OPEN HOUSE NOW
IN ITS 10TH YEAR

By STEPHEN HAMMILL

The Old Lutz School on U.S. 41 is opening its doors to the public for the 10th consecutive year with its Christmas open house.
Visitors are invited to walk through each of the school’s rooms, decorated floor to ceiling with lights, working train sets and Christmas trees with all the trimmings.

Each year the Citizens for the Old Lutz School sponsor a Breakfast with Santa as well as the nightly open house in an effort to raise funds for the landmark, and to spread some Christmas cheer to the neighborhood. Barrels are available to collect nonperishable food items and toys for families. The school welcomed about 400 visitors last year.

“We used to do a spook-house here,” said volunteer Beth Nevel. “The idea came to do something different, something to give back to the community. All the donations go to the building.” Nevel’s whole family is involved with the Old Lutz School. Her brother attended class there as a child.
The dozens of brightly lit Christmas trees are put together and donated by area volunteers such as Brownie and Boy Scout troops, craft clubs, churches and individual families.

People come from all around to enjoy the open house. Some have been coming for years. Others stop in on a whim. Matt and Gina Betz were driving with their young daughter Jillian, and seeing the lights decorating the outside of the building, decided to stop in and have a look.
“She really loves it; she’s mesmerized by everything. She especially loves the lights,” said Jillian’s mother.

For the first time this year, the school is holding nightly performances of choirs and caroling, to be sung by local church members.
“We’re bringing back the old-fashioned type of Christmas,” said volunteer William Westcott. He also stressed that anybody can join in.

The Old Lutz School is a two-story colonial revival building. Built in 1927 and designed by architect Frank A. Winn Jr., it served as the community school until 1973 and is the oldest publicly built building remaining in the community.

The remaining dates for Christmas at the Old Lutz School are Thursday, Dec. 21 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. and Tuesday, Dec. 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The schoolhouse is located at 18819 U.S. 41 North, in Lutz.