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Tour includes little house with big charm
Published December 2, 2009
Editor’s Note: This story is part two in a three-part series about the upcoming Heritage Home Tour.
By Katie Collins
katie.collins(at)seguingazette.com
SEGUIN — The Conservation Society’s annual holiday home tour allows residents to take a peek inside grand old mansions, but also pays homage to smaller — but still stylish — abodes.
Kenney House
Don’t let this mid-century American cottage’s small size fool you, it’s big on style and charm.
When Richard Kenney lost his home in 1998 to the flood, he set out to find a new house at an affordable price.
“I lost everything in the flood, so I needed something relatively inexpensive,” Kenney said. “I looked at about 30 houses before I found this one.”
After purchasing the two bedroom house in 1999, Richard began the work to give the home his signature style. He ripped up carpet, added crown molding, and painted walls.
“It’s a very colorful home,” Richard said. “I’m not big on white walls. It’s colorful and comfortable.”
Over time the house transformed into an art-deco dream as Richard filled it with unique art work, furniture, and lighting. The home features a Western Room that displays Richard’s interest in Texas culture and western art work. There is also a Roosevelt Room, an art deco bedroom with a portrait of Teddy Roosevelt.
The hallway that connects the bedroom and kitchen is known as the autograph gallery. It features signatures from Ernest Hemingway, Gypsy Rose Lee, and everyone in between.
Richard said he centered the kitchen around his love for cars.
“My friend gave me back up lights from a 1941 Chevrolet, but they were round so I couldn’t use them in the car,” Richard said. “So I used them as lighting over the sink in the kitchen.”
Richard hopes the unique style of his home inspires others.
“It’s not like those big mansions,” Richard said. “And it wasn’t built in the 1800s. I want people to know they don’t have to spend a fortune on a huge house to have something great.”
Kenney House, 402 Wallace St.
Elm Grove
Elm Grove has been keeping it all in the family for the past 145 years when Captain F. A. Vaughan bought the Greek-revival mansion.
Today, Vaughan’s great-great-grandson Robin Dwyer and his wife Dottsy own the home, which they bought in 1987.
“I’ve been coming here every year since I was a child,” Robin said. “We used to spend Christmases here when my great aunt owned it.”
The house was built in 1852 by Andrew Herron. The house was constructed of solid rock, bringing large stones and ballast rocks from German immigrant ships from Indianola by oxcart.
After purchasing the home, Robin and Dottsy had to so some major work to bring it up to modern home standards.
“We had to do extensive, almost total renovations,” Robin said. “We had to bring the house up to speed with the twentieth century.”
The home originally stood on 30 acres and had a barn, which burned down in the ’70s. These days the house sits upon about seven acres, and Robin said they love the roomy yard.
“We really enjoy the land it’s on,” Robin said. “It has about 7 acres, and the city owns the land next to ours, which is about another 50 acres. So it’s like being in the country in the middle of the city.”
Elm Grove, 906 W. Court St.
The home tour is presented by the Seguin Conservation Society. Visitors can view all the houses on Dec. 5-6 from 2-5 p.m. Tickets for the tour are $8 in advance and can be purchased at Gift & Gourmet, Keepers, Cascades, the Seguin Area Chamber of Commerce and First Commercial Bank.
On the day of the tour, tickets and maps are available at each home for $10. Homes can be visited in any order.
Refreshments will be served at the First Church at 213 E. Live Oak Street in the Seguin Conservation Society Heritage Village. The other Seguin Conservation Society properties in the Heritage Village will also be open during the Heritage Home Tour.
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