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HPNA General Meeting
May 2nd Agenda
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| Carmel-Wechsler House porch |
May is Bike Month
Why not ride your bike to work?
Seriously! Why Not?
| May, 2005 National Register District Neighborhood Vol. 31, No. 5 |
The 30th Annual Hyde Park Homes Tour is Around the Corner!
I t's not just a tour of homes, it's a neighborhood event! Sure, people come from across the state and the country to see our beautiful historic homes, but what they really see is a neighborhood that, like a phoenix, has risen from the ashes. As people come and see beautiful homes, it is hard for them to imagine today what this neighborhood was like 30 years ago. Last year we celebrated the 30th anniversary of the Hyde Park Neighborhood Association, this year we celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the Hyde Park Homes Tour.
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When the editors of the this
year's Tour brochure started writing the history of the homes,
we had the question arise again
about how one determines how a
particular house is identified. Traditionally, we have named houses
for the first owner and/or the longest resident. And now, after 30
years of rebirth, we have current
owners who have, slowly but surely, becoming the longest-tenured
residents. For example, one of this
year's featured homes is the home
of Margot and Grant Thomas at
4106 Avenue F, which has historically been known as the Murray /
Chote house; but since the Thomases have been in residence for 29
years, the home may well be due
for a rechristening. The owners of
the homes on this tour have made
their homes beautiful, but even
more impressive are their contributions to the neighborhood.
Which brings me back to what a neighborhood is, and why people come here and leave their part of history with us. The tour is about this neighborhood and about these neighbors. You can learn about a person from their created |
environment, and their chosen
environment. Some of the homeowners on the tour this year chose
this neighborhood over 25 years
ago, some more recently. But they
all chose Hyde Park because it felt
good. Is it the old homes, the traditional neighborhood patterns, or
the huge old trees that shade our
streets and sidewalks? It's definitely all of those, but after someone
lives here awhile, they realize it's
the people and their front porch
friendliness that keeps people here
their whole lives.
This year, "Front Porch Friendly" is more than a theme. The first President of the Neighborhood Association and his wife, Merle and Ginna Franke, are still here after more than 30 years. They will be on their front porch. They will talk to you about gardening, rainwater collection (see related article in this issue), their family, his last book. Other Hyde Park authors, musicians, artists and storytellers will be in the homes, on the porches, and along the streets and sidewalks of Hyde Park for Fathers' Day weekend. Continued on page 3
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