Ashland's First Car Show in Historic Downtown

If you were not in downtown Ashland yesterday, you missed a great event. For the first time since I have lived in Ashland, I saw so many people coming to downtown, walking around, and yes, even going in to our shops and businesses.
The car show that brought so many to Ashland yesterday had over 250 registered participants. Starting at 8 in the morning, activities didn't wind down until about 4 PM. It is this type of activities that Ashland needs to bring the downtown back. Parades are great and part of a community feel, but every parade in downtown that I have seen, people leave within minutes of the parade ending. If the business owners and residents want to help the local economy, we have to keep people in the downtown and using the shops located there. According to Heritage Ohio and the National Trust for Historic Preservation, non chain stores keep more dollars in the community than the big box stores.
Way to go Ashland on a successful even. I'm looking forward to the next big bash!

2011 Ohio’s Most Endangered Historic Sites

This important annual list has been issued since 1993 by Ohio’s original statewide preservation organization.

This year’s list includes the following properties:

•Gunning House – Reynoldsburg, Franklin County
•Sheet & Tube Company Homes – Campbell, Mahoning County
•Rose Cottage – Marion, Marion County
•Greenhills Historic District – Greenhills, Hamilton County
•James Norris Gamble House – Westwood/Cincinnati, Hamilton County
•South High School – Springfield, Clark County
•Memorial Hall – Ironton, Lawrence County
•Columbia Building and Stanley Block – Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
•“Keystone” – Pomeroy, Meigs County
•Joyce Tower – Columbus, Franklin County
•Seneca County Courthouse and Seneca County Museum – Tiffin, Seneca County
•Warner & Swasey Observatory – East Cleveland, Cuyahoga County
•Carlisle Building – Chillicothe, Ross County

Go to http://preserveohio.com/ohios-most-endangered/2011-ohios-most-endangered-historic-sites/ for more information.

What local buildings should be on the 2011 list for Ashland/Ashland County?

Farmers and Savings Bank Buys Gilberts

"The old Gilbert Furniture Co. building was purchased Tuesday by the bank that holds the note. Farmers & Savings Bank bid $39,000 for the historical structure at 105 W. Main."
With taxes paid, the bank can now progress in selling or developing the property. Being a local bank could be a good thing for historic downtown. The locally owned business tend to preserve buildings more than larger out of town companies. What will happen remains to be seen.

This Place Matters

"This Place Matters. In just three small words, this simple phrase embodies the entire scope of our work at the National Trust for Historic Preservation. We're in the business of helping people protect, enhance, and enjoy the places that matter to them - in every state and every neighborhood. By letting people share what places matter (instead of telling them), our This Place Matters campaign has already galvanized thousands of individuals and organizations across the country to start conversations about preserving those places, and the stories they tell, for future generations.

Whether participating in one of our annual contests or uploading an individual photo – everyone’s involvement in This Place Matters has enabled us to move toward a future full of more meaningful, sustainable communities that have the power to inspire people to protect our history. We want to make sure that all of our communities are inspiring people all across the nation.

Check out the various things YOU can do on this page to become part of the campaign - and the movement - to promote awareness of our unique and irreplaceable historic sites and landmarks."

http://www.preservationnation.org/take-action/this-place-matters/

Ashland needs to do what Buffalo, New York has done with the This Place Matters campaign.

The Historic Ashland Home and Garden Tour - 2011

The Historic Ashland Home and Garden Tour
Sponsored by the Center Street Historic District in Ashland, Ohio
October 23, 2011 1-5PM

Buildings on the tour will be posted on the website sometime in September. www.CenterStreetHistoricDistrict.org

Why are homeowers dropping their asking prices on Center Street homes for sale?

Every home for sale on Center Street has been on the market for over a year. Higher priced homes are just not moving. Foreclosers have driven down prices as well which can be used as comparables. What other reasons can you share?

Homes For Sale on Center Street: Asking Prices Drop

The Charles Freer House
847 Center Street

Vernacular with Colonial Revival Influenced Architecture

FOR SALE
Property Listed By
Coldwell Banker Ward
Agency Phone: 419-651-9701
$198,900 - Originally listed several years ago above $215,000


