1 of 3
2 of 3
3 of 3
Bartholomew Studio
Durham Collection - Rieglesville
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) announced today that its annual Rooms to View House & Garden Tour will expand into upper Bucks County for the first time in the event's 34-year history. The two-day event kicks off with a Friday evening Preview Party on June 5, followed by a self-guided open-house tour on Saturday, June 6, stretching from its established Bethlehem and Lehigh Valley neighborhoods into the Durham and Riegelsville area. Attendees will gain access to a cluster of privately owned historic properties that are rarely, if ever, open to the public.
Inside Bucks County: A General Store and a Historic Mill
Among the new Bucks County stops, tour-goers will step inside the Durham General Store, a private property long known in the area as the “Old General Store that has not previously been open for public tours. Nearby, the Durham Furnace and Mill, a site with roots stretching back to the 1700s, will be staffed by interpreters ready to bring the story of the area's industrial heritage and ties to the American Revolution to life.
"This is the most geographically ambitious Rooms to View we've ever organized," said Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites CEO LoriAnn Wukitsch. "The Durham and Riegelsville corridor is full of extraordinary history, and we're proud to give people a reason, and a ticket, to explore it."
The Bethlehem Properties: Mid-Century Modern to 1810 Creek-Side Renovation
The Bethlehem portion of the tour is equally compelling. This year's lineup includes a mid-century masterpiece, a circa 1810 home along the Monocacy Creek that has been sensitively renovated, and the home and studio of Nancy Bossert, a well-known artist whose spaces incorporate her multimedia works. At this the artist’s property, guests can stroll her decorated rooms, view multimedia works and watch plein air artists at work in the garden.
All properties are self-guided and open from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. on Saturday. The Durham properties are approximately 25 minutes from downtown Bethlehem, with parking available to visit three locations in one stop.
Preview Party: An Evening at a Saucon Valley Estate with Live Music
The weekend opens Friday evening with a Preview Party at the home of Martin Guitar executive chairman Christian F. Martin IV, set overlooking the 13th fairway of Saucon Valley Country Club's Weyhill Golf Course. The evening features a catered reception and a live performance by acclaimed Martin Guitar artist Craig Thatcher. Preview Party tickets, priced at $160, include Saturday tour admission, an entry into a raffle for a Martin Guitar instrument and complimentary admission to the Martin Guitar Museum.
Tickets and Additional Programming
Saturday open-house tour tickets are $50 for the public and $40 for HBMS members. All tickets are available at historicbethlehem.org. Ticketholders also receive free admission to two design workshops prior to Rooms to View and the new Inspiration Fair, taking place Thursday, June 11, from 4-8 p.m. at the Luckenbach Mill in Bethlehem. For more information and tickets, visit historicbethlehem.org.