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In keeping with an annual holiday tradition since 1996, the Washington Area Historic Foundation has unveiled its holiday ornament for 2024. It will be a reissue of the 1997 Washington Harbor, Skipjack. “The Skipjack, Ada Mae, sold out within a week when it was first released in 1997,” said Dee Congleton, former ornament committee chairperson. “People have been requesting this one again for quite some time, so we decided to reissue it this year by popular demand.”

These unique, individually handcrafted, and hand-painted holiday ornaments depict buildings of historical significance in Washington. They have included everything from private homes and businesses to public places and government institutions. “Our ornaments are a way to honor structures of the past and to focus on preservation,” said Don Stroud, president of WAHF.

The ornaments will be on sale starting this week for $30 at the North Carolina Estuarium, Manifest Antiques and Interiors, and Stewart’s Jewelry Store, and include a ribbon and display stand. Proceeds from the sales will help to pay for the maintenance of Harding Square, offset the costs incurred for some of the historical plaques seen around Washington, and advertising costs associated with the promotion of the annual Spring Homes Tour, which is held every other year.