The home of Tim and Carol Schaefer at 847 Center St. was on
the Historic Ashland Home and Garden Tour for the first time July 4,
2009. If you were to say that it was the home to two generations of the
Freer family or the Moores or the Milligans, you would have been right.
Each of these families had lived here for 20 years or more and loved it
just as much as the Schaefers do.
When the Schaefers moved here from Tuscon nearly four years ago, they found just what they wanted in this house.
Built in 1903 by Charles W. Freer, the house reflected the solid workmanship and fine finishing touches of the woodwork, as well as the wrap-around porch that were typical of the period.
Upon entering the large entry hall, one is attracted to the stairway railing with its intricately carved spindles. The wall paper in the parlor to the right is believed to be the original with the house.
Next to it is the living room. Here, and throughout the house, are found the elaborate window treatments in keeping with the late Victorian period of the house.
Two outstanding features of the dining room are the chandelier and the mirror. The multiple glass shades on the chandelier are reminiscent of the gaslight period. The tall mirror which rises from a base with a marble top to the ceiling is said to be a wedding gift to the Freer couple who built the home in 1903.
A cozy breakfast nook overlooks a well landscaped back yard. When Charles W. Freer built the house and his brother, George, built the one just north of it a year earlier, they also erected large carriage houses out back. Behind these was the rest of the acreage they bought, which later was sold and became Freer Court.
Returning to the upstairs of the Schaefer home, we find opposite the top of the stairs is the master bedroom which together with all other bedrooms lead off the wide hallway. In addition to the guest room, another is reserved for visits from Tucson from their granddaughter. The couple have two adult children.
One of the upstairs rooms is reported to have been the room where the men retired to have their cigars after dinner.
An interesting event took place in this home, as reported in the wedding account in the Ashland Press of June 8, 1905. "The social event of the season was the marriage of Minnie Freer to Roscoe Woodyard of Muncie, Ind. The wedding was held at the home of her uncle, George R. Freer (831 Center St.). The house was a veritable beauty bower with its decorations of white flowers, palms, ferns and foliage. A canopy connected the home with that of another uncle, Charles W. Freer (847 Center St.) where the wedding breakfast was served. The broad veranda was converted into an outdoor parlor with a rug on the floor and flowers on the tables. The dining room was occupied by young friends. Extending from the chandelier to each of the five tables were ropes of smilax. A string orchestra stationed in the reception hall discoursed sweet music during the serving."
Minnie was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Freer, another brother whose home was one that was razed years later when the Trinity Lutheran Church was built.
There had been a slight fire in this home and because of a lingering odor, the other two brothers stepped in to open their homes. Because she wanted to please each of them, she arranged to use both houses.

Click here for more information about the Center Street Historic District in Ashland, Ohio

Homes for Sale on Center Street: Asking Prices Drop

The Brubaker House
855 Center Street

Colonial Revival Architecture

FOR SALE
Property Listed By
Coldwell Banker Ward
Agency Phone: 419-282-4033
Agent Name: Janet Enzor
$229,000 - Originally listed several years ago above $240,000


W.H. Brubaker was part owner of Ashland Hardware and built
his fine home on Center Street in 1905. The exterior of this Colonial
Revival home boasts both front and side porches. The front porch
originally wrapped around the north side of the home and extended to
the bay window. The first thing you see upon entering the front doors
is the foyer and the grand staircase leading up to the second floor. All
the wood trim on the first floor is quarter-sawn oak. The foyer retains
the original pressed-fiber board beneath the chair rail. The wood
flooring in the foyer and throughout the home is a floating parquet
meaning none of the 1½ inch quarter-sawn oak squares is nailed to
the sub-floor. They “float” above it held together by long Pop-sickle
stick-like pieces of wood inserted into the grooves on the side of each
square locking them into place.
The leaded glass in the front doors matches the large window
in the dining room bay. Take a moment to look at the tile around the fireplace in the parlor. The Art Deco design was just becoming popular when the home was built. Mr. Brubaker was careful to utilize all of the square footage available in the home. Beneath both staircases are closets and in every window seat there is storage. The attic is a full third story and the house sits on a full basement with a sandstone foundation. For a home of this age it is unusual to have so much storage space. The kitchen was an added on to in the 60’s and the home was made a duplex sometime in the 30’s, perhaps as a result of the depression, with the rear bedroom serving as the kitchen for the upper unit.
The back yard of the home is large for a city lot and has a detached carriage house that has been converted to a garage. At one time there were probably formal gardens between the house and the garage but today there is more modern landscaping in place. The home is currently owned by Randy and Christina Portz.


