St. Elmo is celebrating 125 years as a community Dec. 11 with a tour of homes and holiday market to showcase the neighborhood’s artistic talents, historic homes and friendly neighbors.
“The tour of homes is a wonderful opportunity to personally witness the resurrection of the St. Elmo community,” said Rebekah Marr, Community Association of Historic St. Elmo president. “Most of our homes were built between 1885 and 1930 and the restorations have remained true to the Victorian and Craftsman periods to which the houses belong. However, the tour offers more than just a chance to see magnificent renovations; it also allows you to step back in time and learn the history of the St. Elmo community and its place in Chattanooga’s story.”
Pasha Coffee & Tea barista Jonathan Nichols and baker Dawn Gibson will be offering free tastes of three different coffees during the Holiday Open House hosted by St. Elmo merchants.Tours will run from 2 to 6 p.m. and tickets cost $12 per person, $20 per couple or $25 per family. The Lookout Trolley will take participants from the free parking available at the Incline Railway past the most historic sites in St. Elmo.
“If there is one house that stands out from the rest on the tour, it is the Deaton’s house at 4411 St. Elmo Avenue,” Marr said. “Just a few years ago, this beautiful Victorian home that had been converted to apartments was caving in and rotting. The Deatons transformed the home to its original splendor and is one of the best examples of St. Elmo’s revitalization efforts.”
Two new stops include the Fair Trade Market hosted by St. Elmo Presbyterian from 2 to 6 p.m. and the St. Elmo Fire Hall, site of the first St. Elmo Holiday Market, which will be open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tour tickets are not required for admittance to the fair trade and holiday markets.
“[The Holiday Market] is going to be like a pop-up boutique sale, with people in a corner with a nook and a shelf,” said Emerson Burch, general manager of Artisant Homes, which donated the fire hall space for the event. “It’s a more intimate setting for the crafters and artists to interact with the customers and one another. I also hoped this event would inspire other people to think of other good community events to host at the fire hall.”
Emerson said all the booths are already reserved and there will be more than 20 local artists and crafters in attendance, filling the fire hall’s bay and upstairs office space. Handmade pottery, greeting cards, stationery, handcrafted wood products, fabric goods, chocolate, paintings, prints and holiday decorations are only a few of the items available at the market.
“It’s a way to engage St. Elmo with the arts and hopefully give public awareness to the importance of art,” he said.
Following the Holiday Market, many of St. Elmo’s merchants will host an open house event from 6 to 8 p.m., coinciding with the St. Elmo Christmas light contest, with a $1 trolley ride through the neighborhood to see the lights.