Holiday Home ToursTour beautiful, private homes joyfully decorated for the holiday season on Health Share of St. Mary's annual Holiday Home Tours! Gather a group of friends for a fun afternoon exploring and enjoying these exceptional homes. Each residence is unique with architectural details and décor that will charm, fascinate, inform, excite, and occasionally amuse you. All tour purchases are tax deductible and 100% of proceeds benefit Health Share of St. Mary's. We wish to express our sincere gratitude to our gracious homeowners for opening their homes for the purpose of benefiting Health Share of St. Mary’s. |
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the 25th Annual holiday home tours are on december 8, 2019 from 11 am to 4 pm.
To learn about this year's homes, including where they are located, click here to view the 2019 Home Tours brochure.
2019 tickets
Tickets are also available at the following locations until 12 pm on December 7: Cedar Point Federal Credit Union, Community Bank of the Chesapeake (Leonardtown Branch), the Apple Basket, Kevin’s Corner Kafe, St. Inie’s Coffee, the Vintage Source, and Herring Creek Furniture at Cecil’s Old Mill.
Tickets may also be purchased at each house on December 8 for $10 per house.
Tickets may also be purchased at each house on December 8 for $10 per house.
2019 Home Tours
Home 1: Wharf Breeze
Built in 2018, this new home with its outside double porches, brings a little feel of Charleston to Leonardtown. Kirk and Terry Bonnevier had a vision for the property when they purchased it in 2015. The original home on the property, built in 1910, was not able to be salvaged, but when they saw the Wharf views from that old attic window, they could see the possibilities. Situated halfway down “Wharf Hill”, it allows them to walk up to town to enjoy the restaurants and shops or walk down to the water to watch the sunsets or enjoy the various events. Their transitional decorating style, taking more traditional antique pieces that have been in the family for decades and combining them with new more modern elements, gives it the feel of welcoming and warmth. The first floor is an open concept with shaker cabinets, white oak floors and elements of shiplap. Upstairs there are bedrooms for when their grandkids or other family and friends visit and a family room which opens out to the upstairs porch to the feel of the “Wharf Breeze”. Kirk, with his love of military history and aviation, has a room for his hobbies, model airplane building and military war games. Decorating for Christmas has always been magical for Kirk, Terry and their family, who have enjoyed turning their home into the “Christmas House” each year. Villages, trains, multiple trees and greenery, with a mix of old and new, are all combined to make everyone feel the excitement for the Christmas season. Kirk and Terry welcome you to their home and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Home 2: Tudor Hall
Originally part of a 1,100 acre plantation settled in 1744, Tudor Hall has been host to major figures in American history, including George Washington and Francis Scott Key, the author of our national anthem and whose family owned Tudor Hall for over 150 years. In 1820, Tudor Hall underwent a major expansion turning it into the building we see today. Though the plantation has been subdivided and the house has had several renovations and uses, including a time as the county’s first library, it retains its grandeur. Now the home of the St. Mary’s County Historical Society, Tudor Hall’s rooms hold pieces dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, including the plantation’s original 1744 deed and the original flag of St. Mary’s County. Its rooms include objects once owned by the Key family. Befitting its noble character, Tudor Hall is decorated in traditional Christmas décor both inside and out.
Home 3: Kevin's Corner Kafe
As it turns out, House #3 isn't a house at all! Kevin’s Corner Café is located on a site where a large willow tree once stood. A restaurant formerly located there was called THE WILLOWS, the name commonly used when referring to this site for the past half century. Since opening his restaurant on this historic site, Kevin Thompson has carried on the tradition of past years by providing a family friendly atmosphere and home styled cooking. For over 10 years Kevin has provided the box lunches at various home sites on our Annual Holiday Home Tour. This year tour goers are invited to stop by Kevin’s very own restaurant, admire his holiday décor and purchase lunch. (Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages available for purchase). Located directly behind the restaurant is a cottage called HALL WAY, a gift store featuring vintage merchandise for sale. Browsing through the seasonally decorated quaint cottage will surely spark your Christmas Spirit.