Click here for more information about the Center Street Historic District in Ashland, Ohio

Homes for Sale on Center Street: Asking Prices Drop

The Mykrantz House
803 Center Street
Queen Anne Architecture

FOR SALE
Property Listed By
Coldwell Banker Ward
Agency Phone: 419-651-9701
Agent Name: Joe Shearer
$195,000 - Originally listed several years ago above $200,000


The first decade of the twentieth century was a period of
extensive building and tremendous growth in Ashland. H.A.
Mykrantz, a leading attorney who wrote a legal advice column for
the Ashland Press, was the developer who bought all of the
Banning property for $12,000 in 1902 which extended from Center
Street to Eastern Avenue.
According to the Ashland Press, “Along the east part of the
tract it is planned to open up a street to be known as Eastern Avenue
to run south through other properties. From Eastern Avenue to Center
Street are to be laid out two streets in the court plan as found in other cities. It is planned to have two courts and two parks, one at the north side of the land and one at the south.”
From the beginning, Highland Avenue built up, but because he was unable to acquire adjoining land to the north, Banning Avenue was not developed as wide as originally planned, nor could it be extended to Center Street.
Mykrantz built this Queen Anne Victorian for himself in 1902. Four third story crescent windows and two arched windows help to define the character of the structure. Unique to the Center Street Historic District is the corner gabled wrap-around porch that welcomes guests to the home.
Inside the home, original woodwork can be seen from the corner fireplace mantle in the entry to the parlor, back to the butler’s pantry where the original bead board lines the walls. Pressed leather wall treatments, in a rosette design, cover the walls of the dining room and stairwell. During the last one hundred years, the Mykrantz home was raised approximately three feet creating a unique basement with a 10 foot high ceiling.
The current owners, Andrew and Arlene Grudowski, purchased the home in 1988 and have done extensive restoration over the last twenty years. One of the first steps taken to restore the home was to take out and re-glaze all of the windows. The Grudowskis also restored the porch. Before painting the home, they used a carbon chip paint removal process approved by the federal government as a preservation/restoration technique. A friend, who works in historic preservation, assisted them in picking out colors for the home as a house warming gift.

Click here for more information about the Center Street Historic District in Ashland, Ohio

Homes for Sale on Center Street: Asking Prices Drop

The Mowrey House
819 Center Street

Dutch Revival Architecture

FOR SALE
Property Listed By
Coldwell Banker Ward
Agency Phone: 419-651-9701
$183,500 - Originally listed several years ago above $200,000


In 1889, H.A. Mowrey purchased an interest in the Shoemaker
and Stevens photographic studio and two years later became the sole
owner. He continued in business for nearly 50 years. His son Donald
became a partner in 1920.
Will Duff in his 1915 Ashland Centennial book says “View
work for this history was furnished by Mowrey including photographs
of residences and numerous other buildings. One of the homes he
photographed was his own at 819 Center Street on the northeast
corner of Ferrell Avenue.
In 1891, Mowrey married Eva J. Ferrell, daughter of John and Eliza Ferrell whose farm home was on the southeast corner of Ferrell and Center. At the time, what is now Farrell Avenue was his apple orchard. In fact, his land covered several acres. When the street was put through, Ferrell sold off several lots. Mowrey bought three lots in 1906 and built his home on the corner.
Their daughter Marguerite was married in 1920 to Clifford Neal and moved to Columbus. Widowed at an early age, she returned home and remained in the family homestead until she was in her 90s. Interviewed by Alta Sims and Bill Wiley in 1979, she said she taught school at Arthur Street School prior to her marriage. She was paid $40 per month. She also told of John C. Myers taking several of “her crowd” to Cleveland to the opera every year. They stayed overnight at a hotel and had a delicious dinner. After the opera, she said, there was always a car waiting out front to take them back to the hotel.
Mark and Debbie Martin purchased the home and redecorated as well as added a modern kitchen. Their aim was to retain the fine features of an older home and yet make it functional for today’s living.
The entry hall best reflects the character of the home with its oak columns and spindle work and the crown molding set off with dental trim. Leaded glass sidelights frame the front door and other leaded windows in parts of the house were features of the early period of the home. Upstairs, the claw-footed bathtub was kept in the remodeling process. The master bedroom, like the dining room below, is enhanced by an adjoining alcove. When termites were discovered in the front porch, the wood was replaced with identical-style spindles. The Martins have added a back porch and fenced in the back lot. In 2001 John and Kathy Aldrich purchased the home and continued to preserve this treasure. They built a two car garage on the back of the lot. In keeping with the nostalgia of the home, the Aldrichs used antique windows brought from Iowa in the construction. In October of 2007 it was sold to Jerry Tanner.

Click here to read the Memoirs of Marguerite Mowrey Neal who grew up in this home.

Click here for more information about the Center Street Historic District in Ashland, Ohio