ThisWeek Community Newspapers

The Schumacher Place House and Garden Tour, scheduled for June 9, carries the theme "Past and Present," but it just as easily could have been called "Past, Present and Future."

In addition to allowing visitors in to enjoy the charm and character of century-old homes, the tour gives a glimpse of how the neighborhood might look in the upcoming decades.

Two homes on Stanley Street, just a block north of the neighborhood's southern border, are being entirely renovated and two more will be plugged into empty lots in a little strip close to Parsons Avenue.

Eric Gledhill, a 10-year Schumacher Place resident, is behind the project.

"One reason we're here is that as Columbus grows, the interior of the city will grow," he said, adding that the city government's interest in the old South Side neighborhoods is contributing to their revitalization.

He pointed to things little and big -- trees the city planted along Stanley, and its purchase of the old Schottenstein's property on Parsons.

"Especially in the past three years, the pace of rehabbing the neighborhoods has accelerated," he said. "We're starting to see new builds ... and there is a lot of potential."

Last week, he gave a tour of a Stanley Street home which has been entirely renovated and will be featured on the House and Garden Tour.

"Old homes seem to be a lot of little boxes (inside)," he said of the 1915-vintage house. "I tried to open up the space."

The two-story house now is bright and open, with light wood and paint throughout. Gledhill removed two doors that used to flank an old fireplace, integrating the living and dining areas.

He said he tried to create a condominium feel in the house, with clean lines and simple finishes.

"With these houses, we're trying to target those who like the condo finish but care more about having a yard than those who choose to live downtown," he said.

A house on the tour that exemplifies the past with modern, present-day touches, is a Forest Street home owned by Troy Fabish.

"You can't buy character," he said, explaining why he likes his 107-year-old home so much.

"The original woodwork is all here," he pointed out.

Fabish has owned the home for five years, and extensive work had been done before he bought it.

But he refreshed the kitchen with new paint and door knobs, and the decor is all his own.

"I'm a modern person but the house is old," he said, explaining the juxtaposition of an ornate Spanish fireplace screen with the clean lines of his furniture.

The first floor of his home will be on the tour, but the focus is on his gardens. He has augmented the fountain and brick patio and walkway that were already there with a wide variety of trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals.

Prickly pear, yucca and other succulents live in harmony with ginkgo, magnolia, dogwood and Japanese maple trees. He grows peonies, vinca and impatiens, ornamental rye grass and various evergreens for winter color.

Adding interest is the invasive bamboo, which is here and there and has to be kept in check.

"The bamboo was already here; I tell people not to plant it," he said, pulling up a couple of little shoots near his foundation.

The Gledhill and Fabish houses are among eight properties on the tour, which will be June 9, 6-8 p.m.

Organizers say the tour features a little of everything, from older homes, newer gardens, apartments and Gledhill's revitalization project.

Tickets are now on sale at Village Coney and German Village Vet Supply, both located on Whittier Street. Tickets are $20 if purchased in advance, and $25 on the day of the event.

The tour will start at the Sycamore Condominiums, at the corner of Sycamore and Grant streets; maps of the properties will be available then.

Afterward, attendees are welcome to join the after-party; tickets are $20 and must purchased by June 7.

For more information on the party or the tour, call Linda Welch at 445-0171.