Old cottages, new dwellings highlight White Bear home tour

Every house has a story to tell, and that is certainly true for the 10 homes featured on the 2011 White Bear Area Historic Home Tour.

The fifth annual event put on by the White Bear Area Historical Society will allow guests to take a self-guided tour of 10 old country homes, quaint lakeside cottages and grand estates. Among them is 38 Dellwood Avenue, a cottage that is one of the oldest structures remaining on the Dellwood shore of White Bear Lake. It remains much as it was when it was built in 1885, with its "functional" rooms on the lower level and expansive porches overlooking the lake.

In stark contrast is the 8,000-square-foot home at 9869 Hidden Glade Road, designed by Twin Cities architect Charles Stinson and L. Cramer Builders. The Prairie School-style home includes a swimming pool and indoor putting green.

Tour participants will be given a map and a booklet that has information about each home on the tour when they buy their tickets for $30.

Homes will be open from noon to 6 p.m. today. For information, call 651-407-5327.

Foundations make $140,000 pledge to arts centerThree area foundations recently pledged $140,000 to the White Bear Center for the Arts Capital Campaign fund.

The arts center bought an empty warehouse late last year and is raising money to remodel the building for its new home. The Saint Paul Foundation and the F.R. Bigelow Foundation each committed to a $50,000 grant. The Mardag Foundation committed to a $40,000 challenge grant to be matched by other donors.

To mark the milestone, an open house will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Saturday at the building at 4791 Long Av. For more information, call 651-407-0597.

County Historical Society holds its fall dinner meetingAuthor Robert Goodman will talk about and read letters written by soldiers from Washington County who served in the Civil War during a dinner program titled "Voices From the Battlefield" on Thursday at Boutwell's Landing, 5600 Norwich Pkwy.

Goodman and Peter DeCarlo have transcribed scores of letters in which soldiers captured details from the battles and camps where they served during the War Between the States.

The program will be part of the Washington County Historical Society's fall dinner meeting, which begins with a social hour at 5:30 p.m. and dinner at 6:30 p.m. Goodman will talk around 8 p.m.

Tickets are $20 for members and $25 for nonmembers. For information, call 651-439-5956.

Beginning Saturday, participants will attend sessions from 5 to 9 p.m. The sessions will include a one-hour interactive cooking lesson taught by Kristin Klemetsrud of Savories; then participants will "build their own" pizza and stay for a family-friendly movie.

Cost is $200. For more information, call 651-329-0125.