The Old Seminole Heights Neighborhood Association (OSHNA) and the Old Seminole Heights Preservation Consortium (OSHPC) are once again planning the annual home tour.  This tour is the primary source of revenue for both organizations and is used to fund neighborhood projects and charities.  100% of the money raised goes back into the neighborhood.

We volunteered our home in 2002.  The experience was very positive and most of the work I thought I needed to do to prep my home was unnecessary.  As a current member of the Home Tour committee, I can recommend this to anyone.  The tour brings in people from outside Seminole Heights and showcases the neighborhood, not just the homes.  Homes of every age and style qualify to be on the tour, so don't think your 50's ranch isn't appreciated.  We have even had homes that were under construction.  I particularly like the homes that are partway through renovation as they show how average residents can purchase these old gems and turn them into an inviting and functional home.  And that is what this whole thing is really about — getting people to reconsider Seminole Heights as a place to make their home.

Every year I speak to volunteers and hear how nervous they are about the people coming through their home and how they really needed to paint a room or fix some flaw only they notice.  After the tour, the homeowners are filled with praise for their efforts and their pioneering spirit and that nervousness is replaced with a sense of accomplishment.  The folks that tour the homes are old home lovers and the adult children of former and current residents.  We get guests from the other nearby historic areas like Hyde Park, Historic Kennwood, Tampa Heights, and Old Northeast.  We even get our own Seminole Heights neighbors and people from out-of-state. They are all good at reminding us how special Seminole Heights is when sometimes we tend to focus on those things that we think still need fixing.