Ben Avon Holiday House Tour highlights Victorian architecture

A 42-inch wreath hangs above a fireplace fashioned from colorful vintage ornaments from the owners’ moms.

“They are cool memories,” said Jackie Piccini, who made the wreath. “I found those ornaments in a box and wasn’t sure what to do with them. So I decided to attach them to a large wreath.”

Such connections abound throughout this home on Ridge Avenue in Ben Avon that Piccini owns with her husband Joe. It is one of five residences on the Ben Avon Holiday House Tour happening Dec. 2.

The house, constructed in 1898, is a shingle-style Victorian, popular between 1880 and 1900. Prior to the purchase by the Piccinis, who formerly lived in Sewickley Hills, the home was occupied by three generations of the Warren family.

In the 1940s, the house was transformed into two apartments, with the Warren family occupying the top two floors, while the first floor was rented out.

Charles Bradley Warren was a well-known sculptor of Art Deco-styled reliefs and sculptures that grace the walls of schools and churches around Pittsburgh. He maintained a studio in the house to design and build models for his commissioned work.

Some of his work remains in the home.

“This house is one of the gems in this neighborhood,” said Jen Wagner, who is co-chairing the event with Erin Nordmann.“It is fantastic how they’ve decorated it.”

The couple has incorporated family heirloom details such as the ornament wreath as well as a village of miniature cardboard houses and little green trees that sit atop a bed of cloth that represents snow on the mantel. They were owned by Joe Piccini’s grandmother.

In the home office is a clear vase filled with big colorful bulbs used for Christmas tree lights and outdoor decorations from the collection of Jackie Piccini’s father.

“I remember seeing my dad always going through the strands of lights checking to see if any of the bulbs were burned out and there always was one or two,” Jackie Piccini said.

Nearby on a door hangs a Santa Claus face hand-made from a craft show that her mom gave her.

Preserving history, whether it’s in holiday decorations or original hardwood floors, is important to the couple.

There is a tree with needle-point ornaments and a stuffed toy owl perched on top. It sits on an ottoman in between two chairs that belonged to Fred and Joanne Rogers from their Unity summer estate that Jackie Piccini bought at an auction.

Homemade needle-point stockings by Jackie Piccini for each member of the family hang awaiting Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

On the way up the stairs is a piece of stained glass from the 1850s that has been refurbished. A tiny tree sits on a nightstand in the primary bedroom. Across the way is a ceramic village of houses and trees above one of the three fireplaces in the home.

This year’s homes represent a wide variety of architectural styles and designs, and special attention has been paid to preserve the original character of each house, said Wagner.

“This house tour is a great way to kick off the holiday season,” said Nordmann. “It gets you into the spirit. You can also be nebby.”

Organizers hope to have 800-1,000 people. There will be strolling Santa Clauses and a craft fair. The tour also features live entertainment. Proceeds benefit the Avon Club Foundation, which provides support for education, recreation, preservation and social responsibility as well as scholarships and grants in the community.

“This is such a nice neighborhood,” Joe Piccini said. “I can sit on the porch and read the paper and talk and wave to people coming by. We love this neighborhood.”

There are two tours on Dec. 2. One is from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and the other is 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $30 for the day tour and $35 for the candlelight tour. They can be picked up — or purchased if available — on tour day at the Anchor & Anvil Coffee Shop at 7221 Church Ave. and between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. at the Avonworth Historical Society at 7119 Church Ave. from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Details: theavonclub.org/house-tour.