WAYNE — There’s the Alice in Wonderland room, where the owner’s son in the 1930s painted life-size scenes from the Lewis Carroll tale.
At another stop, there is the estate once owned by the Carlings, of the eponymous brewing company, on 25 rambling acres rife with perennial gardens.
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Finally, there is the lakeside yacht club that — ironically, considering its inland locale — is believed to be oldest continuously operating club of its kind in the nation.
“This is one of the best things that happens in Wayne in terms of showcasing Wayne,” said Dee Richardson, co-chairwoman of the Homes of Wayne Tour, which is scheduled for 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. “This tour has such a wide variety.”
The tour, a fundraiser for the Cary Memorial Library and Wayne Community Church, was held first in 2007 and has been held every other year since. Richardson said all the homes on the self-guided tour, except the “Alice in Wonderland” home on Old Winthrop Road, are original to this year’s event.
“This is the first time they’ve all been open to the public for a tour,” she said. “We haven’t repeated any of the homes over the years. It tells you all about the resources this little village has.”
The so-called Charm, Farm & Whimsy Tour includes nine homes and three historic sites dotting the town. The tour boasts examples of 19th-century architecture, including the Wing Homestead on Pond Road built by Allen Wing, one of Wayne’s first settlers; contemporary abodes, such as the Kindig home, which blends into the landscape and offers majestic views overlooking Lovejoy Pond; and several village landmarks, including the Androscoggin Yacht Club on Lake Street, which dates to 1909.
Richardson said homeowners, in some cases, have spent years doing renovations or planting gardens, to make their homes spectacular, and the tour is a way of allowing people to see the fruits of that labor. That work has intensified in recent weeks as the homeowners prepared for the public viewing. One family even got a new horse to have in the pasture in time for the event, Richardson said.
“We keep saying it doesn’t have to be perfect,” she said. “They love their houses.”
The 2011 tour, which was announced statewide in stories printed in the Kennebec Journal and Portland Press Herald, drew more than 350 people, Richardson said.
“We’re hoping for as many this year as well,” she said. The event will be held rain or shine, but forecasters earlier in the week were predicting a sunny sky and cool temperatures.
About 80 volunteers will staff the houses to answer questions, and dozens more have or will help the event in other ways, Richardson said. Overall, she said, about 100 people will lend their time to the effort, which represents nearly 10 percent of the town.
“We’re thrilled the town comes together for this,” she said.
Tour tickets cost $22 in advance or $25 the day of the event and include refreshments. Lunch will be available for purchase at Wayne Community Church and Julian’s Wayne General Store.
Tickets may be purchased the day of the event or in advance at Cary Memorial Library on Old Winthrop Road.
Advance tickets also are available at the Wayne Community Church, on Old Winthrop Road; Longfellow’s Greenhouses on Puddledock Road, Manchester; Marie’s Whole Foods on Main Street, Readfield; Roak the Florist on Main Street in Lewiston; and in Winthrop at Kennebec Savings Bank on Main Street and DR Struck Landscaping Nursery on U.S. Route 202.
For more information, call 685-3612 or visit online at www.cary-memorial.lib.me.us.
Craig Crosby — 621-5642
ccrosby@mainetoday.com
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