45th Annual Pullman House Tour takes place on Oct 6-7

The 45th Annual Pullman House Tour will take place on Oct 6-7 and will allow visitors to explore several historic homes and public buildings that have existed and been preserved for over a century. Photo Credit: Pullman Historic Foundation Community Prepares For 45th Annual Pullman House Tour
The 45th Annual Pullman House Tour will take place on Oct 6-7 and will allow visitors to explore several historic homes and public buildings that have existed and been preserved for over a century. Photo Credit: Pullman Historic Foundation Community Prepares For 45th Annual Pullman House Tour

45th Annual Pullman House Tour takes place on Oct 6-7

BY KATHERINE NEWMAN

The Historic Pullman Foundation and the Pullman Civic Organization together are sponsoring the 45th Annual Pullman House Tour which will

take place from 11 a.m-5 p.m. Oct. 6-7. Visitors will begin at the Historic Pullman Visitor Center, 11141 S. Cottage Grove Ave, and proceed to take

a self-guided tour of several historic homes and structures that showcase the history of the community through architecture and storytelling.

“The Pullman House Tour has kind of a festival atmosphere and people will have a chance to see homes that are restored. Some of them have been restored to their 1890’s appearance and then there’s a couple of homes that were restored by young couples with kids and they have a very contemporary look in their row houses. We have two executive homes that are huge three-story houses that would have been lived in by upper-level

management of the Pullman Company back in the day and then we also have the little workers cottages which are small two-story homes,” said Pat Brannon, co-chair of the Pullman House Tour.

The town of Pullman was built beginning in 1880 as a residential community for the people who worked for the Pullman Company that produced railroad sleeping cars. Today, the Pullman area has remained intact as it was originally designed and the streetscapes look almost exactly like it did in the 1880’s, according to Brannon.

In February 2015, President Barack Obama found that it was in the public’s interest to preserve and protect the historic objects in the Pullman Historic District and declared Pullman a National Monument, according to official White House archives, which ensured that the town would continue to be preserved.

The walking tour spans four square blocks and allows visitors to explore seven houses along with a few public buildings like the church and the school. Each historic property will also have a wealth of relevant background information available to accompany the viewing.

“We have a program booklet that has a few paragraphs about each house, sometimes with a little history and information about the architect

of the neighborhood, Solon Beaman,” said Brennan. There will be boards up outside each home on the tour with a little bit of history and the original architectural renderings and floor plan so as you’re waiting to go in, you can look at the boards. There’s usually somebody at the front door who might say a few words about the history of the house or the architecture of that particular home and then we let people go in the home.”

The House Tour will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 6-7 with the addition of an antique car show on Sunday. There will be food, live music, and proceeds from the event will go towards home restoration grants that Pullman homeowners can apply for to update the facade of their homes to replicate the original appearance.

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