Courtesy Photo This is a scene from this year's Candlelight House Tour, which will showcase eight historic Frederick homes.

Light refreshments will be served at the hospitality suite, sponsored by Renewal by Andersen, in City Hall at 101 N. Court St. The 2009 and vintage holiday ornaments, posters and postcards will be available for purchase during the tour. Also during the self-guided event, stop by for refreshments at the PNC Bank hospitality center on the Square Corner in downtown Frederick .

Tour tickets cost $20, and are available online at www.CelebrateFrederick.com or by visiting the Office of Special Events at the William Talley Recreation Center, 121 N. Bentz St.

Following is a short description of the eight homes featured on this year's tour:

35 E. Second St.

The Smith House, so named for the previous owners Carlyle and Trudy, began construction in the year 1858 and was completed in 1859. Before entering the Costello home, be sure to turn your sights upward. The third "floor" of this home is not quite as it seems.

The floor boasts a sloped ceiling from front to back. The ceiling grades into almost nothing about 8 feet back from the third floor windows. In addition, the date of 1859 posted between the second floor windows separates the two homes on East Second Street, which internally are constructed as mirror images.

While the kitchen and balcony were renovated sometime in the 20th century, stone steps in the basement can still be found leading to what is now the dining room. While exiting the back gate note the evergreen garden. This space is rumored to have housed part of an orchard which stretched the length of East Second Street. The Costello home has been decorated by the homeowners and En Masse.

9 W. Second St.

This 1820s Federal-style home is recognized by the Frederick County Landmarks Foundation and National Historic Register. Prior to the 2001 purchase of the home by Bretta and Hunt Bowers, a 20-year series of renters occupied 9 W. Second St. Passing through the entryway of the home, note the ornate woodwork surrounding the windows, doors and the 15-foot-square parlors with soaring ceilings. An intricately carved wooden mantel crafted by a Hessian soldier can be found in the second parlor as well as a jib window opening to a small sunroom.

The parlors, dining room and entry floors are oak with mahogany borders and each room has original fireplaces. The kitchen features original repainted cabinets and a butler's pantry in place of stairs between the dining room and kitchen. Exiting the Bowers home, note the renovated patio and garden awaiting spring showers and summer sun. The Bowers home has been decorated by The Garden Club of Frederick .

107 W. Third St.

The Levy family, Frederick business owners and residents, occupied the home at 107 W. Third St. until the 1980s. The current owners, Chris and Jane Midgett, are only the fourth to reside in this historic house. As you enter the foyer the converted gas chandeliers, ceiling medallions and entry foyer light are original to the home. The original wallpaper hanger's signature, from 1880, can be found on the north wall of the parlor.

Original gold cornices can be found throughout the parlor and dining room. A brass button in the dining room floor, now covered by a rug, was once used to call the maid to service. The house has two jibs, one in the parlor and one directly above it in the bedroom area. The chestnut staircase has never been painted, and a "swing-out" gas arm can be found on the second floor.

During renovations, the brick from the original fireplace was used to create the arch in the kitchen, while the Maryland heart pine floors were finished and left as they have always been. The pass through glass window opening to the butler's pantry was retained as well. Three of the home's bathrooms have been renovated with attention to historical detail. The Midgett home has been decorated by the homeowners, friends and the Green-walled Garden Club.

111 W. Third St.

Relive the Victorian Revival at 111 W. Third St. The Muszynski home is the second on the tour designated a Frederick County Landmark. The unique architectural design of this property has been described as a provincial copy of sophisticated urban style. The home is one of a pair of three-story attached Victorian brick houses that can be found on Third Street. Constructed in the Flemish Medieval style along with an ornate third-story design, the property brings a different architectural style to the tour.

The slate-covered Mansard roof showcases two Flemish gables adorned with terra cotta and tin designs. Before entering the home note the two-story high rectangular bays constructed of various flat and arched windows that divide the house into two distinct sections. Treasured oil paintings, created by the Muszynski family, line the walls of this architectural gem. The expanded kitchen, renovated by Clyde Berger, adds to the grandeur of the house. The exterior wall, centralized in the space, pays homage to the bones of the home. The Muszynski home has been decorated by Matt Triche.

