42nd time’s a charm for this tour

Legend has it that during World War II, the owner of a Laguna Beach cottage worried about a beach invasion by the Japanese, so she sold it and moved away.

Built in 1919, the cottage — with a carved Dutch door and whimsical door knockers — still stands.

It will be one of the homes featured on the Village Laguna Charm House Tour, set for noon to 5 p.m. May 18.

The 42nd annual tour will feature five homes in north Laguna, some of which will be opened to the public for the first time.

“Part of the reason that Village Laguna exists is to maintain the village atmosphere in Laguna Beach,” publicity Chairwoman Barbara Miller said about the nonprofit aimed at preserving the character of the city.

“We think Laguna Beach is very special, and when we look at other beach towns, we see that old houses are taken down and are being replaced by big structures. We love the cottages, and we want to share what we love and what some people might not realize about this town.”

Featured on the tour will be two cottages, one mid-century home, a castle-like apartment complex and a house on the beach, Village Laguna board member Charlotte Masarik said.

The structures are a mix of contemporary and classical. Some are newly renovated and others are originals.

Chartered buses will pick up visitors at the Festival of Arts grounds and drive them to each house, where docents will be on hand. Once the tours wrap up, guests will be driven back to the Festival of Arts grounds.

Refreshments will be served at the Pyne Castle, a 3.8-acre mansion that was transformed into apartments but kept much of its original charm.

Each year a committee of volunteers works on identifying homes worth featuring and approaches their owners about opening them to the public, Masarik said.

“This is going to be a good year,” she said. “People love the tour, and we’ll be here year after year for all our patrons.”

This year, the committee picked the northern part of the city since its homes haven’t been featured by Village Laguna for many years.

Tickets are $50 online at villagelaguna.org or at various shops throughout the city, and $60 on the day of the tour, Miller said.

Proceeds benefit various charitable causes.