Clifton House Tour provides inside look at unique neighborhood homes

Once every three years, a number of Clifton homeowners invite us into their homes on Mother’s Day for the Clifton House Tour. The 2015 version will be held 1-5 p.m. Sunday, May 10.
 
The seven homes on this year’s tour were built between the 1800s and 1970 and range in style from Italianate and Victorian to American Four Square and Mid-Century Modern. The specific addresses haven’t been released to the public yet but will be later this week.
 
The Clifton House Tour Committee began planning the event last May and chose homes based on significance, historical relevance and importance to Clifton. The list of 20 homes was eventually narrowed down to seven and includes a number of one-of-a-kind homes, says Tony Sizemore, president of Clifton Town Meeting.
 
“This is a unique opportunity for people to get inside some of these homes,” Sizemore says. “People really take pride in the event, and people come from all over the city.”
 
This year’s tour will also include a stop at the Henry Probasco Fountain, which isn’t a house but does have historical significance in Clifton and is relatively close to houses on the tour.
 
Built in 1887 on Clifton Avenue, the fountain was donated by hardware magnate Henry Probasco as a gift of gratitude to the people of Clifton (he also donated the fountain at Fountain Square downtown). The 10-foot-tall fountain was designed by Samuel Hannaford and features four separate basins that hold drinkable water — one for humans, one for horses, one for dogs and another for birds. The fountain was fully restored and rededicated last month and is a natural gathering place for the neighborhood.
 
CTM began the house tour in the late 1960s, taking a break from 1988 to 1997. Tour proceeds support the community council’s mission to help enhance and improve the quality of life for Clifton’s residents and visitors as well as to create a beautiful and vibrant neighborhood, Sizemore says.
 
Ticket sales for the home tour help fund various other CTM events and activities, including the Clifton Chronicle, CliftonFest, the Memorial Day parade and picnic, the Lantern Walk and carriage rides during Holidays on Ludlow.
 
If you’re interested in the tour, get your tickets early — only 1,200 will be sold. They’re available for purchase online at CliftonCommunity.org or at Ace Hardware, Hansa Guild, Ludlow Wines and Clifton’s Skyline Chili. Tickets are $18 in advance or $22 day of the event.
 
A free shuttle will be available during the event, departing from the Clifton Cultural Arts Center, 3711 Clifton Ave., and Clifton Plaza, 333 Ludlow Ave. Local businesses will also be open during the tour to provide food, drinks and shopping.