Six residents of West Mt. Airy opened their homes to the public on Oct. 19 for the second annual West Mt. Airy Historic House Tour.

Organized by West Mt. Airy Neighbors (WMAN) and the Mt. Airy Learning Tree (MALT), the self-guided tour began at 30 Pelham Road and continued to six homes selected by WMAN’s Historic Preservation Committee.

“We drive by these homes every day. Our neighbors own them, or they’re down the block,” said Janet Gala, MALT’s executive director. “They’re fascinating, beautiful properties – and we get to cherish them and see the inside as well as appreciate the outside.”

On view were diverse architecturally historic homes built from the 1890s to the 1920s, in styles from Jacobean to Colonial. Adrienne Carpenter, chair of the Historic Preservation Committee, hopes the tour helped people connect with their neighborhood.

“We know we have neighbors, but events like this create community spirit. Especially at a time when we need that,” Carpenter said.

Owners opened their homes not only to visitors, but also hosted trained docents.

In addition to nurturing interpersonal relationships, Carpenter hopes the tour fostered visitors’ personal connection with West Mt. Airy. Ultimately, she said, that’s the point of historical preservation.

“We want to identify, protect and preserve the nuances that make the character of our community,” she said.

Architecture can define a block, neighborhood, or city’s personality, which is why Carpenter feels it’s important to give resources to understanding and preserving historical homes.

When selecting homes, the committee looked for places that showed the development of West Mt. Airy’s aesthetic character. It’s all in the details: Indiana limestone trim, symmetrical facades, dormer windows, woodwork, fireplaces. Multiple prominent architects of the time, such as Horace Trumbauer and William Price, converged in the area. Trumbauer is best remembered for his work locally helping design the Philadelphia Art Museum. Price was a well-known residential Philadelphia architect. And yet, despite this diversity, Carpenter said it works.

“Even though each of these architects had a different style, you see the cohesiveness within the neighborhood,” she said.

This year, Gala said the tour was poised to be even bigger than prior years. In a survey conducted by MALT last year, 95% of participants said they would return. In addition to all the visitors, multiple homeowners and more than 40 volunteers worked to make the event possible. Gala encouraged attendees to make the event a day out in Mt. Airy.

“Come early, go to the coffee shops, have lunch in a restaurant. There’s a lot of beautiful places to go,” she said. “It’s just a super day to celebrate the neighborhood and learn something new.”