Wayne homes, both old and new, will be open to visitors next month for the biennial Homes of Wayne Tour that benefits Cary Memorial Library and Wayne Community Church.
Among the old is the Harwood Camp, built in 1930 and offering vistas of Androscoggin Lake.
The family still gets its drinking water by using a hand pump on the back porch.
“We can’t verify this, but my dad, Henry, always said they had to drill through 100 feet of rock to reach water for the handpump well,” wrote David Harwood in a description of the camp that has been in the family for generations. And there’s a tradition for ensuring the lengthy, narrow driveway to the camp was clear for passage:
“You stopped at the top, beeped a horn, and listened. If there was no beep from the bottom, it was clear to go down,” said Holly Stevenson, co-chairwoman with Dee Richardson of this year’s “Places of the Heart Tour.”
The Harwood Camp also features two historic Safford fireplaces. Safford fireplaces were built around the turn of the last century by Norman Safford, who died in 1962, and his father, Walter, who died in 1927.
According to Richardson, the Saffords “built dozens of fireplaces along the shore on Lake Androscoggin and throughout the Village of Wayne. They were very accomplished and sought after, and most of their fireplaces are still standing and functional.”
Among the newer homes on the tour is “Gaviidae,” so named after the Latin family name for loons, which are frequently visible from the back deck.
The home of Anita and Tony Gotto was built on the site of Anita Gotto’s parents’ former home, and some items from the original cottage are preserved in the new. Norman and Walter Safford were Anita Gotto’s father and grandfather.
“People just love their house for the history,” Stevenson said.
Stevenson said those who have taken the tour before will not be disappointed.
“We never duplicate houses,” she said.
This year’s tour, which is organized by more than 100 volunteers, includes 10 other scenic stops in town, including the Eva Heifetz Cottage, the wilderness garden of Dorle and Don Gatti, the Old Firehouse Farm, the Teachout property, the recently remodeled Cary Memorial Library, the Wayne Community Church itself, the Lakeside Studio Pottery of Martha Hoddinott and Tom Wells, Camp Ladd and the Androscoggin House.
At the Androscoggin Yacht Club, people who take the tour can find complimentary refreshments, and lunch is available for purchase at the church.
A number of local businesses, organizations and individuals are sponsoring the tour. Two years ago contributions from sponsors and ticket sales helped raise $15,000, which was split between the library and the church.
Stevenson said the focus is not on the money.
“It’s much more about showcasing Wayne,” she said. “It really is a special day in Wayne.”
Tickets for the Sept. 12 tour are available at Longfellow’s Greenhouses, Kennebec Savings Bank, DR Struck Landscape and Nursery, Cary Memorial Library, Julien’s General Store and Cobbie’s Corner Store for $25 in advance. They are $28 the day of the event. Reservations can be made by calling 685-3612.
Information about the tour is available on the web at waynehomegardentour.wix.com/waynehometours.
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