106 N. Court St.

Richard Potts, the country's first U.S. state's attorney, originally built this home as a four-room office building. A deed for property transfer was signed by Roger Brooke Taney, who, along with his brother-in-law, Francis Scott Key, likely utilized the building for office space as well. Before entering the home, note the original doorbell inscribed R. Potts. The doorbell knob, which jangles a bell suspended from a spiral strip of wire inside the house, still alerts Ann and Peter Hobart to visitors.

Once in the kitchen you are standing directly above the original 12- by 12- by 12-foot icehouse. The homeowners recently gained access to the icehouse and discovered an enclosed brick room which has yet to be investigated.

Both sides of Ann Hobart's family are deeply rooted in the history of Frederick and the surrounding area. The portraits of her great-great-great-great-grandparents, Eleanor and George Alexander Kennedy, hang above the mantel in the living room. The portraits were painted in 1800 by Charles Peale Polk, nephew of the noted American painter Charles Willson Peale. The portraits were transported from Jacksonville to Frederick courtesy of Ann's brother, Charles Nicodemus Wilson, to specifically be a part of our annual tour. The Hobart home has been decorated by Adrienne Summers.

115 Record St.

The Record Street Home will have adjusted hours for the tour. Note the home will be open from 6 to 9:30 p.m. on Dec. 5 and 1 to 4 p.m. on Dec. 6.

Built by William Tyler Page, former resident at 121 Record St., the Record Street Home was donated in 1892 by Ann Ross and Mr. and Mrs. Charles W. Ross. The home was established to provide "means of obtaining the comfort and security so necessary for the repose of mind and body which should ever attend the declining years of life."

The building has seen three additions over the years and is currently a licensed assisted living/life care facility and home to 21 residents. The three-story brick home, built in the Greek Revival style, includes formal parlors and a spacious dining room furnished with period pieces donated by past and present residents. Visitors are greeted in the entrance foyer by a mural of the Frederick landscape painted by Virginia McLaughlin.

Note the John Fessler clock and the H.R. Eisenbrandt Sons music box. The home has a flower and herb garden for enjoyment by the residents and guests. Record Street Home is the only one of its kind still operable in the state of Maryland and the operation of the home is in large part due to the donations of the Frederick community. The interior has been enhanced for the holiday season by the Worman's Mill Garden Club.

121 Record St.

The boyhood home of William Tyler Page, author of "The American's Creed" and descendant of the 10th president of the United States, John Tyler, can be toured at 121 Record St. Purchased in 2007 by John and Kirsten Johansen, their renovation has preserved and yet modernized this Federal-style home and its later Victorian exterior embellishments. The house retains many of its original features including the stairway, deep crown moldings, "6-over-6" windows and yellow pine flooring. The cooking fireplace in the kitchen features the original pivoting "cooking arm" used for suspending food over an open fire. The restoration of all five fireplace mantels in the home is consistent with the Johansen's passion for the preservation of historic architecture.

As you tour the house, note the 18th- and 19th-century American and English antique furniture. Landscape paintings in the Continental, French Barbizon, Hudson River School and Danish styles, along with a range of contemporary art and Italian botanical engravings highlight this couple's eclectic and comfortable style. The Johansen home has been decorated by Sharon Mesa, En Masse and Jutta Terrell, Etiquette Tabletop Designs.

117 W. Second St.

Defined as the residence of a Presbyterian minister, the Manse currently serves as home to the Rev. Eric Myers, his wife, Lisa, and family. The three-story, Federalist-style home was built on land purchased from Frederick Schley for a total cost of $2,546.10 by George McCahan. Much of the early beautification and maintenance of the property is due to the diligence of the Mite Society. This society of female church members (established in 1885) derived its name from the organization's bylaws which stated "the regular fee shall be one cent per week, to be paid quarterly, semi-annually or yearly." Their work can be seen in the preservation of the five fireplaces throughout the home and the built in glass cabinets of the dining room. The most recent renovation, the Manse side porch, was completed in 2009.

The Manse has played host to many visitors and residents of Frederick .

In fact, Gen. Stonewall Jackson, a close friend of the Rev. John B. Moss (1857-1862), tethered his horse to a tree out in front of the Manse during his frequent trips to see his good friend. The Manse of Frederick Presbyterian Church has been decorated by Paul Thompson of Ec'clectibles.