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Bonfiglio
Home
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Darke LWV Tour
of Homes
Back again is the Tour of Homes sponsored by the League of Women Voters
of Darke County. Three magnificent homes, each unique in its own
way, await visitors. Whether appreciation for their beauty, an
interest in gaining new decor ideas, or just looking for an
enlightening afternoon, these homes provide all three.
Sunday, September 18, from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., visitors may tour each
home, learning its history and the challenges faced by its owners in
creating the warm, livable yet innovative style that it is today.
Tickets are $8.00 pre-purchased or $10.00 purchased at the door and are
available at Montage, The Flower Patch, The Ivy League and Helen's
Flowers and Gifts in Greenville, beginning September 1.
The beautiful Cape Cod home of Tony and Katie Bonfiglio at 118 Willow
Drive in Greenville is both lovely inside and out with a shady front
lawn and a white fenced-in back lawn with a complimenting utility
building and a convenient Jacuzzi tub outside the rear of the
home. Entering the inviting front entrance, a stairway to the
second floor with its 2 spacious bed rooms, one decocrated creatively
for the Bonfiglio's young son, Jaxton. The large bathroom shares
that creative feeling.
To the right of the entry foyer is the formal dining room, with a white
décor accented with striking crystal. To the left is the large
spacious living room with a unique fireplace. However, the
eye is immediately caught by the 1800's Waterloo pump organ, Its
early history is unknown, but Katie Bonfiglio has a wonderful eye for
the unique, having purchased the special old organ at a Dayton Goodwill
store and then recently had it electrified to make it more convenient
to use.
The gallery style kitchen allows convenient service to the dining room
as well as conveniently serving the family dining room and family
room. Its homey feeling makes one want to prop up the feet and
relax with a good drink. An ajourning room contines that feeling of
relaxation with a large aquarium. The entire home gives the
impression of a creative touch,
On the beautiful well cared for farm at 3534 Beanblossom Road, sits the
lovely country home of Regan and Sue Bowman. Built in the early
1930's, the original house was expanded in 2010 to accomadate a family
with 5 teenagers. This expansion was not just adding space but
was a creativly planned use of the new areas for social events and more
recently, for visiting grandchildren. The rustic décor has the
flavor of an old farm house but is quite modern in its
convenience. An old meat freezer converted to a very useable
cupboard is a good example of Sue's creative eye, purchased for $35 and
made into a very utilitararian addition to a lovely familyroom.
The focal point in the Bowman's eclectic kitchen is the dough board, a
family heirloom that immediately draws attention in a room with many
attractions. Entering the livingroom, one's eye is immediately drawn to
the old Nickolodeon player piano, purchased for $12.50, no longer
working as a player piano but joins with the children's toys to make
this room especially appealing.
After feeling one has seen all there is to see, the tour of what most
would call a basement, leads one into a whole new feeling with a
western flare in furnishing, complete with a cowhide covered bar.
A sliding barn door separates the social area from a bedroom, a
favorite place for visiting grandchildren. The bed is covered
with a cowhide throw, made from one of their own animals, one of the
very fascinating details of this unique area.
Upstairs is the obvious dividing line showing where the old farm house
ends and the new section begins but it is so tastefully decorated that
it all flows together with really precious furnishing being Regan's
mom's small bed. This home is well worth the experience
of this year's tour, both in terms of creativisty and new
ideas.
Tim and Diana Reeder' large Victorian home at 311 W. Third in
Greenville is a joy to tour with its late 18th Century feel.
Built by Jacob Turner in 1869, on the southwest edge of Fort
Greenville, the chimney was in the center of the two story home, with
evidence of its versatility in the basement with the cooking arm still
a part of the basement fireplace. By 1886, a one story kitchen
and diningroom were added over a cystern and well in the rear of the
home with its own chimney. The two brick-thick walls add an
insulating plus to the home but mean extra thick doorways in all the
rooms and the additions.
Later, a symble of his prosperity, Mr Turner had his name plate added
to the original front door since he had added an addition to the
east side of the house for an extra bedroom above and his real
estate/loan office on the first floor, including a porch that wrapped
around three sides of his office. A third chimney to accomadate
these new rooms was also added. A large pocket doors separated
his office from his residence.
All rooms have 11 foot ceilings, hardwood floors, original windows and
woodwork, the woodwork being a different style in each room
The hardwood floors in each room also have different intricate patterns
in them.. Each of the first floor doors have transoms over them,
which Tim, being a stained glass artist as well as an artist in many
different media, has crearted unique stained glass panels to replace
the original plain glass. As in many very old homes, downstairs
rooms all have 2 or more doors.
Mr. Turner died in 1905 but the home stayed in the Turner family until
1958. In the 40's or 50's , a bathroom was added to the front and the
five bedroom upstairs became an apartment with a kitchen added to the
back. That kitchen has become Tim's art/hobby studio and is
a room worth exploring in itself. The owners in the late 80's
removed the deteriorating porch, leaving only the porch on the front
but adding a garden room and an attached garage, converting the house
back into a one family home.
The previous owner had hand hewn the front porch columns and the
Reeders added the railngs and gingerbread. The previous owner
removed the wall between the kitchen and dining room, leaving the
chimney exposed which adds a special charm to that area. He also
reinforced the garage roof, allowing for a patio for entertaining above
the garage. With stairs up to this patio, an area for star gazing
as well as a more practical place for clothes lines was created.
A small bricked in courtyard is visible through the large windows in
the garden room. Adding the the distinctly Victorian feeling, the
Reeders added the wrought iron fence across the front lawn and the ivy
to complete the picture.
Every room in the house has the creative needlework of Diana and her
artistic touch as well as the many creations in various media created
by Tim. Adding to the wonderful atmosphere in this home are the
many old English villages Tim and Diana Reeder have created to make
this tour home very special.
Tour guests will want to be sure to share in the uniqueness that is
each of these beautiful homes. Don’t miss this opportunity to
view some treasures of our community. For additional information,
call 937.548.5378.
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