Feature Festival Event
Victorian Fibre House Tour
By: Joan Beswick
Amherst’s prosperous history is reflected in the stately homes lining its main streets, and a highlight of the Christmas season has traditionally been the ‘Deck the Halls Christmas House Tour’. This year, the fifth anniversary of the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival, Amherst’s First Baptist Church is hosting a three-home tour on the afternoon of Saturday, October 13, the last day of the festival. And this tour offers something special – an opportunity not only to tour the three most popular homes from the Christmas tour, but to also see them bedecked with quilts, rugs, embroidery, knitting and all things fibre.
The Van Snick home was built in 1907 in a Queen Ann style. It features round towers, oval windows, cobble stone work, and a large stairwell with Newell sculpture. The home will feature the work of local fibre artist, Janet Moses, and is a perfect setting to showcase her vibrant colour palette.
The Duvar home was built in 1875 and has been lovingly restored with impressive results. The decor of this home, a tasteful blend of Victorian and Traditional taste, offers a fitting canvas for the creations of Cumberland County’s talented fibre artists. For those who love Christmas, this home will also offer a Christmas Fibre display.
Bent Cottage is the oldest home in Amherst, dating back to 1770. It was built on 500 acres granted to Loyalist blacksmith, John Bent. It is filled with heritage pieces, including antique samplers, early hooked rugs, and many primitives. Bent Cottage was the childhood home of Canadian artist, Alex Colville, and the tradition of creativity continues with its present owners. Daniel G. Walker’s exhibit ‘Pear Shaped’ and Rev. Don Miller’s ‘one-of-a-kind birdhouses’ will be featured.
The Victorian Fibre House Tour runs from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 13. It begins at First Baptist Church, 90 Victoria St., Amherst. Tickets are $5, and can be purchased at the church. The three houses are close to each other and within a short distance from the church. Since participants will be walking through all three houses, they are encouraged to wear slip-on shoes or bring slippers.
Oh, and not to be forgotten ... tea and cookies.
When you’re inclined to rest and reflect, ‘tea and cookies’ will be served at the church all afternoon between 1:00 and 4:00 p.m.
Please join us in celebrating the fifth anniversary of the Nova Scotia Fibre Arts Festival. Come and tour three of the most beautiful homes in Amherst, a community steeped in heritage and ‘obsessed with fibre’.
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