Beech Tree News Network

The Butler County Chapter National Society of the Daughters of the American Revolution is very excited about this Holiday season. They have five beautiful homes for the BCNSDAR Holiday Home Tour Sunday, December 8 from 1:00 -5:00.

“Last May we were asked by EPS if we would be interested in taking over the Festival of Trees. Of course, we said yes and it is not a learning experience for the ladies as many have been involved in it for five years,” said Janie Eaton-Henderson.

Three homes, the Howards, James Runion, and the Wards are located at Hidden Valley.  The Fleners home is at Hunters Point on Russellville road and the Janeen Taylor home is on West Morrison Street.  Please look for banners along with Butler County DAR Holiday Home tour sign and American flags at each home. There will be maps to all the homes at the Festival of Trees. Entry to all Homes and Festival of Trees is $2.00 all going toward BCDAR Scholarship. There is no charge for Silent Night Holy Night, where you can view over 300 Nativities.

This year on Friday December 6, during the Festival of Trees Dinner there will be a Festival Lighting at the mural by the Art Council. Morgantown, with our home tour and Festival of Trees, Festival Lighting and Green River Chapter’s courthouse decorations twinkling will be a true winter wonderland inside and out!

Home Tour information call: Linda wood at 270-526-3191

Want to put up a tree,$15.00, or attend the Dinner Friday, December 6, 6-10, please call:

Janie 270-934-2373 or 270-791-6312

The Howard's - 1077 Hidden Valley Drive (pictured above)

The Howard’s welcome you to their home.  Each Christmas season, they look forward to shopping for the perfect ornament to add to their tree.  Over the years, Audrey and Mason have collected ornaments that represent something that they were involved with or achieved during the year.  They enjoy decorating and remembering each ornament received from others and the memories that go along with them.
  “We love to entertain the season by sharing recipes and eating good food.  Our home has given us many times to gather with family and friends.,” said the Howards.
 The traditional home is designed for practicality and convenience.  It features 9 ft. ceilings with an open space floor plan.  A family room with access to the kitchen and rear porch is our family’s meeting place as we gather at the eat-in bar for homework and quick family meals.   A special quiet place is the study with its 12-ft ceiling and doorway to a patio on the side of the house.  The great room features a wood column to create a formal dining room.  A family game room was added to the floor plan to have an area where teens can enjoy a pool table, video games, and ping pong. Our family is thankful to the many special people who built our home.  Please come and visit with us!  Scott, Gina, Audrey, and Mason Howard

James Runion- 942 Hidden Valley Drive
This is another home located on Hidden Valley Drive.  A subdivision located off of Russellville Road outside of Morgantown.  This home was built in 2005; it is 3500 square feet; also has a swimming pool and is overlooking the golf course, hence, Hidden Valley Golf Course.

Janeen Taylor- 405 West Morrison Street
A quaint cottage setting on one of Morgantown's beautiful tree lined streets.  Janeen Taylor has been working at getting this charmer ready to show on the Butler County DAR Holiday Home Tour.  This year will be a partial unvieling of her renovations.  Be sure and stop by!

The Wards- Hidden Valley

Christmas for the Ward family is time spent making memories and sharing traditions with family and friends what makes it special! With their new home, located in Hidden Valley, new memories and traditions are being made. Their Christmas traditions start right after Thanksgiving dinner when Ernie, Ward’s Elf on a shelf, appears! Ernie starts out the season with special surprises! They start that very night getting decorations down and Decking the Halls. Christmas Eve is spent with Jamie's Mom, at her home, with dinner and gathering around the tree to open presents and of course reminiscing about Christmases past. Once home Scottie’s Mom comes over to spend Christmas eve and be there when the children wake up Christmas morning which is spent opening one gift at a time taking turns from youngest to oldest. With the Wards Christmas morning tucked away they leave and head to Scottie’s grandparents, Martha and Levi Barrow for more celebrating. There they enjoy a wonderful lunch gifts and even a few games of Rook! Later it is time to return home to Hidden Valley where Ernie  is patiently, sitting on the shelf as elves do waiting  for their return! Now he would not cause any mischief while they were out would he?The Wards would love to share their home and add your visit to their Christmas memories .

The Fleners- 190 Hunters Point

Chad and Carmen Flener live at 190 Hunters Point just off Russellville Road right outside of Morgantown in the Hunters Point subdivision. Chad and Carmen utilized the services of Darrell Sweets and the team at Sweets Design Build in the construction of the one story craftsman style bungalow home in September of 2012. The home's exterior as well as interior tries to re-create the classic style of arts and crafts homes that swept across America between 1900 and 1930. With life today being hectic and complicated Chad and Carmen yearned for a home that would express the simplicity and clean architecture that a bungalow style home would give them.
The single story home contains many architectural features that were chosen specifically by Carmen and Chad in their research of bungalows. One such feature is the stone fireplace with the wrap around mantle. The fireplace not only provides warmth during those chilly nights but also serves as a focal point for the open living room area. Another of the features that was chosen by Carmen was the trim work with the signature trapezoidal columns found in many arts and crafts style homes, that flanks the formal dining room. The home contains many more both interior and exterior features that visitors will find reminiscent of the vintage style of the early 1900's.
Chad and Carmen live with their three children Elijah, Chloe, and Solomon. During the holiday season the family along with Elijah’s girlfriend Payton enjoys spending a weekend putting up their Christmas decorations, baking cookies, and annual ceremonious raising of their annual ginger bread house. This year, the Flener's will be decorating the house with several Christmas trees. The family has chosen a 9 foot down-swept spruce in the living room that will serve as the focal tree for the home. The spruce will be decorated with berries, burlap, and traditional ornaments that the family has collected since their home was destroyed by fire in December of 2011.