8. The Frazee House - 602 Center Street, Ashland, Ohio

The Frazee Home is not only one of the oldest and best preserved landmarks in Ashland, it also remained in the same family for over 100 years. The home was built in 1873 by William C. Frazee.
Sid Boyd wrote about the Frazee home in the Ashland Times-Gazette on Dec. 20,1968. “His (William Frazee) business associates on Orange Street told him, ‘Bill, you’re building too far out of town.’ The house was built on a large tract of land that extended from Walnut Street to College Avenue (then Bank Street) and from Center Street to Chestnut Street. Because the Frazee business required a large number of horses, his estate needed to be large.”
Boyd continued, “Bricks for the house were made at a brickyard near the present Samaritan Avenue. The bricks for several other residences and those used at Allen Hall and the original Founders Hall on the college campus also came from this brickyard.”
The home eventual was put in the hands of Trinity Lutheran Church. Members of the church debated whether to tear down the building for additional parking. In 2002 Margaret Childs of Sacramento, California purchased the house from the church in order to preserve the structure. Although the home was saved in 2002, Trinity Lutheran Church still holds a first right of refusal to purchase the home if it is ever sold. Unfortunately, Margaret passed away last October. What will happen now to his home? It has always been a private residence but until the church gives up their first right of refusal, there are no guarentees. Would the Good Shepherd purchase the property and clear the house? That is what happened with the McClellan House at 608 Center Street. Would a business purchase the home to make it office space? The West side of the Center Street Historic District only has three single family homes not used as businesses left.
The Frazee House therefore is #8 on my list of the top 10 endangered historic properties in Ashland County.