Rachel (left) and Jim Hawkins spend some time in the library of their Petty Street residence. The home will be one of four historic Gaffney structures featured in a Fall Home and Art Tour presented by the Cherokee Alliance for Visual Artists and the Gaffney Garden Club. Every home has a history.

Four historic Gaffney homes will become an open book of sorts, with their owners allowing visitors to browse the ageless structures as part of this year’s Fall Home and Art Tour.

The tour, presented by the Cherokee Alliance of Visual Artists (CAVA) and the Gaffney Garden Club, is scheduled to take place Oct. 2 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

“This is the first time the organizations have come together to put on this type of fundraiser,” said Lynda Ramage of the Gaffney Garden Club. “We wanted to have another fundraiser for the Garden Club and this was something I had mentioned to Cindy Wilson, who was president of CAVA at the time. After telling her what I had in mind, she jumped on board believing it would profit both organizations.”

A quartet of homes are expected to be featured on the tour, including those in which Ramage and her husband Ken reside, the home of Jim and Rachel Hawkins, and the home of Gaffney City Administrator James Taylor and his wife, Felicia Cavallini. The College Drive residence of Cherokee County School Board trustee Ron Garner and wife, Nancy, are also part of the event.

“The houses really stuck out to me as I began choosing the ones to be included. They are all wonderful,” Ramage said. “Each of the homeowners really put a lot of money, sweat and blood into restoring these homes and bringing them back.”

The Gaffney Visitors Center will also be open throughout the event, allowing visitors to view and purchase the work of local artists as well as enjoying light refreshments and snacks.

Of particular interest to Ramage is the home of Taylor and Cavallini, which dates back to 1906.

“They are painting the home this beautiful color of green, pretty reminiscent of colors used by those in that particular era,” she said.

Though not able to show off the entire structure due to work currently being done at the home, visitors will experience a melting pot of sorts during the walk-through.

“Of course, (Cavallini) is Spanish and Italian, while James (Taylor) has lived in Cherokee County much of his life. You can see that in their home, meshing their cultures together as they decorated,” Ramage said.

Ramage said work has already gone into decorating her own home. “I’m already planning to have the bottom portion of my home decorated, getting a different look for the tour,” she said. “The upstairs will be pretty much the same though.”

Event organizers also hope to have entertainment for the tour, welcoming visitors to each home. There will also be a bake sale in the Ramage’s pool house outside their Petty Street residence.

Sponsors for the tour include the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, Hamrick’s Inc., and Terry White/State Farm Insurance.

Tickets for the Fall Home and Art Tour are $15 and can be purchased at the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce, 225 S. Limestone St., and the Gaffney Visitors Center on Limestone Street. For more information, call Ramage at (864) 206-0286; or Wilson at (864) 489-9560.