Victorian house included in Tour of Homes

A great surviving example of Victorian architecture will be included in the Tour of Homes, part of the Downtown Trenton Committee’s celebration of Hometown Christmas.

Wally and Katey Vernon currently own the historic home at 600 South High Street in Trenton. They purchased it in 2009 and were lucky enough to buy some of the furnishings that were in the home in the 1930s.

The house was build and deeded to Mamie Taylor, wife of D.C. Taylor in March of 1906. That’s also the first year of operation of DC Taylor and Company located at 120 High St. Mrs. Taylor owned the home until 1926 when she sold it to W.W. Howse. The Howse family owned the home for nine years, selling it in December 1935 to D.O. Nowell.

The Nowell family made the house their home for over 50 years. According to the family, there was at least one wedding held there, and many of life’s milestones celebrated. The house was sold to Lloyd and Edith Saxsma in 1987.

According to local lore, the Saxsma family spent 20 years painstakingly renovating the house. During their ownership, the entire house was renovated as only an owner with years of construction experience like Lloyd Saxsma could.

Tour the Vernons’ home at 600 S. High St. as well as 403 S. College, 711 S. High, and 508 S. High streets during the Hometown Christmas Tour of Homes on Sunday, Dec. 8, 2-4 p.m. Refreshments will be provided at the Teapot Museum and Gibson County Courthouse. Roosevelt Hall will have sales vendors set up.

Tickets are $20 and are available at City Hall, the Greater Gibson County Area Chamber of Commerce, and from any Downtown Trenton Committee member.