For about a year, I lived in downtown Sarasota, near the historic Burns Court area. Each day, I'd walk my dog in the charming, residential neighborhood of Laurel Park. But I never got bored with the scenery. It seemed that around every corner, there was another beautiful, interesting house to see, and then another, and another. I only wished I could see what they looked like on the inside.

Especially this one bungalow, painted rustic green with a lighter green and orange trim, a tin roof and a red brick chimney. I passed it almost every day, and I had a feeling that its interior would be just as adorable as its exterior. It turns out I was right. I got to preview the house, which is part of this year's Historic Homes Tour, scheduled for 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday, March 5.

The tour, in its 16th consecutive year, is put on by the Sarasota Alliance for Historic Preservation. It's the alliance's major annual fundraiser. It's also a wonderful opportunity for

Bungalows like this intricately-painted gem welcome visitors along the Historic Homes Tour

members of the public to see the featured homes - inside and out - and to learn their stories.

Typically, the tour includes a half-dozen homes. Each year, there's a different theme, like "The Roaring 20s" for the 2003 tour, which highlighted homes built in the mid-1920s, during Sarasota's building boom. In the past, tours have included houses in several different neighborhoods, meaning that tour participants had to drive from house to house.

This year, the theme is Laurel Park, and all the homes are within a few short blocks of each other. David Jennings, the president of the alliance and also the co-chair of the tour, said the most popular tours in the past have been those that allowed participants to easily walk from one house to the next. People like to "get out of the car and stay out of the car," Jennings said.

Interestingly, Jennings became involved with the alliance after his home was included in the 1999 tour. He said some 600 people do the circuit each year, and that many actually time their vacations to Sarasota around the event.

"We've learned, over the years, that snowbirds and vacationers tend to visit around the tour," he said.

Tickets cost $20 per person and can be purchased ahead of time at the Sarasota County History Center, located at 701 N. Tamiami Trl. Other locations will be announced closer to the tour date. You can also buy tickets the day of the event, at the first house you visit.

Tickets come with a brochure (it's really more like a glossy magazine), which contains profiles of each home, addresses and maps. Parking will be available on the street, and at other locations yet to be announced. Call the number below closer to the date for the locations.

Typically, groups of six to 12 are sent through a house at once. Several alliance volunteers will be stationed at each home to provide information on the structure's architecture, history, furnishings and even artwork. A volunteer will be stationed in each room that's open to visitors. In some homes, especially those with pine floors, participants might be asked to wear surgical booties over their shoes to keep the floors from being scuffed.

In the case of the home I previewed, located at 1716 Oak St. and called the Ella Dulla Westermann Tenant House, the alliance volunteers will likely point out the original casement windows, the seven-and-a-half-inch-high baseboards, the wainscoting in the bathroom, the pine floors and the 1920 "pocket" door, which slides into a wall to allow passage. Built circa 1927, the craftsman-style bungalow has been designated historic by the city of Sarasota.

The tour guides will also likely point out this home's unique additions. A few months ago, the owner enlarged the kitchen, located in the back of the house, and added an adjacent bedroom and bathroom. Currently, a garage with an artist's studio on top is being constructed as a free-standing structure behind the house. Ed Norman, a foreman with Ball Construction whose expertise is in restoring historic homes, is handling both additions, which are exceptionally in-keeping with the original structure.

For more information on the tour, call the alliance at 941-953-8727.

Originally posted 1/4/06