On this coming Saturday, June 10, the event, “Evolving Landscapes of Fincastle,” will showcase the historic town of Fincastle via a unique walking and inside sites visit tour.
As of early this week, approximately 65 individuals are expected to participate, and registrations may be made through Thursday, June 8. Registered attendees are from Botetourt County, Alleghany and Augusta Counties, Blacksburg, Salem, Roanoke and Lexington.
The tour is being co-hosted by Mountain Valley Preservation Alliance Inc. and Historic Fincastle Inc. Transportation will be available between sites for those who prefer not to walk, and a box lunch from Heritage Family Market in Fincastle is included in the registration fee. Seven buildings are featured on the tour and represent different periods and styles of architecture from the 1700s through the 20th century. They are the Botetourt Courthouse, Wysong Blacksmith Shop, Price House, Godwin Cottage, Fincastle Presbyterian Church, and the Early Cabin and Peck Cottage.
Tour guides and owners are readying themselves to welcome and host visitors. Peck Cottage owner Sarah Meadows has worked extensively since 2013 to restore her late 1700s home in a way that preserves its historic charm and simplicity. She has used color schemes and décor in keeping with the period that includes Early American and English antiques and furnishings. She has also tended existing perennial flower beds, as well as creating new ones, with hundreds of plants typically found in cottage gardens. She states, “A visit to Peck Cottage is like turning the hands of time back a couple of centuries.”
For those who have already registered, “check-in” will begin at 9:45 a.m. at the Botetourt Courthouse where the tour will begin. For those not yet registered, forms may be downloaded from these websites: www.hisfin.org; http://mountainvalleypreservation.org. Cost is $25 for MVPA or HFI members, $30 non-members, $12 for children age 12+. For information, contact Peggy Crosson, 540-354-9698.