Nov 25, 2014 3 min read

Six historic homes, including the birthplace of statesman Philander Chase Knox, and the 155-year-old Christ Church Anglican on Brownsville’s Northside will be decorated for the season and open for holiday tours Dec. 6 and 7.

It’s an opportunity to step inside the stately properties and talk one-on-one with homeowners about their restorations, renovations and experiences. Decorating treatments will feature Victorian, traditional and eclectic styles. The self-guided tours will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Dec. 6 and 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Dec. 7.

The event marks the fourth time the historic properties have been open for holiday tours. New on this year’s tour is the Philander Chase Knox House at 322 Front St., built in 1816. Knox, born in 1853 in the home, went on to become a U.S. senator, attorney general under Presidents William McKinley and Theodore Roosevelt and secretary of state under President William Howard Taft. The Federal-style townhouse features 18-inch fieldstone walls and influences of ancient Greek and Roman architecture.

Also on the tour are homes at 131 Front St., 209 Front St., 212 Front St., 417 Front St., and 514 Market St. The collection of 19th-century homes were built by some of Brownsville’s wealthiest businessmen whose lifestyles are reflected in the rich finishes and architectural accoutrements of the residences, including Tiffany stained-glass windows, marble mantles, beveled-glass windows, inlaid handmade parquet floors, grand and circular staircases and a mid-1800s “painted glass” window.

Also open for the tour will be Christ Church at 305 Church St., which features two Tiffany stained-glass windows and an altar made of Italian marble and wood imported from Germany. Established in 1759 by Brownsville’s founder, Thomas Brown, it is believed to be the second-oldest Episcopal Church west of the Allegheny Mountains. The grounds include the church cemetery, where many of Brownsville’s founders and two cousins of George Washington are interred.

Northside is one of two historic districts in Brownsville listed on the National Trust’s National Register of Historic Places and the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission’s state register. All properties on the three-hour tour are listed on the registers.

Tickets are $15 per person. Tickets can be purchased at Brownsville Fire Company 1, 520 Market St. The self-guided tour enables ticketholders to customize their visit. Doors at all properties will close at 9 p.m. Dec. 6 and 6 p.m. Dec. 7. Ample parking is available on the street and the lot of Novak Funeral Home, 515 Front St.

The tour is sponsored by the Northside Beautification Committee, which uses proceeds from its fundraisers for neighborhood enhancements, such as street banners and flower planters.