our heritage: 52nd candlelight tour

52nd Annual Candlelight Tour

celebrate the holidays with hffi in college heights

By elizabeth daly

1104 College Avenue Twinkling lights, sparkling ornaments, and lush green wreaths. It's time for the holiday season and Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc.'s (HFFI) 52nd Annual Candlelight Tour. For the first time, the tour will be in College Heights. This triangular area is defined by College Avenue, William Street, and Emancipation Highway. In 2016, it was surveyed to determine whether it would be a candidate for listing on the Department of the Interior's National Register of Historic Places

The neighborhood grew up around Mary Washington College (later to become University of Mary Washington) between the 1930s and 1960s. It has many examples of mid-century modern architecture. Many residents worked for "The College." Others worked at the Sylvania Plant, the region's major employer. College Heights, annexed by the City of Fredericksburg in 1951, offered new homes with more land, space, and amenities.

The 2022 Candlelight Tour will be held Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, December 9, 10, and 11. Four houses will be open, and a section of the Alms House, a home with an unusual history, will be an exterior stop. Each home will be beautifully decorated.

1104 College Avenue. This Colonial Revival home was built in 1935 for Fred and Ada Walker. In 1945, Edward and Frances Alvey purchased it. Dr. Alvey, as dean, guided Mary Washington College from its role as the female teachers' college of the University of Virginia to become the independent, coeducational institution it is today. The Alvey heirs sold the house to Mary Washington College, which used it for offices and guest accommodations. In 2019, the current owners bought it, and after an extensive restoration, returned it to a private residence.

1206 Colony Road. This contemporary home, designed by Fredericksburg architect James McGhee, was built for Dr. Jacques and Valerie Riviere in 2009. Modern amenities have been incorporated to make the home elegant, comfortable, and low maintenance. The current owners purchased the home in 2017.

1216 Brent Street. Built in 1913 and expanded over time, this Craftsmanstyle, two-story frame house with a stone foundation and a massive chimney has been home to the current owners for 15 years. It is a warm cheerful family home.

1228 Payne Street. This Tudorstyle home, built in 1936, has a welcoming and distinctive gable entrance with a curved front door. Although it is one of the older houses in the area, it has been lovingly maintained.

1205 Dandridge Street. Exterior only. This building, once part of the Alms House, was moved, along with what is now 1400 College Avenue, to make room for Marye House, the residence of the school's president. A third part of the Alms House was razed in 2018. The Alms House was initially used to isolate citizens with small pox and later for housing indigent persons. This portion is now a private residence.

Tickets for the 2022 Candlelight Tour will be available at the HFFI, 1200 Caroline Street, and at the Fredericksburg Visitors Center, 706 Caroline Street, as well as the Spotsylvania County Visitors Center, 4704 Southpoint Parkway, and online at hffi.org.1228 Payne Street.

The Central Rappahannock Heritage Center is a non-profit, all-volunteer archives whose mission is to preserve historically valuable material ofthe region and make it available to the public for research

900 Barton St #111, Fredericksburg, VA www.crhcarchives.org contact@crhcarchives.org 540-373-3704

Volunteers Wecome! Contact us about donating collections of documents and photographs

Elizabeth Daly, volunteer with the Historic Fredericksburg Foundation, Inc. 2022 Candlelight Tour Ornament and image by Christine Lush-Rodriguez,. a local ceramic artist, inspired by the architecture of 1104 College Avenue.

2022 Candlelight Tour December 9, 10 & 11