Woburnites Open Their Decorated Doors for the Holidays

Four elves between the ages of 4 and 9 spent time Friday decorating a circa-1888 home for the holidays.

With help from Papa and Mama elf, they carried decorations down to the elegant first floor from the third floor attic. They hung ornaments—many hand-made—on one of the Christmas trees after Papa Elf wound the tree with red and green ribbon and crowned the tree with a bow. The boy elves even donated their hockey sticks for a holiday display on the wide front porch.

Come Sunday, you’ll have a chance to see their work for yourself.

The home of the Doherty family—Charles, Kathleen and Maura, 9, Joseph, 8, Jack, 6, and Thomas, 4—is one of seven that will be open to the public during the annual this coming Sunday, Dec. 4, to benefit Theirs is one of five homes new to the tour this year.

Charles and Kathleen Doherty have taken the tour themselves.

Kathleen enjoys decorating for Christmas, she told Woburn Patch, and it’s nice to see how other people decorate their homes, she commented Friday morning as she and the rest of her family ferried decorations from their dining room table to their appointed places.

The Dohertys had considered showcasing their own home, given its character, but, in years past, the children were too young, they said. This year, they took the plunge—even with a yellow Lab named Maggie as part of the family.

Kathleen usually decorates in a traditional style, she said, with “lots of reds and greens.” She lines the indoor front staircase steps with Santas and hangs Christmas balls along the wide doorways to the two front parlors. provided boughs of greens, some for the dining room mantle, a red poinsettia arrangement for the kitchen island and a white one for the dining room table.

In the community, Charles served as an alderman for about 10 years, first for ward 2, then for ward 1, and as City Council president for four years. He was also president of his Woburn High School class, which marked its 25th anniversary this past weekend. Kathleen is a long-term substitute kindergarten teacher at the . Maura, Joseph and Jack attend the .

On Sunday, ticket-holders will tour homes between 2 and 6 p.m., at their own pace, starting at either the at 7 Mishawum Road or the Woburn Masonic Hall at 17 Arlington Road. Tour-goers receive maps of the homes on the tour at those two sites.

Tickets are $25 apiece. Buy four, get one free. They are available at 327 Main St.; the ; and the 147 New Boston Street.

Questions? Contact Social Capital Inc. at 781-935-2244 or krice@socialcapitalinc.org.

SCI “unites dedicated volunteers and community groups to encourage" all residents to actively participate “in the life of their community," according to its mission.