Crestwood
Civic Club
Home
tours showcase
Crestwoods beautiful residences
Event
has generated money for club
since tour began in 1988
By
Helen E. McKinney
Contributing Writer
CRESTWOOD, Ky. (November 2004) In existence for
90 years, the Crestwood Civic Club has strived to better the Crestwood
community. Formed on Nov. 20, 1914, by a group of 16 women, the clubs
initial goals are still being met by its present members.
Their longevity is a testimony to their persistence and dedication,
said member Dianne Stoess. The women who started it were devoted
to bettering their community and this spirit has carried on until this
day, she said. Theyve done a lot of good. The early
members helped make the community what it is today.
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Photo
provided
Crestwood
Civic Club home.
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One way theyve done so is through the proceeds of
their annual Holiday Home Tour and Luncheon. Since 1988, this tour has
been a popular fund raiser. Proceeds go toward a four-year scholarship
program. The club also clothes needy children in the community at Christmas
and in August before school starts, said 37-year member Carla Jones.
Each year, members suggest a home owner they know to be a part of the
home tour. We like to have old homes on the tour, said Jones,
but this is not a requirement.
This is evidenced by the first home on the tour, which is only two and
a half years old. Lori and Howard Ferriells home in Pewee Valley
rests on what was originally a 40-acre farm owned by Mary Crane. The
farm contained the Rest Cottage, a haven for the sick in Louisville
to visit while recuperating.
Today, the 3.87 acres the Ferriells own has become their own haven.
Through Howard Ferriell's business, Bramer Ferriell Inc., the couple
purchased the land and developed it.
The original house was beyond repair, said Lori. The couple
did manage to salvage two mantels from the house before it was demolished
and placed them in their living room and great room.
Since Howard is a builder and developer, the couple designed and built
much of additions themselves. We both like older homes,
said Lori. Older homes have a lot of character.
They took the idea of larger rooms and high ceilings from older homes
and incorporated it into their modern house.
They garnered ideas from the many homes Howard has built over the years.
The front elevation has a French country look to it, said
Lori. This makes the house appear older than it really is. Stone and
cedar shake siding are two materials used on the exterior of the home.
The kitchen is my favorite part, said Lori. This open area
has a real warm feel to it, she said. Good friend, Anne Estes, did the
faux finishes. The eat-in kitchen area is where the family usually congregates.
The Ferriells 13-year-old daughter is a budding artist who has
painted a mural on her bedroom wall. It is a caricature of a beach scene.
Pin Oak Place, the second home on the Holiday Tour, is at the end of
a shady drive known as Rest Cottage Lane. In 1889-1940, the land contained
Jennie Cassadays Rest Cottage and later Miss Mary Cranes
nursing home.
Secluded by natural growth, the home was built in 2002 by Geri and Stan
Fitch. Built on over four acres, the Fitch home includes four bedrooms,
a finished basement and a sports bar with an extensive NASCAR collection.
Next on the tour is the Little Colonel Playhouse at 302 Mt. Mercy Dr.,
Pewee Valley. The Little Colonel Players Inc. was incorporated in 1956,
and members met on the second floor of the current playhouse, which
at the time was the Masonic Lodge Hall.
The players purchased the building in 1969 for a permanent home.
Jones said the Playhouse was chosen for the home tour to add more interesting
spots to the tour, and because of its long history in the community.
The small stage where actors perform and their costume rooms can be
viewed while on the tour.
The last stop on the tour is the newly opened Oldham County Arts Center
at 7105 Floydsburg Rd. In 2001, the Crestwood Baptist Church sold this
property to the Oldham County Board of Education for use as an arts
center. Funded by Oldham County Fiscal Court and Dynegy Inc., the center
provides a multipurpose facility for the county and school system.
The building itself has a long history, said Jones. The Crestwood Baptist
Church began in 1873 when 27 Baptists who had been meeting in the Methodist
Church decided to organize a church and erect their own building. Originally
known as Pewee Valley Baptist Church, the first church was erected near
Beards Station, close to the present site.
By August 1909, church members voted to move closer to Beards
Station and purchased three acres on Floydsburg Road for $600. With
the name change of Beards Station to Crestwood in 1910, the church
also changed its name to Crestwood Baptist Church.
Since 1994, the church had doubled in attendance and a new location
was found for a much larger facility on Sweet Bay Drive in Crestwood.
The church moved in December 2003, and the Oldham County Arts Center
later moved into the old facility.
The Crestwood Civic Club is the starting point for the tour,
scheduled from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Nov. 19. Brochures can be picked
up at the club, which contain a map directing the public to the home
sites. Tickets are $15 and two luncheon times are set for 11 a.m. and
12:30 p.m. For ticket information, call Ann Murner at (502) 241-5971.
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