Capture a Glimpse of Christmas’ Past at Rockport-Fulton Historic Homes Tour and Caroling
| Capture a Glimpse of Christmas’ Past at Rockport-Fulton Historic Homes Tour and Caroling |
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Rockport, Texas (November 30, 2009) – Rising above Aransas Bay and surrounded by stately oaks are numerous restored homesteads; six will be featured in the Rockport-Fulton annual “Hats off to History” Christmas Historic Homes Tour, from 4 to 8 p.m., Friday, December 11, and from noon to 5 p.m., Saturday, December 12. Trimmed for the Holidays these homes offer a glimpse into Christmas’ past. Docents dressed in period costumes will provide tours and point out unique architectural features. Six historical homes in Rockport featured on the tour are the: Bracht House; Adolph Bracht House; Mathis-Sneed-Herring House; Gibney-Terry Cottage and the Baldwin House. Historical homes in Fulton include: the Rouquette-Littleton House; Old Schoolhouse; and on Saturday only, the Fulton Mansion will hold tours from noon to 5 p.m. George and Harriet Fulton must have amazed their neighbors when they began construction in 1874 on their spacious and extravagant Victorian villa overlooking the Aransas Bay. Called Oakhurst, it was completed in 1877. Its slate-shingled mansard roof is reminiscent of the French Second Empire. It was the only house in the region at that time to have gas lighting, central heating and running water. A gas generator supplied fuel for the chandeliers and a central cast-iron furnace heated the home. Hot air was forced through a series of flues that ran from the basement to false decorative fireplaces throughout the house. Stored water in the basement was hand pumped to a tank above the tower room and gravity-fed to bathrooms equipped with flush toilets and bathtubs. Along with these modern conveniences, the house was built to withstand hurricane-force winds. Poured concrete and pre-cast concrete aggregate blocks formed the basement walls while the upper walls and floors were constructed by stacking and spiking pine planks. View a complete schedule of events at www.rockport-fulton.org. Tickets are $10 each and available at the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center. Hours of operation are: Monday – Friday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. For more information, call the Rockport-Fulton Chamber of Commerce at 1-800-242-0071 or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it Directions from San Antonio and Houston |