Home 4: Eagle Brae
Designed by Rill Architects, the Lewis home overlooks Breton Bay and Abell Creek. This Georgian Colonial was completed in 2014 and features a striking 4-story oval spiral staircase, high ceilings, and deep moldings throughout. The slate veranda on the home’s water side is a perfect place to watch the sun set, while the second and third story decks give additional vistas across the Bay. The home lovingly blends traditional and modern elements and is furnished with a mix of family antiques collected over 6 generations. Art features prominently throughout. Works include those of several renowned artists including Bjorn Egeli, Carolyn Egeli, and Bill’s uncle, Sheffield Kagy, a celebrated WPA artist and teacher at The Corcoran. The design, art, and furnishings give the home a warm, classic contemporary feel. For the holidays, the Lewis home is dressed with live greenery, poinsettia, and an array of vintage decorations. Antique German carousels and more than 40 nutcrackers collected by Ellen’s mother complement multiple Christmas trees. The 12-foot family room tree is decked with a collection of European glass ornaments and sentimental family pieces. In the sunroom, a beach-themed tree is full of sparkling starfish, mermaids, and other fanciful sea creatures. The more formal living room tree features every White House ornament ever issued. Ellen owns Crazy for Ewe, a knitting and yarn shop in downtown Leonardtown. The life-sized sheep usually on display at her store is coming home for the holidays! The Lewis family is honored to be part of the Health Share Holiday Home Tour, and they have had fun decorating for this special fundraiser. They look forward to seeing you and hope you feel most welcome in their home.
Home 5: Christmas on Little St. Anne's Lane
With an eye for environmental and financial sustainability and the motivation to “never up-size so we’ll never have to down-size,” Kerri and Jerry Frank built their 1900 square foot home on Little St. Annes Lane in 2003 to be their forever home. The custom construction is situated on the three-acre lot to take advantage of winter passive solar heating, and features geothermal heating, cooling, and hot water. The driveway remains unpaved, reducing impermeable surfaces on the property. Over the years, the broad, flat lawns and ample parking have made the Frank house the perfect setting for many family gatherings and friendly get-togethers. Minimalist principles and smart design are evident in the interior of the home as well. Bedrooms and bathrooms are small by today’s standards, while the first floor features an open, flowing floor plan combining kitchen, living, dining, and entertainment areas. A central staircase rises through the two-story living room, creating a sense of space and a natural chimney for warm air flow from the south facing windows to the second floor. Built-in cabinetry, shelving, and pocket and sliding doors mix with strategically placed heirlooms to create an inviting mix of functional vintage and modern elements. The first floor is finished in Cali-Bamboo, the lowest-VOC and most sustainably sourced hardwood available.The Franks enjoy the holidays at home every year, hosting multiple parties throughout the season. They deeply value cooking and eating with friends and family. Their thoroughly equipped kitchen is truly the heart of their home. The Frank’s herb garden, beside the kitchen entry door, features perennial rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, and annual seasonings throughout the year. Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2019, the Franks undertook planning for installation of a commemorative fruit and nut tree orchard, expanded vegetable and cutting garden, and beehives in the spring of 2020. These plantings will reduce open lawn space to the northeast of the home and provide fresh, home-grown culinary delights over the coming years.
Home 6: Christmas on Foxes Point
In the summer of 2016, winding down from forty-plus-year dual-military careers in federal and private sectors, Keith and Valerie Miller sought a forever home. They wanted a waterfront haven with an open floor plan, great kitchen, and outdoor pool. Many months of virtual and in-person work brought them to Foxes Point Lane. From the first moment crossing the threshold, they realized every other dwelling was a house, and this place was home. It was almost everything they wanted, and the finishing touches were completed by design. The Millers added entertaining spaces – a full basement build-out featuring a bar and wine room – and a pool, patio, and outdoor kitchen. After eight months, they thank the artisans and professionals of St. Mary’s County for making the Foxes Point place the home they love.
The Millers are happy to share their space where friends and family can relax and unwind. There are no exciting historic stories of this home, making it a blank slate with a promising future for family history and memories. While transitioning to full retirement, their minimalist holiday decorating reflects a feeling of warm, welcoming calm. The Millers wish all visitors a joyous holiday season, and they are thankful to contribute to the worthy work of Health Share of St Mary’s.
