Auburn Vintage Homes Tour brings history of houses to the forefront

Miss Olive has many stories to tell, as she's been around Auburn for more than a century. In her tenure, she's been acquainted with all different walks of life – doctors, architects. Even a civil engineer that came from England and had been commissioned to design the town's roads. Word also has it Miss Olive was especially tight with the Lardner family for decades. It's easy to see she has stories to tell - several of them. And in her hundred-plus years of existence, Miss Olive has enjoyed a very full life, sharing her stories with good friends such as Ron and Laurie Andrade. Originally based down the hill, the Andrades met Miss Olive when they moved to Auburn late last year and – given Miss Olive by that point was in a state of dis-repair – it couldn't have been a more fortuitous meeting for the three of them. The Andrades had long plied their hands to the business of renovating houses, having done several in the decades since they retired. For Laurie Andrade, who ran a business for years in the Bay Area, working with her husband Ron and their team to help revitalize Miss Olive was no problem at all. And for more than 18 months they fixed walls, re-painted interiors and exteriors, re-landscaped – refurnishing and replenishing Miss Olive back to her current pristine state. Today, she stands tall again, with an illustrious sheen of comfortability and elegance. And coming up this weekend, Auburn will be invited to see Miss Olive – now restored to all her former glory – at the site she's stood proudly on since that English civil engineer had her built while laying out the town's roads back in 1885. Miss Olive is a bright-white multi-story mansion sitting right smack-dab in the middle of a serene neighborhood a few blocks from Placer High, and is one five stops on the 2025 Auburn Vintage Homes Tour on Sunday, Nov. 2. Walking through the vaunted hall of the mansion, you can't help but be called to the exquisite details of such a cherished structure. "It's a happy house," Laurie Andrade says with a gracious and inviting smile that shines like polished crystal. It's a sentiment that shines through everything from the solid wood floors to the momentous staircase to the spacious porch overlooking the front yard. Walking through both floors of Miss Olive and along the outdoor expanse, the Andrades agree this is a "house full of stories"; that it's alive, a symbol of a bygone era – but one still so connected with the present. And that's what makes it so exciting to share with those taking the tour. While some might have turned and run – especially if one was an octogenarian – undertaking a massive construction project is something Ron and Laurie – married close to 30 years – found fun and a wonderful challenge. Showing their masterpiece to the greater public is icing on the cake, saying how they already aren't shy about showing off Miss Olive. "We have parties here, we hold dinners here every Sunday," Laurie said. "We just love to entertain here." Which made the decision to be a part of the tour easy when Linda Nash came calling last year during their renovations. Nash, a coordinator with the Auburn State Theatre also working with tour sponsor Gayle Morris of Guide Real Estate, met the Andrades when they began the first phases of restoring the house. Nash and Laurie remembered hitting it off immediately. Nash had been working to help restore the State Theatre and for her, the tour is a way of helping to keep public interest alive and well for Auburn's historical buildings while also continuing to help with the theatre's arduous journey back to completion since its closure a few years ago. Nash had done this tour a couple of times before. Nash talked about how her work preserving the State Theatre shares similarities with what the tour is showcasing. The five houses, all situated within walking distance of each other, contain stories. They are places where stories are shared, Nash added, just like a movie theater. They're special spaces, even sacred in some respects. And those who take the tour will get plenty of interesting facts recounted, anything from local history to the unique ways they were constructed. Details are being kept under wraps (but they're good), but the homes being showcased include East Lake and Folk Victorians, an American Gothic Revival, Queen Anne and Craftsman Bungalow styles. Each home is uniquely decorated and all of the homes are in or near downtown Auburn. All proceeds from this event will go to the State Theatre's ongoing Restoration Project. There's even going to be a surprise on the tour so mark the calendar for this Sunday. In Auburn, just like anywhere, history doesn't repeat. However, it does tend to rhyme. And the artistry of preserving the long conversation known as "What Happened and Why" continues in many different events that recount Auburn's lore – and the 2025 Vintage Home Tour will carry on the tradition for a good cause, as it has before. Tickets may be purchased online at www.AuburnStateTheatre.org but must be picked up in person at the State Theatre, 985 Lincoln Way. Locations of homes are printed on the ticket.