Benefit May 5 for Springfield Preservation Trust.
A carriage house on Longhill Street in Springfield, has been renovated into an apartment with views of the Connecticut River. The Springfield Preservation Trust, which works to protect and promote the city's historic structures, is presenting a Carriage House Tour as its next fund-raiser on May 5 from 1 to 4 p.m. The tour features five carriage houses in the city's McKnight, Maple Hill and Forest Park neighborhoods, as well as downtown.
Robert McCarroll, clerk for the trust, said the nonprofit has been organizing house tours for 35 years and has had carriage houses on tours from time to time.
"This is the first time, however, we've had a tour focus solely on them," McCarroll said. "We are doing it so folks can see how these often neglected accessory buildings are converted to new uses."
Carriage houses and early garages are often abandoned or demolished once their use ceases. This tour is designed to show how some have managed to survive.
Properties on the tour include a carriage house turned into an apartment on Bowdoin Street; a carriage house converted to offices on Temple Street; a carriage house which is now a house on Crescent Hill; a carriage house with its original stables on Bellevue Avenue; and a carriage house-turned-apartment on Longhill Street.
Mark and Patricia Hambley own the Longhill apartment that is on two levels and has great views of the Connecticut River.
The carriage house was originally part of a Gothic-style house, built in 1869, in which the Hambleys now live. In the 1990s, the carriage house was converted into an apartment. The Hambleys named it "Leonard Lodge," after its first tenant, Bill Leonard, who renovated it.
"It's a beautiful place," Mark Hambley said. "It overlooks our side garden, which we're working on, and has stunning views over the river."
Tim Guilman and Lauren Townley have a two-story brick carriage house on their Bellevue Avenue property that is in its original condition. Built in 1906, there are five horse stalls and a hand-operated mechanical lift for the carriages.
Guilman said he never intended on converting the carriage house to a home. He has used it for storage. He said he hopes visitors enjoy taking a trip back in time.
"Around the turn of the century, this was the garage when they used horses for transportation," he said.
Carol DeCarlo and Donald Wheeler's home on Crescent Hill was built as a carriage house for a large brick house in 1864. Both structures were designed by the influential New York architect Calvin Vaux.
Although the house was torn down in the 1930s, the carriage house remained. It was used as a Knights of Columbus hall until 1988, when it was converted to a home.
"It's not your traditional Victorian," DeCarlo said. "It has very large rooms and three huge bay windows in the front - that's where the horses used to come in."
At 6,000 square feet, there's a big pool room, a gym and a built-in squash/basketball court. DeCarlo's advertising agency and production house business also are based on the property.
DeCarlo said she really started to understand the importance of preservation and the economic benefits of it since meeting trust representatives a few years ago.
"When homeowners open their homes to the public, they can understand the benefits of historic preservation and the beauty of it, and appreciate what Springfield has to offer," DeCarlo said.
"Springfield has a plethora of Victorians. Our architecture is one of a kind and it's what makes us special. These homes are irreplaceable, and historic preservation is critical to keeping Springfield beautiful."
Also on the tour, which is sponsored by Baystate Health, is a recently renovated Victorian home on Temple Street.
Advance tickets are available at Flowers, Flowers, 758 Sumner Ave., and The Flower Box, 596 Carew St. Tickets can be purchased on the day of the tour from 12:45 to 2:45 p.m. on Warner Street, just off Longhill Street. Tickets also can be purchased on the trust's web site, http://springfieldpreservationtrust.org/