Home 7: O'Bay House
O’Bay House is the manifestation of a 30 year dream of living on the water. Having raised their six kids in the Breton Bay Community, Paul and Kathy O’Brien have returned to Medley’s Neck where Paul grew up on a tobacco farm just down the road on White Point. Their 15 acre farmstead is nestled under a knoll behind the expansive fields of Foxes Point. This home offers a cozy respite for the couple as well as plenty of entertaining spaces for their ever expanding family. Kathy personally designed the home, with the help of the talented local architect Dave Decker, to capture the amazing vistas. The design inspiration was to enhance the classic Cape Cod with beauty of Southern Maryland. The decor is a soothing palette of blues which allows the natural surroundings to sing. Holiday decorations are an eclectic blend of old and new, collected over the last 40 years and intended to reflect the family’s O’JOY at this special time of the year. Upon entering this Corey Alan Custom built home, you will instantly understand the philosophy of this home - a room with a view! For added fun, local artist Anna Austin will be displaying her unique textile art, including those incorporated into the O’Brien’s home.
Built in 2018, this new home with its outside double porches, brings a little feel of Charleston to Leonardtown. Kirk and Terry Bonnevier had a vision for the property when they purchased it in 2015. The original home on the property, built in 1910, was not able to be salvaged, but when they saw the Wharf views from that old attic window, they could see the possibilities. Situated halfway down “Wharf Hill”, it allows them to walk up to town to enjoy the restaurants and shops or walk down to the water to watch the sunsets or enjoy the various events. Their transitional decorating style, taking more traditional antique pieces that have been in the family for decades and combining them with new more modern elements, gives it the feel of welcoming and warmth. The first floor is an open concept with shaker cabinets, white oak floors and elements of shiplap. Upstairs there are bedrooms for when their grandkids or other family and friends visit and a family room which opens out to the upstairs porch to the feel of the “Wharf Breeze”. Kirk, with his love of military history and aviation, has a room for his hobbies, model airplane building and military war games. Decorating for Christmas has always been magical for Kirk, Terry and their family, who have enjoyed turning their home into the “Christmas House” each year. Villages, trains, multiple trees and greenery, with a mix of old and new, are all combined to make everyone feel the excitement for the Christmas season. Kirk and Terry welcome you to their home and wish you all a very Merry Christmas!
Home 2: Tudor Hall
Originally part of a 1,100 acre plantation settled in 1744, Tudor Hall has been host to major figures in American history, including George Washington and Francis Scott Key, the author of our national anthem and whose family owned Tudor Hall for over 150 years. In 1820, Tudor Hall underwent a major expansion turning it into the building we see today. Though the plantation has been subdivided and the house has had several renovations and uses, including a time as the county’s first library, it retains its grandeur. Now the home of the St. Mary’s County Historical Society, Tudor Hall’s rooms hold pieces dating from the 18th and 19th centuries, including the plantation’s original 1744 deed and the original flag of St. Mary’s County. Its rooms include objects once owned by the Key family. Befitting its noble character, Tudor Hall is decorated in traditional Christmas décor both inside and out.
Home 3: Kevin's Corner Kafe
As it turns out, House #3 isn't a house at all! Kevin’s Corner Café is located on a site where a large willow tree once stood. A restaurant formerly located there was called THE WILLOWS, the name commonly used when referring to this site for the past half century. Since opening his restaurant on this historic site, Kevin Thompson has carried on the tradition of past years by providing a family friendly atmosphere and home styled cooking. For over 10 years Kevin has provided the box lunches at various home sites on our Annual Holiday Home Tour. This year tour goers are invited to stop by Kevin’s very own restaurant, admire his holiday décor and purchase lunch. (Alcoholic and non alcoholic beverages available for purchase). Located directly behind the restaurant is a cottage called HALL WAY, a gift store featuring vintage merchandise for sale. Browsing through the seasonally decorated quaint cottage will surely spark your Christmas Spirit.
Home 4: Eagle Brae
Designed by Rill Architects, the Lewis home overlooks Breton Bay and Abell Creek. This Georgian Colonial was completed in 2014 and features a striking 4-story oval spiral staircase, high ceilings, and deep moldings throughout. The slate veranda on the home’s water side is a perfect place to watch the sun set, while the second and third story decks give additional vistas across the Bay. The home lovingly blends traditional and modern elements and is furnished with a mix of family antiques collected over 6 generations. Art features prominently throughout. Works include those of several renowned artists including Bjorn Egeli, Carolyn Egeli, and Bill’s uncle, Sheffield Kagy, a celebrated WPA artist and teacher at The Corcoran. The design, art, and furnishings give the home a warm, classic contemporary feel. For the holidays, the Lewis home is dressed with live greenery, poinsettia, and an array of vintage decorations. Antique German carousels and more than 40 nutcrackers collected by Ellen’s mother complement multiple Christmas trees. The 12-foot family room tree is decked with a collection of European glass ornaments and sentimental family pieces. In the sunroom, a beach-themed tree is full of sparkling starfish, mermaids, and other fanciful sea creatures. The more formal living room tree features every White House ornament ever issued. Ellen owns Crazy for Ewe, a knitting and yarn shop in downtown Leonardtown. The life-sized sheep usually on display at her store is coming home for the holidays! The Lewis family is honored to be part of the Health Share Holiday Home Tour, and they have had fun decorating for this special fundraiser. They look forward to seeing you and hope you feel most welcome in their home.
