76th Annual Historic House Tour Tickets Now on Sale, Eight Homes on North Columbus Featured

The Twig, the Junior Auxiliary of Inova Alexandria Hospital, will hold its 76th Annual Historic Alexandria Homes Tour on September 23 from 10 am to 3 pm in Old Town. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about the history and design of eight unique homes and gardens, all located on North Columbus Street and within easy walking distance of each other.

The buildings on display date from the turn of the 19th century to the present. Current uses of the homes show how to retain historic essence while modernizing, living easily in a small space, and experiencing the joys of living green. Here are some of the tour highlights:

· A condo in a historic landmark built in 1812 that was the first female free school in America, and was then used as a first floor stable and a second floor hospital during the Civil War.

· The elegant home of a Corcoran-trained painter that is filled with her amazing and realistic landscapes and portraits of animals and people.

· A rooftop garden filtration system that turns rain into potable water and sits on top of a home heated and cooled by a subterranean system. The architect/builder will be on site to discuss these features during the tour.

· The ingenuity of features created from industrial equipment, such as a lift made into an end table, in a large Romanesque home designed and built by the prominent Alexandria architect, Glenn Brown.

· A garden where a large tree that came down in a storm has been cleverly replaced by metal trees crafted by the owner to retain privacy and muffle sound.

All proceeds from the tour benefit Inova Alexandria Hospital. Tickets are available beginning August 8 either online, TheTwig.org, or at the Ramsay House Visitor Center; price is $40 in advance or $45 the day of the tour. On tour day, exchange your tickets for the tour book and map either at the Twig Shop, 106 N. Columbus Street, or at Ramsay House.

The Twig is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to providing financial aid and support to Inova Alexandria Hospital. Since its founding in 1933, The Twig has donated nearly $4 million to the Hospital.