Notable Home Tour Set for Saturday

The Friends of the Westfield Symphony Orchestra is holding their 27th annual 'Tour of Notable Homes' on Saturday. For this event, attendees will get the chance to tour five homes including three in Westfield, one in Summit, and one in Berkeley Heights.

The process of choosing the homes to be included on the tour is extensive. Homes must display a minimum of two or three historical, architectural, interior design, interior/exterior unique attributes, landscaping design/relationship to the home, significance to the community, and human interest type qualifications. Many of these qualities are evident in the homes chosen for this year's tour. Westfield, Summit, and Berkeley Heights are towns in which real estate is quite coveted. Besides the homes themselves, the communities that hey occupy are just as important. Elegant and impressive architecture is not uncommon in these areas. This tour aims at showcasing the best of the best.

Former Yankees first baseman Steve Balboni calls Berkeley Heights home. His home is said to have large rooms with Italian features, Balboni's heritage. This property was chosen for its historical, architectural, landscaping, and human interest qualifications.

In Summit, guests will find a home that was designed by the same person, Henry Bacon, that was the architect of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington DC. Its unique attributes include rare hand carved woods, ionic pilasters, intricate moldings, and custom chandeliers among much more. Overall, it possessed three of the criteria required to be included on the tour.

The tour will feature three homes in Westfield. An exquisite Victorian home on Kimball Avenue will showcase more Italian decorations and construction along with an interesting historical aspect. The home was once owned by the J. Fred Cowperthwaite family. There is a street in Westfield named after the son that was killed in World War I. The tour will stop on Euclid Avenue to see a home that satisfies the historical, interior/exteior unique attributes, and landscape design criteria. The home on Chestnut Street in Westfield promises to be special as it satisfies every criteria in the selection process.

The tour begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. on Saturday and guests will enjoy refreshments, live music, a botique raffle, plant sales, and more. Tickets are available at various locations around Westfield including Baron's Drug Store, Colwell Banker Realtors East and West, The Town Bookstore, Weichert Realtors, and the Westfield Symphony Orchestra office. In Fanwood, one could find tickets at Norman's Hallmark, and in Cranford at Periwinkle's Fine Gifts, in Mountainside at Christoffers Flowers, and in Summit at Keller Williams Realty Premier Properties, Coldwell Banker, and Paperfolio. Tickets are $30 in advance and $35 on the day of the tour. Money from the tickets goes to benefit the Westfield Orchestra.