May 10, 5-8 p.m.: Candlelight House Tour
(Free Jitney service between tour homes)
Pub Crawl on H Street NE (details below)

May 11; noon-5 p.m.: House Tour
(Free Jitney service between all venues)
Two free mini walking tours: included in the ticket price
Mother’s Day Tea: 2:30-5:30 p.m. at the H Street Playhouse, 1364 H St. NE (free to ticket holders)
Refreshments by Sidamo Coffee & Tea, Sova Espresso & Wine and Café Roma.

Most of us on the Hill know that Mother’s Day weekend each year coincides with the annual Capitol Hill Restoration Society House and Garden Tour. This year, in celebration of the 51st annual tour, CHRS is expanding the scope of the usual tour to focus on the Capitol Hill neighborhoods outside of the historic district. The tour theme “History Has No Boundaries” relates to the 13 homes on this year’s tour, all of which are situated in the Northeast quadrant. Last fall, CHRS began a massive project known as “Beyond the Boundaries,” which is a survey of the historic resources in the Capitol Hill neighborhoods beyond the historic district boundaries.  These surveys will provide valuable information on when the structures were built, who designed them, and how they were constructed. To highlight this project, CHRS has planned a new tour in a great neighborhood all wonderfully supported by many of the new H Street merchants.

There are some wonderfully interesting comparisons that highlight this year’s tour. On Elliott Street NE, for example, a quiet one block long enclave, three homes will be open. Two of the houses started out with the same basic structure, but with renovations over the years, they now are quite different. One is traditional and decorated with eclectic pieces brought back from the owners’ State Department postings in Thailand, Burma, Brazil and Italy, and the other house is modern in design with exposed brick, strategic built-ins and skylights. The third house on this quaint block, originally constructed as a four-unit building, now is a duplex, providing another interesting contrast.

Just around the corner from Elliott Street is the former Pierce School, now an apartment building. It is easily recognizable because of the huge and colourful flower sculptures in the front and side yards. The building was developed by Evolve Property Management; the company owners now reside in the building and have their offices located on site. This is a unique space. Evolve kept many of the architectural details of the former school and as many of the fixtures as possible including some blackboards. The owner’s home – on three levels – is the highlight. Their entry is decorated with over a dozen chandeliers, two of which were salvaged from a Greek Orthodox church in Canton, Ohio. The enormous kitchen, the size of some Capitol Hill homes, is designed with entertaining in mind. It features custom-built furniture created to emphasize the incredibly high ceilings, and a streetscape mural painted to make you think you are looking out from a local restaurant. The owners also have added a home theater, an old fashioned bar, and a well appointed private roof deck. All tenants in the building share the swimming pool and fully out-fitted gym.

All of the other homes on the tour have exceptional or unique qualities, including a house with an amazing Arts & Crafts-style handcrafted parlor and one where the restoration work and new brick garage look positively authentic. Several homes have custom designed gardens that will be in full effect for the tour including the yard of the owners of Surroundings with their funky “shangria la” tiki bar, waterfall and fish pond, and banana trees!

Abdo Development’s award winning Landmark Lofts at Senate Square, originally the home of the Little Sisters of the Poor and more recently the site of the Children’s Museum, is opening several of their most exclusive condominiums, the community center with club room, theater and conference rooms, and the rooftop deck with swimming pool and truly amazing views of the city. Recently profiled in the Washington Post, this property has not been opened to the public, so this will be a truly special visit.

As if all of this wasn’t enough to get you excited about the “History has no Boundaries” tour, CHRS also has planned a pub crawl on Saturday evening! Yes, indeed! Many establishments along the historic H Street corridor are supporting the tour by offering reduced-price beverages to ticket holders. A list of the participating establishments is below. Visit a few homes then head over to H Street for cheap drinks and dinner … maybe even stick around for a little late night entertainment (but not TOO late because there is so much more to see and do on the tour the next afternoon.)

On Sunday, CHRS has added another “first” to the benefits included in the basic ticket price. Two free mini-walking tours have been created and will be offered several times an hour (times will be available with your ticket). No reservations are needed. And finally, the H Street Playhouse will be the site for the Mother’s Day tea on Sunday afternoon, also free to ticket holders.

For more information, please contact Ann Richards, tour director, at arichardsdc@yahoo.com. To learn more about the “Beyond the Boundaries” survey and education project, contact Donna Hanousek at hanousek@earthlink.net.

Saturday Night Pub Crawl on H Street NE participating establishments:
The Red and the Black @ 1212 H St. NE
The Pug @ 1234 H St. NE
H Street Martini Lounge @ 1236 H St. NE
Dr Granville Moore’s @ 1238 H St. NE
Rock and Roll Hotel @ 1353 H St. NE
The Argonaut @ 1433 H St. NE
Sidamo Coffee & Tea @ 417 H St. NE
Sova Espresso & Wine @ 1359 H St. NE

Tickets: Cash, checks or online at www.chrs.org
Purchased before May 10, $25 ($20 for CHRS members).
Purchased on May 10-11, $30.

Ticket outlets: 

• Coldwell Banker/Pardoe, 605 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
• Trover Books, 221 Pennsylvania Ave. SE
• Prudential Carruthers, 216 Seventh St. SE
• Appalachian Spring, Union Station, East Hall
• Cherry Antiques, 1526 Wisconsin Ave. NW
• Riverby Books, 417 East Capitol St. SE