The Somerset County Historical Society will celebrate the Christmas season on Saturday, Dec. 3, with the annual Christmas Candlelight Tour of historic homes, churches and public buildings followed by the Candlelight Reception at the Teackle Mansion.

The house tour will be held from 3 to 7 p.m. featuring six private homes and the Teackle Mansion decorated for Christmas. The Candlelight Reception will follow from 6:30 to 9 p.m.

House tour tickets are $25 and reception tickets are $50. Tickets for both events if purchased together are $70.

Houses open for this year’s tour include:

• Nutter’s Purchase – Built around 1800 on the north side of the Manokin River, this house has not been open to the public in many years.
• •McAllen House – This Craftsman style bungalow was built in 1922 by Harold McAllen.
• •Dashiell-Williams House – This well-preserved house with Victorian features was built in 1905. 
• •Col. George Handy House – Constructed in 1805, this house features superior Federal-era woodwork and retains most of its original features.
• •Historic Boxwood Garden – The garden dates to 1850 and was created by Handy family members who owned a house next door.
• •C.H. Hayman House – This Queen Anne style house was built in 1898 by hardware store and lumber yard owner Charles Harrison Hayman.
• •Teackle Gatehouse – The gatehouse was one of two houses constructed around 1805 that housed servants and marked the entry to the Teackle estate.
• •Teackle Mansion – Wealthy merchant-planter Littleton Dennis Teackle began construction on this Federal-era mansion in 1802 with the center section. In 1818 he added the north and south service and bedroom wings. In later years, the house was subdivided into apartments with multiple owners. The Somerset County Historical Society now owns the entire house and grounds. (The mansion will only be open from 3 to 5 p.m.)

The 18th century Washington Inn also will open its doors during the tour, as well as four churches in the town’s historic district, St. Andrew’s Episcopal, Manokin Presbyterian, Metropolitan United Methodist and Antioch.

The Candlelight Reception will begin at 6:30 p.m. with an oyster bar and hors d’oeuvres, followed by a catered dinner. The event will include live music, a cash bar and a silent auction. There are a limited number of reservations available for the reception, so anyone interested in attending should act quickly.

Proceeds from both events support the education mission of the Historical Society as well as upkeep of Teackle Mansion.

Tickets for both events can be purchased online at somersetcountyhistoricalsociety.org.

House tour tickets and booklets also will be available the day of the event at Somerset Choice Station, 11731 Somerset Ave., or from 3 to 5 p.m. at the Teackle Mansion, 11736 Mansion St.

For additional information email teacklemansiontickets@gmail.com.