Holiday House at Burroughs and Langford Kingston Homes Runs Dec 11-23, 2015

Dec. 3, 2015 - PRLog -- The 2015 Holiday House tour of the historic Burroughs and Langford Kingston Homes located at 2500 First Street in downtown Ft. Myers will begin December 10 at 5:00 pm with a VIP and Media Open House party and then will open to the public Friday, December 11 and run nightly through December 23 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. The annual, festive tradition is a magical, beautiful gift back to the community from the Fort Myers Women’s Community Club to celebrate the homes’ heritage and ignite a holiday spirit in the community. Admission is $5 for adults, with military veterans and children under 10 free.

The theme this year is “Christmas in Tropical Paradise” and will feature thousands of lights both inside and outside of the homes, as each room in the historic homes is creatively decorated with holiday flare. Children will also enjoy a visit and a gift from Santa Claus in the upstairs room of the Langford Kingston Home.  Cookies, drinks and holiday music will also be part of the fun.

More than 200 women from the Fort Myers Women’s Community Club will begin decorating the homes beginning Friday, December 4.  The three-day decorating event draws in members from all over the community, including volunteer families and children as they help turn the homes into a “Christmas in Tropical Paradise.”

“Our members plan and anticipate for this event all year,” said Gina Sabiston, Holiday House 2015 event chair. “This is our gift to the community which is why we keep the cost so low.  We want all children to experience this one-of-a-kind holiday celebration.”

History of the Homes:

Wealthy businessman Nelson Burroughs and his wife Adeline purchased the Burroughs Home in 1918 www.burroughshome.com/. The 2½ story, 6,000 square foot, turn-of-the-century, Georgian Colonial Revival mansion was originally built in 1901 by John T. Murphy, a cattleman from Montana. It sits on 2.45 acres overlooking the Caloosahatchee River and features stained glass windows, a widow’s walk, a sweeping veranda, and a winding, grand staircase. It soon became one of the jewels of “millionaire’s row” at 2505 First Street in downtown Fort Myers.

Directly across the street at 2500 First Street is the historic Langford-Kingston home that was built in 1919 by Walter Langford in the Chicago Bungalow style architecture. The 5,232 square foot, red brick home features a large front porch with massive supports, front stoop and grand entrance staircase. Langford died a year later and the home was sold to George Kingston, who invented the Kingston carburetor.

About:

The Fort Myers Woman’s Community Club www.fmwcc.com was founded in 1927 with the objective to meet for mutual improvement, social entertainment, promote better understanding among its members, and advance the civic welfare of the City of Fort Myers. Today, members continue the legacy of traditions, community and friendship and are active in community outreach and historic endeavors.

The Uncommon Friends Foundation, a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization established in 1993, manages the historic Burroughs Home and Gardens and is dedicated to lifelong character building among today’s youth and business leaders. For information, visit www.uncommonfriends.org or contact Executive Director Angela Melvin at angela@uncommonfriends.org.