Midtown holds 10th annual Christmas tour

The Midtown Neighborhood Association held its 10th annual Victorian Christmas Homes Tour Dec. 1-2. Clockwise from top left: Bob and Amanda Dixon proudly display their two-story, hipped-roof home, built circa 1903. The Dixons gutted and completely renovated the home, preserving the original floors and woodwork while adding new plumbing, wiring, HVAC, central vacuum system and security. They are now planning to sell it and take on another renovation project in Midtown. Men in kilts, Mark O'Dell and Champ Herren, wearing the MacAuley and Kerr tartans, respectively, welcomed visitors to St. John's Episcopal Church, built in 1888. Scottish immigrants played a key role in the establishment and history of the parish. A Christmas tree decorated with antique lace collars and buckles (top right) graces the home of Dee and Larry McNeill (above), who dressed for the occasion in turn-of-the-century costume. The Victorian Mercantile at the Cox Fountain Plaza Room featured clothing, decorations and a raffle for original art lamps. Pam and Bill Banning (left), of Banning's Black Powder & Gun Shop in Crocker, wore authentic Victorian dress while tending their booth at the mercantile. Heather Poe, a volunteer at the McNeill Home, sports a turn-of-the-century maid's uniform. At center, Bob Horton's fireplace dominates the front room of his 30s era Colonial Revival home, featuring a Department 56 Christmas scene and other holiday touches. Also featured on the tour but not pictured were the home of Darrel and Kimberly Hathcock, a 1 1/2-story brick bungalow built in 1938 for Frisco Railroad engineer Jacob Milligan, and the home of Connie Mahan, a bungalow-style home built around 1884 and modified in 1948.