian mansion, currently owned by Dale Blocker, was built in 1887 by Walter Chenault, who at the time had recently moved to Fort Scott from Kentucky. For more than 80 years, the house was owned by the Sample family. C.D. Sample, who was then the president of Citizens National Bank, bought the house for $8,000 in 1922, Homes for the Holidays Chairwoman Joyce Gobl said.

The annual Homes for the Holiday tour is the primary fundraising event for the Historic Preservation Association of Bourbon County. Gobl is also the secretary for the association and a member of the HPA Board of Directors.

Over the past few years, Blocker has overseen extensive restoration to the house's interior and exterior -- projects that have brought the majestic home back to its former elegance. Some restoration projects are still in progress on certain portions of the home. Tour-goers will be able to view the entire first floor of the three-story house, Gobl said.

The Queen Anne-style construction on the house features balustraded porches and balconies. The Blocker's extensive collection of antiques complements the ornate handcarved woodwork that varies in each room of the house. The cedar Christmas tree inside the house features Victorian whimsies that reflect the era in which the house was built. The house is also replete with 1800s-style furniture, and contains several fireplaces, one of which was originally made in England for placement in the house, Gobl said.

One unique feature of the home that tour-goers will be able to view is an antique communication system that allowed the owners of the home to contact servants in different rooms of the house. A pipe running from the third floor to the basement allowed servants to be summoned from any room, Gobl said.

"It was sort of an early-day intercom system," she said. "There's a little box outside the kitchen door, a little bell rings and a hand tells which room they're (servants) being paged to."

A button on the dining room floor, which is still present, could also be pressed to summon servants to the dining room area, Gobl said.

Other stops on the Homes for the Holidays tour scheduled for this weekend include the First Church of the Nazarene, Third and Margrave Streets; the Scottish Rite Temple, 110 S. Main St.; the Carlson home, 705 Clark St.; and the Wood home, 601 S. Crawford St. Most of the locations will be open for viewing Saturday and Sunday, while the Wood home will be open for a special Moonlight and Mistletoe tour from 6 to 8 p.m. Friday. The Moonlight and Mistletoe tour is an event that will feature a light holiday buffet and festive beverages for each guest.

The Moonlight and Mistletoe tour is limited to 100 guests, and the cost per ticket is $20. Each ticket will also cover the holder's admission to Saturday and Sunday events. The two Homes for the Holidays tour homes and church will also be open during the Moonlight and Mistletoe tour. Homes for the Holidays locations will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, and from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Tickets for this tour cost $10 each.

Other venues and events for the holiday weekend include The Stocking Stuffer bake sale and brisket lunch at Fort Scott Community College; holiday music at the First Church of the Nazarene; and a special program at the Fort Scott National Historic Site. The FSNHS program, titled "America's National Parks," will focus on the 2007 White House Christmas tree decorations. The one-room Fort Lincoln School will also be open for tours from 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

Tickets for all tours are available at The Country Cupboard, the Fort Scott Area Chamber of Commerce, and the Lyons Mansion.

For more information about HPA, visit the association's Web site, hpaofbourboncounty.weebly.com., or the FSACC Web site, www.fortscott.com.