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<\/a><\/p>\nVisitors will walk and\/or take a dedicated shuttle to the different venues in Flushing and Corona. Most of the participating sites \u2014 Louis Armstrong House Museum; Bowne House; Flushing Town Hall; Quaker Meeting House; Kingsland Homestead; Lewis H. Latimer House Museum; and Voelker Orth House \u2014 will be decorated as they were during their first holiday seasons. Descriptions of the sites and their plans for #HollyTour2018 follow.<\/p>\n
Louis Armstrong and his wife, Lucille, lived in what is now the Louis Armstrong House Museum (34-56 107th St., Corona) from 1943 through Satchmo\u2019s death in 1971 and until Lucille\u2019s death in 1983. The inside of this landmarked residence remains unchanged; a timeless snap shot of their life in the neighborhood that inspired Louis to write the classic song \u201cWhat a Wonderful World.\u201d<\/p>\n
To honor the jazz trumpeter\u2019s legacy and his international influence, the Armstrong House will present \u201cHolidays around the World,\u201d which will highlight the couple\u2019s travels during holiday seasons and their intimate relationships with friends of the Jewish faith. Visitors will hear rare audio clips from personal recordings and Satchmo\u2019s magical voice reading \u201c\u2019Twas the Night Before Christmas.\u201d The house will be brilliantly decorated.<\/p>\n
English-born religious freedom advocate John Bowne built the Bowne House (37-01 Bowne St., Flushing) in 1661. It\u2019s the borough\u2019s oldest domicile and has city, state, and federal landmark status. Nine generations of the Bowne and Parsons families lived there until 1945, when it became a museum. The structure features a unique blend of Dutch and English construction techniques.<\/p>\n
On Dec. 9, the house will present an exhibition on the history of Christmas, highlighting \u201cHome for the Holidays.\u201d It will also offer live demonstrations of food preservation and quilting in the kitchen area. Bowne personnel will also unveil the new \u201cLegends and Lore of the Bowne House\u201d display and describe family legends throughout the tour.<\/p>\n
Built in 1862, Flushing Town Hall (137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing) was the village\u2019s cultural and political focal point in the late 19th century. The Romanesque Revival building hosted swearing-in ceremonies for Union soldiers before the Civil War and later served as an opera house, courthouse, jail, and bank branch. Now the dynamic cultural hub presents \u201cGlobal Arts for a Global Community.\u201d During #HollyTour2018, visitors will be able to attend \u201cFrom Ecuador to the World,\u201d a concert starring maestro Manuel Campos and the Ecuadorian troupe Orquesta Sinf\u00f3nica Juvenil de la Prefectura del Guayas at 2 pm. ($10\/Free for students and teens). They can shop at the annual Holiday Market (2 pm to 5 pm) for everything from handmade clothing and jewelry to paintings, posters, and ceramics.<\/p>\n
Built between 1774 and 1785, Kingsland Homestead (143-35 37th Ave., Flushing) is one of the earliest surviving examples of area houses common in the late 18th and 19th centuries. Its name comes from Quaker and British sea captain Joseph King, who bought it in 1801. Five generations of distinguished Quakers from the King\/Murray family lived there until the 1930s. In 1968, the dwelling was moved from its original Flushing site to its current location, where it serves as the Queens Historical Society\u2019s headquarters.<\/p>\n
Kingsland\u2019s #HollyTour2018 program includes a poetry exhibition, Victorian-era period room, musical interlude, and winter-themed refreshments.<\/p>\n
Lewis Howard Latimer lived in a 19th century Victorian house (34-41 137th St., Flushing) from 1902 until his death in 1928. The African-American son of fugitive slaves helped develop the telephone and incandescent light bulb. He was also a poet, painter, and musician.<\/p>\n
The Dec. 9 guided tour will introduce his story along with his original lamps and art works, the Tinker Lab, Interactive Poetry Installation, and a video interview of his granddaughter, Winifred Latimer Norman, who fought to save the house and raise awareness of his contributions to science. Traditional holiday refreshments will be offered.<\/p>\n
When the Quaker Meeting House (137-16 Northern Blvd., Flushing) was constructed in 1694, it was the first house of worship in a town that was then called \u201cVlissengen.\u201d Now it\u2019s New York\u2019s oldest structure in continuous use for religious purposes. The tour will end there with live performances, folk singing, and hot apple cider. Visitors will be able to walk around the grounds and view the historic cemetery.<\/p>\n
Voelker Orth House (149-19 38th Ave., Flushing) dates to 1891 and provided shelter to three generations of a family with German roots. The Voelker granddaughter, Elisabeth Orth (1926-1995), bequeathed her estate to establish the museum, preserving a view of Flushing\u2019s past. The garden contains popular plants and bushes from the 19th century. They’re maintained with time-honored gardening techniques (no pesticides) for birds, butterflies and honey bees to feast upon and pollinate.<\/p>\n
For the tour, the Victorian abode will be dressed in a traditional German-American style much the way the Voelker and Orth women would have transformed it during the holidays. Guests can see a seasonal installation of miniatures and peruse a gift-and-plant sale. They can also join a sing-along with David Caldwell and enjoy pfeffern\u00fcsse (tiny spice cookies) and hot mulled cider. Storybooks and coloring for youngsters!<\/p>\n