Walk into One of Larchmont's Historic Homes

Have you ever walked or driven by dream houses in Larchmont's Manor neighborhood and wondered what it would be like to live in one of them?

You can find out on Sunday April 25, when you're invited inside five of the Manor's finest by joining the Larchmont Historical Society house tour.

Called "Tapestry," this is their 27^th tour, but it's also a "first" in the sense that no two houses are in the same style.

"For as long as we can remember, we've never before covered the history of Larchmont in this representative way," says Colette Rodbell, Larchmont Historical Society president. "As the name 'Tapestry' suggests, the homes were chosen to reflect a variety of different architectural styles prominent in the Larchmont community."

The house styles include Queen Anne, Spanish Colonial Revival, Tudor Revival, Italian Renaissance and Colonial Revival.

The earliest house in the tour is at 118 Park Avenue, adjacent to Manor Park. The three-story Victorian is in the Queen Anne style, built in 1892 as a summer cottage. The house reflects of a time when Larchmont was primarily a summer community for New York City's wealthy.

The next four homes typify the romanticism of the first quarter of the 1900s. As can be seen throughout Larchmont, a variety of styles, particularly revivals, were built and co-existed at this time.

Alongside Flint Park is 1 Locust Avenue, a 1922 Spanish Colonial Revival in a classic muted terracotta-rose color. Interiors include preservation details as well as décor with Mediterranean and Middle Eastern influences. A Moorish-style family room features carved latticework called "mashrabiya."

Next are two houses on Pryer Lane.

At 8 Pryer Lane is a Tudor Revival, built around 1907, that's a forerunner in several ways. "It predates by one or two decades the period in which most Tudor-style houses in the community were built," writes LHS member Susan Emery. It's also one of the first year-round residences to have been built. The house includes a Tudor-style boathouse.

Experience the feeling of an Italian villa at 6 Pryer Lane. Built in 1930, it's an example of Italian Renaissance. Interior details are reportedly so grand "they're more in keeping with a palazzo." Preserved interior details include marble floors, a dramatic staircase, and an elaborately coffered plaster ceiling in the dining room.

The tour concludes—or begins, depending on your personal design—at 18 Wildwood Circle, a 1925 Colonial Revival typical of many homes throughout Larchmont. It was the first home of Rudolph Schaefer Jr. The Schaefer family had a prominent role in the development of Larchmont and the Larchmont Yacht Club. Notable features are the wide Dutch door and period elements such as wide floorboards and a living room fireplace reminiscent of  18^th century New England design.

The tour runs from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., with a reception following at the Mamaroneck Artists Guild from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. Tickets are $40; $35 for LHS members. Advance ticket purchase is recommended. Tickets can be purchased through Saturday at Coldwell Banker, Houlihan Lawrence, Sotheby's and Weichert realtors in Larchmont. During the tour, tickets can be purchased at a table set up at the corner of Grove and Park avenues at Manor Park.

For online ticket purchases and more information, go to larchmonthistory.org.