By Dawn Burleigh

dawn.burleigh@orangeleader.com

A house full of history is now offering bilingual tours for guests.

With the addition of a new guide, Carmina Smith, W.H. Stark House now has two Spanish-speaking tour guides.

“The opportunity presented itself with two bilingual tour guides on staff,” Site Manager/Curator of The W.H. Stark House, Jeff Harris, said. “It gave us a possibility we did not have before.”

Janie Rangel has been with the House for over a year after retiring from the health care indsurty.

“I wanted something fun,” Rangel said. “I love to talk and I am a people person. I love it here and I love the people.”

Rangel heard of the opening for guides during a job fair.

During her year, Rangel showed Carmina Smith through the house.

“I fell in love with the house,” Smith said. “Every part of the house is magical and has a story.”

Smith learned of the Stark family through the tour and said she can relate to the family.

“He was a country boy and Miriam was a city girl,” Smith said. “It is the same with me. I can imagine how Miriam felt to move to Orange from Pennsylvania. It was a new beginning for her. It is a beautiful story. It is the same story in different times, which helps people make a connection with history. It is a repeating story.”

The dining room where the family gathered together and the breakfast room where the family started the day in prayer are what attract Rangel to the house.

“For all the family has done for the community and their lives still being represented,” Rangel said about the rooms.

Harris said each tour has a little something different to offer.

“A different group or even a different guide can change what one can learn,” Harris said. “A tour with kids versus a tour with antique collectors can change what one finds exciting. The need to offer tours in Spanish is expanding what we do.”

In the last year, tours in Spanish have been conducted by chance due to Rangel or Smith coincidently being on the schedule for the day when the need arose.

“Some have never heard the story before,” Rangel said. “It is most important in the community to know about the family. We live here.”

“Be amazed too,” Smith added.

W.H. Stark House, is located at 610 West Main Avenue in Orange, is now offering the opportunity to schedule a bilingual or Spanish tour in advance by calling 883-0871

The venue is open 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Tuesday – Saturday.

Tours begin in the adjacent Carriage House and parking is available in the Lutcher Theater parking lot. For more information, visit whstarkhouse.org.

Bienvenidos a la Casa Stark, para todos nuestros visitantes de habla hispana, contamos con tours en Español, estamos seguros que haremos de tu visita una experiencia única e inolvidable.

No te pierdas la oportunidad de hacer un viaje a la Historia de Orange a través de la vida de la Familia Stark.

Puedes contactarnos para hacer tu cita si requieres visitas en individual o en grupo. Contáctanos (409) 883-0871