Porch visiting a Southern thing

Leila Barrett Case

May 03, 2008 11:57 pm

— May flowers are forthcoming after the wonderful April showers. The roses are beginning to bloom again and Bruce is beginning the spraying program again — a necessary boring chore. We picked the first blooms last week, always the prettiest — roses are like people and tend to fade in the heat of summer. Our spring has been delightful — let’s just hope it stays around awhile and the heat and drought of last summer don’t return.
This weather is just right for “sitting ‘n rocking” on the front porch. Except, at our house we tend to stay in the backyard more, especially near twilight, and relax in the colorful Adirondack chairs Buzzy Smith crafted. Those chairs are so comfortable. Perfect for bird watching and especially good to just sit and sip something refreshing at the end of a busy, hectic day. But it’s hard to stay still long when you notice the number of pesky weeds that need pulling. The weeds are terribly invasive and grow faster than the flowers.
But back to porch visiting. We had the opportune chance to do just that a couple of weeks ago at the second annual Porch Tour presented by Sumter Historic Trust. It was loads of fun wandering up and down West College Street, stopping to visit with everyone and enjoy the hospitality offered by the gracious homeowners.
There was a big turnout. In fact, Lane Tyson, president of the Trust, says almost 200 people paid $15 each to put life in the fast lane aside for awhile to spend the afternoon sitting and visiting on the porch the southern way. I spent many happy hours in the swing on the front porch of my childhood home just reading the summer away.
It’s great so many participated because proceeds go toward the Trust’s revolving fund account to help pay for the recent purchase of the historic Eldridge House on West College Street, a part of the tour. Plan is to restore and resell the structure, a tremendous challenge and undertaking but this energetic bunch of preservationists is up to the mammoth task.
The Trust proved their grit once before on purchasing the historic Lee Council House on East Church Street in the mid-1970s and did an incredible job of renovating it for their headquarters. The Council House is costly to maintain, but is an enormous asset made available by the Trust to the people of Americus/Sumter County. The house is in constant use for various functions both public and private.
The tour ticket price actually was very nominal compared to what the Trust will have to spend on renovating the Eldridge House to resell. It is commendable that they are saving the house from further deterioration and maintaining this wonderful old neighborhood’s historic fiber. With the economy looking a little dismal right now, it is a very bold move and they need all the support they can muster from everyone near and far.
You’ll have another opportunity to support historic preservation in our community at the Trust’s annual spring gathering featuring a Low Country boil, silent auction and regular auction on Saturday evening May 10 at the Lee Council House. Tickets, again, are very nominal — $30 per couple with a reduced rate for singles. Please support this endeavor; your money will go toward saving another of our city’s historic properties. Tickets are available downtown at The Kinnebrew Co., Minick Interiors or just call Trust President Lane Tyson at 942-5901. He’ll even deliver tickets to your door. Can’t attend but want to help the Trust in this huge preservation project? Send a contribution in any amount to Sumter Historic Trust, P.O. Box 961, Americus GA 31709. Hey, it’s tax deductible, too.
SUMTER SEENS: Congratulations to Frank Latimore on his retirement from the UGA Cooperative Extension Service — among the big crowd at the grand reception honoring Frank for his 31 years of outstanding service were his wife Robbie Latimore, Bob Moss, Julia Snipes, Joan Mason, Ronnie Dupree, Bill Sheppard, Kenneth Cutts, Tony Davis, Joetta Brown, Georgia Ann Arthur, Harold and Joanne Moore, John and Betty Todd, George Hooks, Rick Whaley, Russell Thomas; glimpsed at the West College Street Porch Tour were Nancy Powell Andison of Phoenix, also here for the Wise family reunion; Jane Myers, Nell Pittman, Terry Gaar, Jen O’Rourk, Claire Levy of Leesburg, Manson and Sally Markette; Rucker Smith, Jimmie Ferguson, Sally and Harriett Peak, Steve and Sissy Ledbetter, Gene and Blanche Palmer, Mary Gramling brought along friends from Atlanta and Tom Merritt and Maralena Adkins; Sherrill House describes as “incredible” her visit to Greece and tour of the Greek Isles with Theresa Heffernan, JoAnn Pope, Kay Reeves, Grace Hill and Becky Ray who took a tumble and broke her arm, but is mending nicely; incidentally this contingent ran into Jim and Nancy Herron who were with a different tour group traveling in Greece as well as Turkey and Egypt. Goes to show you always see someone from home no matter how far away. Fr. Don and Nancy Hutchens home from a beach vacation; smile and say “hello” to newcomers Adam and Jane Graft who moved here from Barnesville, having recently bought Anthony Dairy Farm and are residing on South Lee Street Road; Jody Wade among those enjoying the Tams concert during The Big Fat Greek weekend at GSW; Maureen Smith participating in plein aire workshop in St. Simons; Dina Linkhorn wishing for a butter gold purse for her birthday today; Elise Miller enjoying 40th class reunion from St. Anne’s School in Charlottesville, Va., and visiting mom Alice Shisler, finishing up her 61st continuous year of teaching dance; John and Susan Morgan moving into new home on South Jackson Avenue; Dr. Gatewood and Cindy Dudley and Chris and Meg Usrey home from Italian vacation — the trip a result of lucky raffle ticket; Susan Harbuck and Nancy Jones celebrating their birthdays; Kathy Parks, Bill and Ann Harris, Wes and Jean Wheeler, Jim and Billie Gatewood, Henry and Betsy Crisp and Bruce and me enjoying recent Annual Meeting of the Georgia Society of The Colonial Dames of America in Columbus.

Leila Case lives and works in Americus.