The 1890-1897 home of Barney Kroger will be open July 14.

        Three historical Newport homes will be open for a Home and Garden Tour 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 14, sponsored by the Women's Connection, a center for women and children in Price Hill.

        Each of the homes, along Overton and Monroe streets, has been beautifully restored. They are:

        • 624 Monroe St. Barney Kroger, who established a Cincinnati-based grocery business that became supermarket giant Kroger Co., lived in this Second Empire townhouse from 1890 until about 1897. The 2 1/2-story house was built circa 1885. While developing his grocery business, Kroger met his wife in Newport. Seven of the couple's children were born while the Krogers lived in the house.

Two condos were developed inside the former First Presbyterian Church.

        The current owners purchased what had become a six-family apartment and converted it back into a single-family home. They used some 5,000 board feet of new wood to match original moldings and 3,000 feet of new poplar flooring throughout the house.

        • 646 Overton St. Built circa 1879, the “Callahan House” is a three-bay, side-gabled brick Italianate with decorative window and door hoods of galvanized sheet metal. The property was in the Callahan family until 1927.

        • 625 Overton St. One of the many outstanding stone churches in Newport, the old First Presbyterian exemplifies the high Victorian Gothic style. It was built in 1893 and incorporates elaborate stonework and stained glass as its two important elements. It was converted into two condominium units in 1993 and 1994. The unit open for the tour includes a Koehnkent Grimm tracker organ made in Cincinnati, which is a decorative focal point.

IF YOU GO

What: Home and Garden Tour in Newport's historical district, sponsored by the Women's Connection.    When: 10 a.m.-3 p.m. July 14. Where: Three homes on Overton and Monroe streets.    Tickets: $10, by calling 471-4673.    Information: 471-4673; www.womensconnectioncinci.org.

        Musicians will be at each home from 1-3 p.m. The groups are the Wiley Trio, Sean Kelly and Joe Huber and Jerry Scahan and Nancy Finke.

        The tour will begin at 646 Overton. Parking will be available in the Watertower parking lot off of Washington Avenue.

        Tickets, $10, are available from Women's Connection, 4042 Glenway Ave., 471-4673.

        The Women's Connection mission of providing support and referral services to women and children is accomplished by basic adult literacy education, after-school homework assistance, a girls club, support groups, parenting classes, employment readiness workshops, computer classes and a quilting group.

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