In my two-year stint here in Norfolk I have never really had an overwhelming desire to venture off and discover all that the other six cities have to offer.

360 Crawford, home of Portsmouth General Hospital Foundation

I’m not even sure which interstate 64 one would take to get to some of the surrounding cities. I mean, honestly, how the hell do you get to Chesapeake? Currently I live in Ghent, and it offers everything a girl could want; close proximity to the mall, a variety of bars, and walking distance to my job. So I haven’t had any real reason to jet off and discover the rest of this expansive area, but I may have to change my tune considering what I stumbled upon this weekend.

I made it over to Portsmouth Saturday afternoon–yeah that’s right, P-town–to catch the 2009 Olde Towne Candlelight Home tour. By then, I’d missed the illuminated tour, which was held Friday night, but I figured better late than never. On the ride over I prayed that I would not be bombarded with tattered hoop skirts, butter churning and reenactment gear at every turn.

Once I reached Olde Towne I enjoyed the view of downtown Norfolk, one I had never seen–and made my way to 360 Crawford Street; the home of Portsmouth General Hospital Foundation, one of the event’s sponsors. I wanted to get a little background information about the organization and what I was in store for, so I sat down with the Foundation’s CEO Alan E. Gollihue. Before I even mentioned that I was there to do a story on the tour, he sat me down in his office and entertained me with a story about the restoration of a mantle he’d found. You can tell Gollihue really loves his job–he greeted every visitor with a smile, handshake and a laugh. I was no different; a few laughs later we were admiring some of the interesting pieces of art and architectural details throughout the “philanthropic headquarters”, as he referred to it.

So far so good: no hoop skirts.

On the tour I would be making five stops around Olde Towne Portsmouth, mostly on Crawford, North and Middle Streets. Two, in particular, stuck out to me as the most memorable and extraordinary.

413 Middle St, the Burgess House.

413 Middle Street has the aura of a live-in museum, everything placed, hung, and preserved to perfection. The winter wonderland Christmas tree adorned with Christmas cards from the early 1900s and the soft playing of the harp set the mood for this trek back into time. I had the pleasure of meeting the homeowner, Mr. Burgess, whose history and acclamations are far too vast to list here. He showed me around and told me the short version of his family history and of the house. Before retiring to the second floor, he showed me a small framed letter; a letter of thanks signed by President Abraham Lincoln, an old family friend. That was one of many little treasures throughout the house that put a smile of disbelief on my face.

480 Middle Street, on the other hand, has the facade of a historical gem, but on the inside is a modern art junkie’s dream. The supposed headquarters of Benedict Arnold, it now poses as the unofficial showroom of Leslie Folksman and others. I caught Chris Jenks, the homeowner, carrying his elderly cat upstairs where he encouraged me to check out the master bathroom. I could hear the oooh’s and aaaah’s before I even got there. Equipped with a fully functional sauna and a very complex-looking steam shower, it put my own little shower head at home to shame. Gabriella Jenks houses her yoga studio on the second floor; a quiet and calming space to practice her craft. In all, this house was visually stimulating, yet cozy, with an organic feeling to it.

The end of the tour took me back to Mr. Gollihue, who I had few questions for. For instance, what do events like this mean to the city?

“[People] want to see what Olde Towne is all about,” he said. “Events like this help answer the questions about living in a restored neighborhood. No multimillionaires here. Just people with a passion for restoration and history.”

Gabrielle Gerard...

...in her home/yoga studio, 480 Middle St.

When I likened it then to my own neighborhood of Ghent, Gollihue was quick to respond, “No, Ghent is a lot like us. We’re older!”

Before I had a chance to ask more, we were interrupted by a dental hygienist who evidently has ties to Gollihue’s family in another state. Quite an unexpected reunion of sorts. And with that Gollihue looked at me and said, “That’s what P-town is all about.”

Certainly Gollihue and these local Portsmouth residents who had opened their homes for this annual tour, had really shown me what Olde Towne Portsmouth is all about: Good people, and good times. And they sparked a bit of curiosity in me so that I am now ready to see just what else these seven cities have to offer.

If you missed the holiday tour, the Olde Towne Foundation also sponsors a Garden Tour in the spring and a Ghost Tour around Halloween. Visit their website, oldetownefoundation.org, to find more. And for more information on walking tours throughout the year, check out the city’s tourism page, visitportsva.com.