Historic Preservation Commission sets Oct. 10 historic home tour, plans signage and QR maps

The Grantsville Historic Preservation Commission set the 2026 Historic Home Tour for Saturday, Oct. 10 and recommended expanding the event to a three‑hour evening slot from 3:00–6:00 p.m. to avoid daytime heat and give visitors more time on the route.

Chair Alta Calcagno and other members said the commission plans to keep the event free while creating more durable, cohesive interpretive signage for participating homes and using QR codes for maps and route order. The group proposed designating three to four "legacy houses" to appear every year and limiting additional homes to a maximum of 15 so that the tour can rotate featured properties annually.

Sidney Rasher noted that the Honey Harvest Festival draws large crowds and suggested sharing a booth with the City and Library to publicize the tour; she estimated the festival attracts "well over 8,000 people." Commissioners discussed candidate properties, including the Johnson Home, Donner Reid Museum, Wanbergs Old Church, the two‑story brick house on West Clark, and several houses on Clark Street and Main Street. The commission agreed to prepare a flyer and application that will allow homeowners to indicate whether they will open interiors or allow outside‑only displays.

Commissioners also discussed volunteer staffing, rotating featured houses each year, and offering small prizes or recognitions such as "oldest home" awards to encourage participation.