SNOHOMISH — The fourth in an annual series of historic Snohomish homes painted on ornaments is available for the holidays.
This year’s ornament features the Hensel House, and proceeds benefit the Snohomish Historical Society. The glass orbs are hand-painted in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, and shipped by mail to Snohomish with each bulb nestled in its own handmade mini-crate.
The ornaments cost $25 and are available at Kusler’s, 700 Ave. D in Snohomish.
Mary Pat Conners at Kusler’s said previous ornaments showed other styles of architecture. She came up with the ornament idea to offer something that would uniquely say “Snohomish.”
She melded her knowledge of the city with artwork she knew could be produced in Uzbekistan. Conners saw their craftsmanship while shopping for inventory for Kusler’s. She communicates with the artists by e-mail and receives the ornaments in November.
The L: The Hensel House was built in 1890 by Lewis W. Hensell at 422 Ave. B in Snohomish, as his name was spelled in a special January 1891 edition of the Snohomish County Tribune. Warner Blake, president of the Snohomish Historical Society, said no one knows what happened to the extra “l” through the years.
The house: The 2,800-square-foot Queen Anne Victorian-style home is now owned by Lisa and Stew Pickford. The Pickfords recently opened their home for parlor tours. Visitors could view the old-fashioned parlor, the ruby-toned dining room, the den and a bathroom with a claw-foot tub. The Pickfords have made improvements to the home that features high ceilings, fir floors, crown molding and most of the original colored glass windows. They remodeled the kitchen, giving it a period look, and added vintage lighting fixtures and antique furniture.
Benefits: The Snohomish Historical Society, which aims to collect, preserve and exhibit the history of Snohomish. The group restored and opened the Blackman House as a museum in 1970.
How to get one: Visit Kusler’s at 700 Ave. D in Snohomish. The ornament costs $25.
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