Tour Of Homes To Help Those Without One
A look inside the Milledge home during the Tour of Homes on Sunday.
This year, the four homes that were on the tour were, Tanya and Joe Milledge’s stately home built in 1893 at 307 N. 8th Street; Amanda and Brett Doud’s 1962 ranch home at 182 Highland Avenue; the re-purposed barn home of Debbie and John Fox at 2232 Lynndana Lane; and the newly constructed home of Val and Alan VanWaardhuizen at 251 Terrace Drive.
Amanda Doud spoke about opening her home up for visitors, a house her family has lived in for three years.
Doud was happy with the turnout of visitors to her home, “it’s been fun”.
For homeowners, it can feel very different having strangers roam through your home, but Doud said that she enjoyed taking in the comments from the visitors.
Doud says she loves to decorate, “got brave” and opened her home this year. “The worst part is the cleaning,” Doud said of the prep time that goes into being a host home.
Doud’s home had a connection to another home on the tour, as it was in the Porter family, as well as the one owned now by Tanya and Joe Milledge.
Joe Milledge spoke about his home, built in 1893 by C.W. Porter, of Hawkeye Lumber., and the special guest that toured the home.
“Even though we are not finished with the renovations, this house has such great history and incredible craftsmanship, we felt it should be shared with the community.”
“It was great to have 90 year old John Porter (grandson of CW) stop by during the tour. He remembered so much about the house – like the buzzer that used to be under the dining table to signal the maid”, added Milledge.
Alan VanWaardhuizen spoke about their newly constructed home on Terrace Drive. VanWaardhuizen said the experience was enjoyable, “We thought it was a good thing to do”.
Val VanWaardhuizen has Interiors by Val on the Oskaloosa Square, and Alan said the opportunity to share their home gave an opportunity for others to enjoy Val’s work.
VanWaardhuizen expressed a desire to see the tradition continue and grow in Oskaloosa.
Proceeds from the tour of decorated homes will go to benefit projects of the local Homeless Coalition.
