Oak Hill and Rokeby, private historic properties located in Loudoun County were periodically open for Christmas tours to raise funds to support preservation and history in Loudoun County. In 1996 Lois Krumwiede, then manager of Oatlands Historic House and Gardens was asked to research, write and revise existing interpretive tours for both Oak Hill and Rokeby. Oatlands is a National Historic Site associated with the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Krumwiede, a former music teacher, began working at Oatlands in 1985 as a tour guide, later serving as house manager and curator.

Constructed between 1820 and 1823, Oak Hill was owned President James Monroe (1758-1831). Located near Aldie, VA, Oak Hill served as one of Monroe's residences between 1823 and 1831. After Monroe's death in 1831, ownership of the property passed to his daughters, Eliza Monroe Hay (1786- 1840) and Maria Monroe Gouverneur (1802-1850). After Maria Monroe Gouverneur's death in 1850, her widower, Samuel Gouverneur (1799- 1867) sold the property to John W. Fairfax (1828-1908). Well-known and documented, Oak Hill remains a privately owned residence, rarely open to the public.

Rokeby House, located in Leesburg, was built in 1757 by Charles Binns, Jr. (fl. 1796-1837). The house is famously known as the place where records of the federal government, including Articles of Confederation, Declaration of Independence, and Constitution, were stored during the British occupation of Washington DC in 1814. The house was owned by various families throughout the 19th and 20th centuries, and remains a private residence. In 1976 it was added to the National Register of Historic Places.