4. The Old Congregational Church Parsonage - 308 Center Street, Ashland, Ohio

The old Congregational Church Parsonage was built in 1896. It only served as a parsonage for about 10 to 15 years before it became a family home until the 1960's. In the 1960's the home was turned into a rental, a duplex. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1992.

According to the Ashland County Auditor's online records, the Starkey family has owned the National Registered historic home since 1990.

Mr. Starkey passed away a number of years ago and the home is in a trust for his three children. Offers have been made on the home but have continually fallen through. I've lived in Ashland since May of 1996 and the parsonage has been empty since then. The roof is in dire straights and just sitting empty, who knows what else has is wrong with the house.

The Ashland County Auditor's website states this century home at 308 Center Street has a value of $86,290. The land itself is only valued at $16,970. The city and county will loose out, loose out on yet another piece of irreplaceable historic architecture, as well as the tax revenue. It does not have to come to demolition. Action should be taken NOW to prevent this! For these reasons the old Congregational Church Parsonage at 308 Center Street Ashland is #4 on my list of top 10 most endangered historic properties in Ashland County.

5. The Landis House - 415 Claremont Avenue, Ashland, Ohio

The C.W. Landis Home is one of the last remaining mansions on Claremont that is still a residence and not a business. The home was built over one hundred years ago by C.W. Landis, an Ashland grocer for more than 60 years. At one point Claremont was lined with homes as beautiful as Center Street.

Looking closely at the Landis Home you can see that the roof is in desperate need of repair. The porch has also been neglected. The current owner gained control of the property in 1988 and also owns #6 on my list of the top 10 endangered historic properties in Ashland County. He has had two other properties torn down by the City of Ashland, demolition by neglect. 522 Cottage was a huge Victorian Mansion, as was 340 West Walnut Street. Both were in terrible shape, but were not kept up. According to the Ashland County Auditor's website the 2634 square foot century home at 340 West Walnut Street had a value of $50,440. The land itself is now valued at $14,990. The city and county have lost out, lost out on two pieces of irreplaceable historic architecture, as well as the tax revenue. It did not have to come to demolition. Action should have been taken years ago to prevent this!

We can see a pattern here! We know what WILL happen if action is not taken SOON. That is why the first T.W. Miller House is #5 on my list of the top 10 endangered historic properties in Ashland County.

Don't worry, the last four endangered historic properties in Ashland County do not all have the same owner.

6. The 1st T.W. Miller House – 713 Center Street, Ashland, Ohio

This house was the first home of T.W. Miller and his bride, Helen Myers, the youngest daughter of F.E. And Alvesta Myers. It must have been a showcase in its day. The Warren Palmer family bought it in 1914 and lived there through the 1950s. Mr. Palmer, with Ed Mayner, operated a dry goods store on Main Street. It is currently an apartment house owned by Gary Austin.

Looking closely at the Miller Home you can see that the roof is in desperate need of repair. Aluminum siding has come off, leaving rain to drop behind the siding. The current owner has had two other properties torn down by the City of Ashland, demolition by neglect. 522 Cottage was a huge Victorian Mansion, as was 340 West Walnut Street. Both were in terrible shape, but were not kept up. According to the Ashland County Auditor's website the 2634 square foot century home at 340 West Walnut Street had a value of $50,440. The land itself is now valued at $14,990. The city and county have lost out, lost out on two pieces of irreplaceable historic architecture, as well as the tax revenue. It did not have to come to demolition. Action should have been taken years ago to prevent this!

We can see a pattern here! We know what WILL happen if action is not taken SOON. That is why the first T.W. Miller House is #6 on my list of the top 10 endangered historic properties in Ashland County.

7. Ashland County Public Schools

The Ohio School Facilities Commission was created in 1997 to address the growing problem of the condition of Ohio schools. When the commission started its evaluations for each school district, it made a decision that if a building would cost 2/3 the price of a new building of equal size, the building would be razed to build new. The state would even assist in the abatement and demolition process. Although changes have been made in the "2/3 rule" 14 historic schools in Ashland County have been destroyed with numerous others endangered. Consider Ashland City Schools as they consolidate and make grade level buildings rather than neighborhood schools. What will happen to these historic neighborhood schools?
Osborn school was built in the early 19o0s and named after Belle Osborn. Belle Osborn taught school for years in Ashland and was the daughter of Judge Osborn. Their home once stood on Center Street where Trinity Lutheran parking lot is today. Belle Osborn upon her death donated money for the city to purchase land to make a city park....Brookeside.
Will Osborn School suffer the fate of the Osborn House? If a school district abandons a building how can it be rehabilitated for another use? Who will make the investment in a large building like a school? For these reasons I have placed Ashland County Public Schools as #7 on my list of the top 10 endangered historic properties in Ashland County.

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.

9. The Harris House - 502 Claremont Avenue, Ashland, Ohio

Located on the southwest corner of West Walnut Street and Claremont Avenue, the Harris House was most currently used as the Ashland County Bureau of Motor Vehicles and AAA.

F.E. Harris worked for the F.E. Myers and Bros Company for about 50 years. Mr. Harris had the house built at 502 Claremont in 1916. By the 1950s the home began to be used as office space and that is when the three car carriage house was torn down to make way for parking.

Since the BMV recently relocated, the home now sits empty. When the Harris House was built, every corner of West Walnut Street and Claremont Avenue had a grand home. Now it stands as the only home left at that intersection. Will this home suffer the same fate as the other mansions on Claremont and be torn down to make way for a fast food restaurant or gas station? Will it be chopped up further inside and out, past the point of recongition of a single family residence? For these reasons, the Harris House is #9 on my list of the top 10 endangered historic properties in Ashland County.

10. The Williams House on 208 West Walnut Street, Ashland, Ohio

The Williams family lived in this home during the Victorian Era. The home was quite possibly built by a local carpenter named Theodore McNeely. McNeely built numerous homes in Ashland including the Locke-Mason House on Pleasant and the Brinton House on Center. The woodwork in the home is almost identical to that of the Lock-Mason and Brinton Homes.

Mr. and Mrs. William's daughter, Olivia, married Charles F. Kettering in the Williams House in 1905. Charles Kettering was a famous inventor who created Dayton Engineering Laboratories Company (DELCO) which was eventually taken over by General Motors. Kettering had over 100 patents to his name and headed up General Motors' research division for almost three decades. In 1933 Kettering even made the cover of Time magazine.

The Williams House is currently empty. It is a product of the economy and bank owned. Although in relatively good shape, it will take someone special to purchase this piece of American History and restore the home to its Victorian roots. At what the bank is now asking, $29,900, the William's home will likely suffer the same destiny as so many century homes, it will be come a rental for a few years before being torn down.