What: 57th annual Scholarship Home Tour sponsored by the Hinsdale/Oak Brook Area Branch of the American Association of University Women

When: Homes will be open from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, Oct. 5

Where: Participants can visit the homes in any order. But The Community House, 415 W. Eighth St., is the AAUW hospitality center, offering a French market boutique with refreshments, gift items, fresh flowers and artwork.

Homes featured: The tour will include five Hinsdale addresses — the Murphy family’s Craftsman-style home at 741 S. Garfield Ave., the Ives family’s Tudor revival at 735 S. Garfield Ave., the Stone family’s European-style domicile at 315 S. Washington St., the Riddiford family’s Georgian colonial at 215 N. Quincy St. and the Johnson family’s domicile at 304 N. Washington St.

Spotlight: Sue and Dave Johnson’s spacious Victorian farmhouse, built in 1875, is featured in “Hinsdale’s Historic Homes and the People Who Lived in Them, Vol. 1” by Mary Sterling. So make sure not to miss this one.

The owners have renovated the home’s exterior. They’ve kept with other Victorian homes in town, reintroducing the front porch and adding an open kitchen in 2007 and installing dentil molding, handmade balusters and copper roofing. The windows feature a beautiful mullion design and original stained glass. A pergola-shaded deck extends the airy kitchen into a garden under venerable trees.

“In a harmonious blend of old and new, the home’s traditional elements are enlivened by the owners’ eye for artistic design and modern touches,” said Jody Lewis, an AAUW volunteer who has written home biographies for the tour.

These elements include chandeliers paired with 10-foot cove ceilings, art-deco detail and elegant, restful colors.

“The Johnsons’ wide-ranging interests are reflected in art that is whimsical, reflects American life and evokes favorite places and family memories,” Lewis added.

Benefiting: Proceeds will support the AAUW Educational Foundation and Local Scholarship Fund, which awards scholarships and grants each spring to outstanding women. Recipients must be seniors graduating from Hinsdale Central and Hinsdale South high schools or adult women returning to college to complete their education or earn advanced degrees.

AAUW is committed to ensuring equity for women and girls through advocacy, education and research. Founded in 1881, the organization is open to all graduates who hold an associate-level or higher degree from a regionally accredited college or university.

Tickets: $35 each or $30 each for groups of six or more through Saturday, Oct. 4, and $40 the day of the event

For advanced purchase, call (630) 655-8775 or (630) 789-6233 or visit any of the following retail locations: Luv It, 1 S. York Road, Char Crews, 8 Grant Square, Hinsdale Wine Shop, 12 E. Hinsdale Ave., and Yankee Peddler, 16 E. First St., all in Hinsdale; Just Ducky, 7511 Lemont Road, and O’Hara True Value Home & Hardware in Brookhaven Shopping Center, both in Darien; and Horton’s Home Lighting & Ace Hardware, 60 S. La Grange Road, in La Grange.
For tickets the day of the event, visit Luv It or The Community House.

Contact: Helena Puche at (630) 655-8775