Gail Cornell will give tours of the Horace G. Chase House during the holiday season. Step back in time to the late 19th century during your visit to this wonderful example of a Gilded Age Queen Anne-style home.
Tours will be Dec. 21, 22, 28 and 29 at 12:30, 2, 3:30 p.m. There is a limit of 15 people per tour so please register in advance by emailing cornellgail@yahoo.com or call 917-547-6258. Cost is $15 per person. The Chase House is located at 21 Old Henniker Road, Hopkinton.
The house was built in 1888 for Horace Chase, a son of a wealthy businessman who split his time between Hopkinton and Chicago. He was one of Hopkinton’s most prominent “Summer People” and the house, christened Bergheim, served as a summer residence for the Chase family for many years.
This large “summer cottage” was constructed to reflect many characteristics of Chase’s imposing Chicago mansion. Now, it is a year-round residence and a notable example of the survival, preservation, and evolution of a remarkable historic home.
The Christmas season reveals Bergheim decked out for the holidays with beautifully adorned Christmas trees and traditional wreaths, pine boughs, candles and lights.
Historic home buffs will appreciate the original architectural details and interior features so characteristic of the Queen Anne style: large wrap-around porch; beautiful stained-glass windows; exquisite parquet floors; and five fully-functioning Victorian era fireplaces, each with a unique, beautifully carved period mantel.
Cornell is a lecturer in architecture, art and design at New York City’s Museum of Modern Art. She is also an adjunct faculty member at New York University. Gail is a graduate of Harvard University’s Graduate School of Design with a degree in Architectural History and Theory. She has lectured, taught, and conducted worldwide architectural study tours since 1996 and has been a study leader for the Smithsonian Institute and National Trust for Preservation since 2008. Her expertise encompasses architectural history, restoration, preservation, and urban planning. She is a member of the Society of Architectural Historians and the American Institute of Architects.