FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Subject: Historic Laurel Court Opens for Christmas

Cincinnati, OH, December 6, 2006

Laurel Court, the Historic Home of Peter G. Thomson, Opens Doors for Christmas Season

To celebrate Laurel Court’s 100th anniversary, the owners have opened their home for holiday tours and events. Laurel Court, located at 5870 Belmont Ave in the neighborhood of College Hill, is a historic landmark distinguished by its unique architectural features and expansive gardens.

Laurel Court is a magnificent granite Beaux-arts home, built for Peter G. Thomson, a Cincinnati book publisher and founder of Champion Paper Company. The house, completed in1907, is one of America’s finest surviving gilded-age homes.

Decorated for the holidays, guests can feel the warmth the Thomson family enjoyed within the home. Laurel Court will be opened for tours December 14-28. Admission of $12 for adults and $6 for children goes towards preservation. Dates and times can be found on the web site laurelcourt.com.

There are also special events scheduled for the holiday season. Featured events include children’s stories told in the rosewood-paneled library of Laurel Court, music performances in the gilded music room, and candlelight tours of Laurel Court complete with hors d'oeuvres.

Laurel Court was designed by architect James Gamble Rogers. The Beaux-arts design resembles the Petit Trianon, the home of Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette in Versailles France. Its stately chiseled granite exterior, and elegant interior finishes, displays the skills of the artisans who created this distinguished residence.

The home features a grand staircase imported from Europe, inlaid marble floors, and a music room finished in gold leaf. The dining room is adorned with sterling silver light fixtures and ornate carved trim. The library is paneled in rare African rosewood, and the billiard room is paneled with figured African mahogany. In the center of the home is a glass-enclosed atrium.

Complementing the property are French Château-style cottages, a French country-style carriage house, and formal gardens.

Families and corporations can reserve the home for their own special Holiday celebrations.

Details of tours and events are available at the website laurelcourt.com.