One often overlooked architectural feature of Wallingford’s heritage homes is the variety of chimneys that rise above their rooftops. From their distinctive designs to the brick and mortar that hold them together, chimneys offer clues to a home’s architectural history while also requiring regular maintenance and care.
Wally-Home Resource Sessions: Wallingford Chimneys
To help homeowners better understand and preserve these historic features, Historic Wallingford is offering a free webinar, the first in a series of free public webinars for people who live in and care for older homes. Wallingford Chimneys will take place on Tuesday, November 10, 2026, from 6 to 7 pm via Zoom. The webinar is free and open to the public, but please register in advance.
The session brings together a historian and a chimney specialist to explore both the architectural significance of Wallingford’s chimneys and the practical considerations of maintaining them.
Sarah J. Martin, a public and architectural historian with SJM Cultural Resource Services and Landmarks Program Lead at Historic Seattle, will begin with a 10- to 15-minute presentation on Wallingford’s chimneys and how they fit into the architectural styles of their homes.
Howard Garton, owner of Howard Homes NW and a local brick and chimney expert will then turn to the craft and care of chimneys: the brick and mortar, common chimney problems, and ways homeowners can maintain their chimneys before winter arrives. Tyson Baty of Historic Wallingford will host the session, which will conclude with time for audience questions.
The webinar will be recorded, and Historic Wallingford plans to add the recording to its website after the event so homeowners can revisit the information and use it as a resource in caring for their homes.
A New Resource for Owners of Older Homes
The Wally-Home Resource Sessions build on Historic Wallingford’s annual Wally-Home Resource Fair, held in the spring at the Wallingford Center. While the fair brings together resources for homeowners in a community setting, the new webinar series will offer opportunities to explore individual topics in greater depth.
Each session will focus on a particular aspect of living in and caring for an older home, combining useful information with an appreciation for the history and architecture that make Wallingford distinctive. The goal is to help residents maintain their cherished homes while adapting them to modern needs, allowing these structures to continue evolving as comfortable, livable homes without losing the character that connects them to the neighborhood’s past.
Historic Wallingford also invites residents to share stories of historic treasures they have uncovered during home renovations. Whether it is an unexpected architectural detail, an intriguing artifact, or another discovery that reveals something about a home’s past, these stories can help bring the neighborhood’s history to life. Selected discoveries will be featured in the second Wally-Home Resource Session, planned for early 2027.
Preserving Wallingford’s History and Architecture
Historic Wallingford is an active, volunteer-led nonprofit organization whose mission is to foster an awareness of and appreciation for Wallingford’s history and architecture. In addition to the Wally-Home Resource Fair and the new webinar series, the organization offers guided tours, self-guided tour brochures, and a monthly e-newsletter to connect residents with the stories, buildings, and people that have shaped the neighborhood.
Residents can learn more about Historic Wallingford, sign up for the monthly e-newsletter, explore resources for home maintenance and care, find volunteer opportunities, or make a tax-deductible donation to support the effort to keep Wallingford vibrant and livable. HW also shares stories about the lives of former residents to connect us to the neighborhood’s history.
The Wally-Home Resource Sessions are partially sponsored by 4Culture. The webinar series logo is an adaptation of the Wally-Home Resource Fair logo, designed by Linda Sewell.
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