Barbara Aiello and Gordon Cook admire the stove in John Cunney and Jared Wollaston’s house during the Historical Society’s house tour. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

What a wonderful way to explore Harvard. The Historical Society’s House Tour and Artisan Show, which focused on kitchens, gardens and barns both new and old, offered a peek at the best of country living. From the small country kitchen added in the original summer kitchen of the Essary residence on Stow Road to the open space of the 21st century kitchen and family room of the Dutkewych home, one thing that all of these homes had in common, whether they be the old or the new of Harvard living, is the love and family influence that you can feel in each one.

The Dutkewych home is a lovely example of suburban architecture with an addition that gives it a fabulous open space. A modern use of mixed wood cabinetry, glazed ivory cabinets with a warm amber tone, and a center island complete with stainless appliances makes this a 21st century gem. The gardens and plantings are also spectacular.

The Phillips/Newpol residence on East Bare Hill Road was inviting as I traveled through their extensive gardens. The Shaker cabinetry in the remodeled kitchen and the comfortable furnishings in the living areas of the home had a kind of funky feel that reminded me of Cambridge.

The Essary residence on Stow Road offered a glimpse of life in the 1800s. The keeping room-kitchen has now been converted to the family room. The beehive chimney was evident as you looked through door openings in a bedroom and living area. Even the cat sleeping on the bed in one of the upstairs bedrooms gave you a sense that even kitty thought this was a wonderful home and family to call her own.

Dave Caponera listens as Jared Wollaston (holding his dog, Peppi) tells him and Mamie Wytrwal about the previous owners of his Elm Street home. (Photos by Lisa Aciukewicz)

The Kerns homestead was magical. You drive down a winding country driveway through rows of trees and an abundance of fern growing along the roadway. Upon arriving at the 10-year-old contemporary home, there was a herd of Tunis sheep finding their way from the field to the barn. It was like being part of a live photograph of country farm living at its finest.

The Fagan residence is currently owned by a professional chef and it is evident in the kitchen design. There are pots and pans hanging on a rack above a 1940s cast iron sink next to professional-grade stainless steel appliances. The current owners have added a Greek Revival-style china closet in the dining area that echoes the original Greek Revival architecture, as well as 21st century craftsmanship. The bright colors used throughout the house made me want to meet these owners. They seem warm and creative with a sense of whimsy.

Who hasn’t wanted to experience the interior as well as the gardens of the brick Georgian colonial on the Town Common? The Wollaston-Cunney home is an example of fine architecture with its stately presence, period mouldings, and hand-painted mural in the dining room. There is a definite Back Bay influence in the home with its highly polished chestnut paneling in the library, quality cabinetry and appliances in the kitchen, and French doors leading out to a garden that featured an iron pavilion that reminded me of the stone version at the Larz Anderson estate in Brookline.

Driving from Elm Street down Lovers Lane to the Connelly residence felt like part of a very special neighborhood experience. It reminded me of my childhood years in Boston when my friends and I traveled to each other’s houses on our back road, a secret passageway known only to those who lived there. The home itself was warm and comfortable, featuring an updated modern kitchen with contemporary recessed panel cabinetry and stainless appliances.

Irene Mannix greets former resident Jim Hamill on the house tour. (Photo by Lisa Aciukewicz)

I have often admired the Schad residence while driving down Poor Farm Road. but had no idea of the gem that lay within those walls. Many of the rooms had original warm wood paneling. There are original windows guiding you from the early 1700s section of the home through each subsequent addition all the way to the modern master bedroom suite with cathedral ceilings. Antique homes aren’t just about how people used to live. They are about each generation adapting the property to present family requirements while preserving the antiquities of the home. It may have been a house and garden tour, but for me the icing on the cake of this entire tour was the beautiful red 1967 Pontiac GTO displayed in the barn.