Historic Belleville homes are decorated for the holidays. Want to see inside?
Chris and Nichole Hettenhausen have nothing against tradition.
They bought their 1904 home in Belleville because they loved its original woodwork, hardwood floors, high ceilings, radiator heat, wraparound porch and other historic features.
But the couple were thinking outside the box when they decorated for the holidays this year. There’s not even a hint of red.
“We decided not to go with the traditional red and green,” said Nichole, 32, a cosmetologist and member of Belleville Historic Preservation Commission. “It looks more wintery with the white, silver and gold.”
The couple’s living room has a flocked Christmas tree with silver and pale-pink ornaments and white lights, which cast a warm glow over off-white furniture and walls.
There are several other trees in the house. The one in 3-month-old Josephine’s nursery is made of silver tinsel with white, pink, pale-green and gold ornaments. Nestled below is a child’s swan-shaped rocking chair filled with glittery gold presents on a white fur skirt.
“The nursery is French country, but the rest of the house has more of a cottage feel,” Nichole said.
House tour is Sunday
The Hettenhausen home at 1014 Olive St. in Belleville will be one of seven historic homes open from 1 to 6 p.m. Sunday as part of the 26th Candlelight House Tour, sponsored by St. Clair County Historical Society.
All the homes are in Belleville, except for one in Swansea.
“This year’s houses span decades and design styles,” according to a press release. “From Second Empire to contemporary and everything in between.”
Advance tickets cost $20. People can get them by calling 618-234-0600, visiting the website at https://cht2019.eventbrite.com or going to Grimm & Gorly Florist & Gifts, Sandy’s Back Porch, The Cheesekeeper, The Abbey or the Historical Society’s Victorian Home Museum.
Tours begin Sunday at Belleville Philharmonic Hall, 116 N. Jackson St. People can exchange advance tickets for programs and maps or purchase same-day tickets for $25.
“They may then tour the sites at their leisure,” the press release stated.
Plumber built four homes
An Irish immigrant named Patrick Ralph built four homes on Olive Street in Belleville in the early 1900s, including the one at 1014. He called the development “Ralph Terrace.”
The Hettenhausens believe Ralph used their home as headquarters for his plumbing business.
“I think he lived two doors down in a big Victorian that unfortunately was torn down a few years ago,” Nichole said. “The other three homes are still here.”
Nichole and Chris formerly owned a three-story, 5,000-square-foot brick Queen Anne-style home on Abend Street in Belleville that they rehabbed.
The couple decided to downsize after the birth of son Johnny, now 4. They were walking in the neighborhood and saw a sign outside the gold-sided house on Olive, announcing it would be on the market soon.
“Ironically, my dad restored this home 20 years ago with other family members, so we jumped on it,” Nichole said.
Itching for another rehab
The Hettenhausens moved into the Arts and Crafts-style home more than two years ago. They filled it with antique, reproduction and distressed furniture, installed period light fixtures and updated the kitchen.
Today, the couple are itching to do another rehab, and they’ve found the right property in Belleville. They recently listed the Olive Street home for sale.
“I just like to work on the trim and other details and keep the history alive,” said Chris, 31, who farms in Freeburg.
Chris was sitting at a farmhouse table in the dining room with gold and cherub candelabras, a canvas-like runner and garland with pine cones and eucalyptus.
Two white pom-pom Christmas trees stood on Italian Florentine nesting tables. The buffet was decorated with fur-trimmed ivory knitted stockings, a crystal compote with frosted greenery and an ivory Santa figure.
“We’ll have all the candles lit for the tour,” Nichole said.
