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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune correspondent

Published: December 6, 2008

DADE CITY - Old-world beauty combined with the best of modern conveniences will be on display at this year's Holiday Home Tour, to be hosted by the Hollyhock Circle of the Dade City Garden Club. The historic Larkin Home is the destination of this year's tour, which runs from 4 to 8:30 p.m. Sunday at the home, 37441 Church Ave.

The home features more than 10 rooms and gardens, and comes complete with family heirlooms and antiques collected throughout the Southeast. The Larkin family completely renovated the house in 2005, replacing windows, insulation, wiring and plumbing. They also "restored the interior and exterior of the home to its original state," including lighting, stained glass and woodwork.

"Special attention was paid to keeping the renovations pertinent to the era of the home," a flier said.

Guests will enjoy wine, music and hors d'oeuvres in the garden area of the home, which has been owned by Bob and Jo Larkin since 2002.

"The house was owned by a woman don't know her name who built it in the 1890s," Jo Larkin wrote in a home history. "She was from Iowa, and she named the house 'Idle Hour.' The house was a very plain two story square box."

Subsequent owners added porches, gazebos, columns and fencing to the home, which was the residence of Dade City luminaries such as the Sistrunk family and Earl McKinney.

"Dr. Sistrunk's office was located upstairs above what is now known as Sugarcreek Antiques in downtown Dade City. Dr. Sistrunk was originally married to Corinne Sistrunk," Larkin wrote. "She was a very popular person in Dade City. She died at a very young age, and there are several references in diaries as to her funeral and how beloved she was."

Under McKinney's ownership the home became known as the Bah Humbug House.

"One year during Christmas, while Earl was out of town, Bill Dayton and Donna Dudley thought to play a practical joke on Earl and they hung a large Bah Humbug sign from the second story of the home, during Church Street Christmas," Larkin wrote. "When Earl returned home he loved it, and thereafter it became a tradition for him to put the sign out each year."

Sally Redden, president of the Dade City Garden Club's Hollyhock Circle, encourages the public to come and enjoy the historic Larkin Home.

"We do a Holiday Home Tour every other year and every year it is a different home. This one just happens to be a historical restoration which is just fabulous," she said. "This is a fabulous home, and we have wonderful food, wine and entertainment in her beautiful yard/carriage house."

Admittance to the Holiday Home Tour is $25 per person; for information, call Cheryl O'Berry at (352) 588-3408.

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