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Two Pelham homes on historical tour

The Welland Museum will feature two historic Pelham homes on its first house tour this Saturday. Ridge Berry Farm on Canboro Road and Maple Crest Early School on Highway 20 are among five buildings open for the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tour.
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The Welland Museum will feature two historic Pelham homes on its first house tour this Saturday.
Ridge Berry Farm on Canboro Road and Maple Crest Early School on Highway 20 are among five buildings open for the 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. tour.
Others in Welland are the At Home Bed and Breakfast on Frazer Street, St. Andrews Presbyterian Church on Bald Street, and the Cotton Mill Complex on Hagar Street.
“We chose the buildings for their historic and architectural interest,” said museum executive director Nora Reid.
The museum, which serves Welland and Pelham, hopes to make the $10-a-ticket fundraiser an annual event.
At Ridge Berry Farm, 398 Canboro Rd., the Ridgeville Castle beside the tea room and gift shop is being restored by its current owner Hugh Scholaert. The guided tour will include a collection of art glass. In 1880, Josiah Ward built it as stylish farmhouse for a180-acre farm.
Last year, Maple Crest Early School moved into a  renovated a 1906 farm house at 41 Hwy 20 W. built by James Albert Railton,  He constructed his house as a “model home” to illustrate the beauty and durability of concrete blocks made from gravel deposits found on his property.
In Welland, Rose Manor at 41 Frazer St. reflects a Tudor style construction from the early 20th century. Recently, it became a bed and breakfast.
St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church across the street, built in 1899, is designated under the Ontario Heritage Act. The church will hold its Tartan Festival from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
The Cotton Mill Complex at 125 Hagar St. helped to create Welland Francophone community when it opened in 1921. It attracted more than 200 weavers from Montmorency, Quebec.
Tickets, a self-guide brochure, are available at Ridge Berry Farms in Ridgeville, Welland Public Library on Main Street and Welland Wellness Centre, 145 Lincoln St., as well as at the houses on the tour.
Door prizes include a one night stay for two at the At Home Bed and Breakfast as well as an in-home consultation by Ellie Cholette-Hodder of At Home Interiors, star of W Network’s “The Decorating Challenge.”
Proceeds from the tour will go to museum exhibits. The Welland Museum on King Street is currently closed for extensive renovations but expects to reopen in the spring.
For information call 905-732-2215.