Historic house tours resume Saturday

The public has the chance to tour one of the oldest homes in the region this weekend, when an annual open house series resumes at the historic Edwards-Franklin House.

This is a free event to be held from 1 to 5 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday by the Surry County Historical Society, which owns the site at 4132 Haystack Road west of Mount Airy.

A host will be on hand to greet visitors and answer questions.

The open house series, held during the warmer months, runs this year through Sept. 14-15 — except for June 8 when members of the group will be participating in the Ground Steak Festival at Dobson and selling sonkers.

It offers the chance to showcase the local landmark constructed in 1799, which the public can tour and learn about.

The Edwards-Franklin House is considered the finest example of its architecture in the Piedmont, being built by Gideon Edwards and later occupied by his son-in-law, Meshack Franklin.

The house was bought in 1972 by the Surry County Historical Society and restored to its grandeur, featuring many unique architectural components.