On Saturday, April 25, Lee University’s Department of History will present the Ninth Annual Tour of Historic Homes on North Ocoee, Centenary, and Oak streets near downtown Cleveland.

For the past eight years the faculty and students of Lee University have presented the tour as part of the Rediscovering Historic Cleveland initiative. The tours will introduce the families who first lived in the homes, bring to life the historical setting in which the homes were built, and help explain the evolving architecture and design of the houses.

Past tours have featured over two dozen of Cleveland’s finest historic homes and public buildings. This year’s tour includes:

*The Hoyle House (1033 North Ocoee). Built in 1929, this home was once called the center of a “social whirl” filled with prominent members of Cleveland. It hosted weddings, parties, births, deaths and funerals. Carefully restored and renovated by Nana and Michael Jenne, the house is a fine example of the colonial revival style.

*The Brown-McReynolds House (1133 North Ocoee). Anne and Sam McReynolds’ Neo-Classical home retains much of its original character, including floors, trim work, and fireplaces. Visitors will be able to see the blueprints of the home that Reeves Brown constructed in 1936, as well as some original furnishings.

*The Church of God Parsonage (250 Centenary). Built by the Church of God in December 1951, the parsonage was the residence of Church of God leaders until 1986, when it was made a private residence. Currently the home of Jane and Dwayne Knight, the house was first renovated in 1975 by Geneva Mullinax, who was the first licensed female contractor in the state of Tennessee.

*The Kirkpatrick House (1853 North Ocoee). Theresa Evans’ 1949 home was originally designed as an apartment block, with a residence for the Kirkpatrick family on the main floor, two apartments on the second floor, and another apartment in the basement. The home has undergone extensive renovation and modernization to both its façade and interior design.

*The Hale House (1823 Oak). Built around 1900, the house was originally well outside the Cleveland city limits. The Four Square style home was likely built by P. H. Walker, but is most associated with Paul and Sarah Hale, who lived there from 1935 to 2001. The current owners are Patty and Doug Storey.

The tours will be conducted by Lee history students completing their senior year “Capstone” experience, which includes a public history project (the annual spring house tour and, in the fall, the Fort Hill Cemetery Tour). Students conduct interviews, research architecture and design, work on publicity, and provide commentary on the homes.

“I have enjoyed researching the home’s past and looking in the original sources, such as family scrapbooks, old newspapers, company documents and fire insurance maps,” said Amy Wells, a senior history major researching the Brown-McReynolds home. “This has been my favorite project as a student at Lee. I can’t wait to share with the community what we’ve discovered about Cleveland’s past.”

Tour-goers will learn about what life in Cleveland would have been like around the time of each home’s construction. They will also learn about architectural styles, as well as the extent to which parts of the homes have been restored, preserved and modernized to meet the needs of today’s families.

“We are really excited about this year’s tour,” said Dr. John Coats, associate professor of history and faculty sponsor. “All five homes have wonderful stories hiding in their walls, and we look forward to helping the community learn more about its roots.”

Tickets are available on Saturday, April 25, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Historic Branch of the Cleveland Public Library (833 North Ocoee). The homes will be open for tours until 2 p.m. The $5 admission will support the William Snell History Scholarship at Lee University.