Malverne: A view from the inside

Every year, the Village of Malverne welcomes the holiday season with parades, galas and lightings ceremonies. This year, the Malverne Civic Association wanted to put a little spin on the festivities by adding a Candlelight Holiday House Tour.

Malverne residents and those from neighboring communities met at the historic Landers House — the Malverne Historical and Preservation Society building — last Saturday to purchase tickets and pick up maps before moving on to four other houses on the tour.

This was the first time since the Historical Society purchased and restored the 156-year-old house in 1996 that a tour of the building was given. And, after 14 years, it was about time, according to Civic Association President Peter Robideau. People were asking about a possible tour, he said, so the Civic rounded up members and volunteers to put it together.

“It’s in keeping with the tradition of the holiday festivities, like the [Historical Society] gala and the Lighting of Malverne,” Robideau said. “It’s a chance for people to just get out together.”

Upon leaving the Landers House, participants toured four privately owned homes in the area: the Hoppenhauer and Delahanty home on Hempstead Avenue, the Parra house on Home Street, the Soran house on Nassau Avenue and the Fanuzzi Home on Sydney Avenue.

Each home offered visitors something different — both in decor and contents. “It’s a mix of everything,” Robideau said. “There’s a range between an 1890 house and [houses from] the ’40s and ’50s.”

The stately Colonial Hoppenhauer and Delahanty house gave visitors a glimpse into the past, with a roaring fireplace inside and eight Christmas trees outside, while the Parra home had what Robideau described as a “contemporary, modern Christmas feel.”

Those who visited the Soran house, a 1930s Cape Cod with original stained glass windows, were delighted to see that it is filled with antique ornaments, furniture and decorations, and equipped with a German-themed bar in its finished basement.

By contrast, the Fanuzzi home embodies the very spirit and charm of a quaint Long Island town. Adorned with yellow shutters, decorated with grand British Colonial furniture and featuring a large bay window and fireplace, as well as built-in bookcases, the 1941 side hall Colonial is what the Civic called a “true gem and an asset to Malverne.”

Given the good turnout and great response, Robideau said the Civic would likely consider hosting another holiday tour in the coming years.