Some of Saluda’s grand old homes will be open to the public when the Historic Saluda Committee (HSC) presents its biennial Tour of Homes on Saturday, June 3, from 1–5 p.m. Five homes on Shand Hill, just east of the downtown business district, will be part of the walking tour along with Saluda Historic Train Depot (1903), Saluda Presbyterian Church (1895-96) and Lola’s Celebration Venue (1905) at the Historic Thompson’s Store.
“Shand Hill was established as a neighborhood of summer homes many years ago,” says HSC co-chair Lynn Cass. “Several of the homes are still used as summer homes. The homeowners, however, are very involved in the tour and will be on hand to greet visitors and tell the tales and share the history.”
Among the featured homes will be the Shand Family House (1887), the second oldest summer home built in Saluda; Meadowhill Farm, a log cabin built around 1870 that was once the kitchen for the Shand House; the Saluda Big House, virtually unchanged in its outside appearance since it was built in the 1800s; Ivy Terrace (circa 1890), once used as a boarding house and whose property includes nine trees on the Pacolet Area Conservancy’s Treasured Tree List; and Bon Air, built around 1886 and also a boarding house at one time.
The Historic Saluda Committee,” Cass says, “works to preserve the history and heritage of its people and places that helped make Saluda the enchanting town it is today.” Proceeds from past tours helped fund parts of the restoration of City Hall and benefited the Saluda Historic Depot.
Tickets are $20 and are available on the day of the tour at the Saluda Historic Depot. For more information about the tour, contact Lynn Cass at 828.749.1975 or visit the Historic Saluda Tour of Homes event page on Facebook. To learn more about the Historic Saluda Committee, visit historicsaluda.org.