Home 5: Christmas on Little St. Anne's Lane
With an eye for environmental and financial sustainability and the motivation to “never up-size so we’ll never have to down-size,” Kerri and Jerry Frank built their 1900 square foot home on Little St. Annes Lane in 2003 to be their forever home. The custom construction is situated on the three-acre lot to take advantage of winter passive solar heating, and features geothermal heating, cooling, and hot water. The driveway remains unpaved, reducing impermeable surfaces on the property. Over the years, the broad, flat lawns and ample parking have made the Frank house the perfect setting for many family gatherings and friendly get-togethers. Minimalist principles and smart design are evident in the interior of the home as well. Bedrooms and bathrooms are small by today’s standards, while the first floor features an open, flowing floor plan combining kitchen, living, dining, and entertainment areas. A central staircase rises through the two-story living room, creating a sense of space and a natural chimney for warm air flow from the south facing windows to the second floor. Built-in cabinetry, shelving, and pocket and sliding doors mix with strategically placed heirlooms to create an inviting mix of functional vintage and modern elements. The first floor is finished in Cali-Bamboo, the lowest-VOC and most sustainably sourced hardwood available.The Franks enjoy the holidays at home every year, hosting multiple parties throughout the season. They deeply value cooking and eating with friends and family. Their thoroughly equipped kitchen is truly the heart of their home. The Frank’s herb garden, beside the kitchen entry door, features perennial rosemary, sage, thyme, oregano, and annual seasonings throughout the year. Celebrating their 25th anniversary in 2019, the Franks undertook planning for installation of a commemorative fruit and nut tree orchard, expanded vegetable and cutting garden, and beehives in the spring of 2020. These plantings will reduce open lawn space to the northeast of the home and provide fresh, home-grown culinary delights over the coming years.
Home 6: Christmas on Foxes Point
In the summer of 2016, winding down from forty-plus-year dual-military careers in federal and private sectors, Keith and Valerie Miller sought a forever home. They wanted a waterfront haven with an open floor plan, great kitchen, and outdoor pool. Many months of virtual and in-person work brought them to Foxes Point Lane. From the first moment crossing the threshold, they realized every other dwelling was a house, and this place was home. It was almost everything they wanted, and the finishing touches were completed by design. The Millers added entertaining spaces – a full basement build-out featuring a bar and wine room – and a pool, patio, and outdoor kitchen. After eight months, they thank the artisans and professionals of St. Mary’s County for making the Foxes Point place the home they love.
The Millers are happy to share their space where friends and family can relax and unwind. There are no exciting historic stories of this home, making it a blank slate with a promising future for family history and memories. While transitioning to full retirement, their minimalist holiday decorating reflects a feeling of warm, welcoming calm. The Millers wish all visitors a joyous holiday season, and they are thankful to contribute to the worthy work of Health Share of St Mary’s.
Home 7: O'Bay House
O’Bay House is the manifestation of a 30 year dream of living on the water. Having raised their six kids in the Breton Bay Community, Paul and Kathy O’Brien have returned to Medley’s Neck where Paul grew up on a tobacco farm just down the road on White Point. Their 15 acre farmstead is nestled under a knoll behind the expansive fields of Foxes Point. This home offers a cozy respite for the couple as well as plenty of entertaining spaces for their ever expanding family. Kathy personally designed the home, with the help of the talented local architect Dave Decker, to capture the amazing vistas. The design inspiration was to enhance the classic Cape Cod with beauty of Southern Maryland. The decor is a soothing palette of blues which allows the natural surroundings to sing. Holiday decorations are an eclectic blend of old and new, collected over the last 40 years and intended to reflect the family’s O’JOY at this special time of the year. Upon entering this Corey Alan Custom built home, you will instantly understand the philosophy of this home - a room with a view! For added fun, local artist Anna Austin will be displaying her unique textile art, including those incorporated into the O’Brien’s home.