Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society
When picturing a 100-year-old home, it can be difficult to imagine something that would fit into the modern-day housing market. Nevertheless, the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Tour of Homes seeks to emphasize the modern usefulness of homes built to house the great-great- grandparents of today’s Tri-Village residents.
The Tour of Homes returns Oct. 5, featuring the most stunning historical restorations the community has to offer. Presented only once every three years, the triennial event adds exclusivity and anticipation to the tour for longtime residents and first-time attendees alike.
Homes with history
The event has deep roots in the community. Its origins date back to shortly after the founding of the Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society in 1974. The first tour took place in 1977 and has since become the Society’s signature public event. This year, the tour celebrates its 16th anniversary, following the 50th anniversary of the Historical Society last year.
“We’ve been able to increase and expand the tour. The last couple of tours in ‘19 and ‘22 we had between 700 to 800 attendees. We’ve been able to increase the number of homes from four to seven,” Historical Society Vice President Karen Riggs says. “I think that the interest in the communities and them being desirable places to live has allowed us to do more within the Society and expand the tour as we have.”
The main goal of the tour is to highlight the importance of preservation and the upkeep of historical buildings.
“One of the things our tour does is it shows that homes that are possibly over 100 years old can be usable and practical for families today,” Riggs says.
Merging the past and present, many home designs feature historical restorations on the outside with modern renovation within. Other homes keep the historical aesthetic running throughout the entire space as they endeavor to restore the interior to its original glory.
Riggs says the tour not only highlights the beauty of the featured homes, but also the value of the area.
“It’s a community event that highlights the sense of community and friendliness that you find in Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff, and I think that that increases the desirability of living in these two communities,” Riggs says.
Each home is chosen for its achievement in architectural preservation of the home’s exterior. Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff residents can volunteer their home to be assessed and potentially added to the tour. In some cases, the prominence of past homeowners plays a part. For example, one featured residence was the home of the first police chief in Grandview Heights, and another belonged to a professional ping-pong player. While the focus of the tour centers on architecture, acknowledging the history of previous homeowners adds significance and charm to the details of each featured home.
Whether you are a general history buff or an architecture admirer, the 2025 Tour of Homes is the perfect opportunity for the community to come together to appreciate historic beauty.
“We’ve got quite a mix this year that I think represents the housing stock in Grandview Heights and Marble Cliff from the late 1800s up to homes still being built today,” Riggs says.
Grandview Heights/Marble Cliff Historical Society
New to 2025
The 2025 tour, while offering the same historical appeal tourgoers have come to love, is also implementing some fresh new features. For instance, this year’s tour will feature a VIP House, exclusive to ticketed VIP attendees. The mid-century high rise is located in Summit Chase and offers a unique experience alongside the general tour homes. In addition to an exclusive look at the VIP House, VIP tourgoers will also enjoy brunch featuring a signature cocktail preceding the tour.
Also new this year, the Historical Society is partnering with the Ohio Craft Museum to host an art scavenger hunt throughout the tour. Each home will feature an art piece from the museum hidden somewhere in the home. Guests are invited to search for each artwork and log where they’re found to be entered into a drawing for a gift certificate to the museum.
“It’s combining art and architecture. The Ohio Craft Museum is largely local-area artists and they’ve got some beautiful things there. Our homeowners are thrilled to be able to place them somewhere in their home,” Riggs says.
Avery Gillis is an editorial assistant at CityScene Media Group. Feedback welcome at feedback@cityscenemediagroup.com
