Terrace Park, Ohio Building Survey

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No: 435  Street: Elm Name: Marigold Tea Room
Family: Freshley OwnerInfo: Y
Built: 1914 Sec: 23 Sub: Camden City Lot: 312 ir, 688 to 697 & 821 to 825 inc to Jackson St. Vac pars 87 to 104
Architect:  Cont/Build: Harry Eveland?
#Owners:  Orig Use: Residential Current Use: Residential
STYLE Ranch:  Split:  Colonial:  Victorian:  Trans:  Trad: Y Other: 
  CapeC:  Bung:  Eng:  Dutch:  Cont:  Misc: with "southern" porches
CATALOGUE Sears:  Gunn:  Pease:  BH&G:  Pattern:  OtherC: 
MATERIAL Siding:  Brick:  Stone:  Stucco: Y Br&Sid:  OtherM: 
ROOF: hip & gable Stories:
CHANGES AsBuilt:  AddTo: Y SubFrom:  Replace: N
Added bath and bedroom to back (1st floor).  1988 - combined existing bedroom/bath into large bathroom (Comisar).  1990s - added a two room playhouse with electricity and phone as an outbuilding.  1998 - major addition to the north with excavation of brick cistern for wine cellar for the Freshleys.  Added attached garage and master bedroom and bath (Jane Yancey, architect; Fletcher, contractor).  2002 - permit for M&M Dan Freshley to erect accessory structures - pool, pool house, fireplace, open arbor, stone fence and patio (Fletcher, contractors, Arcanum, architects).  
CurrOwner: Jill & Fred Freshley  Date Frc: 1995 DateToc: 
OrigOwner:  Date Frm:  DateTo: 
Owner1: Gertrude Grunkemeyer et al.  Date Fr 1: 1930 DateTo 1: 
Owner2: Wm. C. & Ruth N. France.  1956 to William Cook France Date Fr 2:  DateTo 2: 1956
Owner3: Virginia M. Cramer Date Fr 3: 1956 DateTo 3: 1967
Owner4: Robert R. & Jeanette Eisele  Date Fr 4: 1967 DateTo 4: 1976
Owner5: Donald U. & Palmer L. Ellsworth  Date Fr 5: 1976 DateTo 5: 1980
Owner6: William S. & Sarah M. Cantwell  Date Fr 6: 1980 DateTo 6: 1986
Owner7: Nat & Gigi Comisar (Ronald J. Goret, trustee) Date Fr 7: 1986 DateTo 7: 1995
Owner8:  Date Fr 8:  DateTo 8: 
Owner9:  Date Fr 9:  DateTo 9: 
Owner10:  Date Fr 10:  DateTo 10: 
Owner11:  Date Fr 11:  DateTo 11: 
1958 Owner: Virginia M. Cramer.  312 Irr Lots 688 to 697 & 821 to 825 Inc Camden City Sub & Jackson St. Vac Pars 87 to 104.  
1975 Owner: Robert R. & Jeanette Eisle. 688 to 697 & 821 to 825 Camden City & Jackson Street Pars 87 to 104
Description:  
Story 1: This was at one time a two family house.  Later it was the Marigold Tea Room Restaurant with a wrap around porch on three sides and rocking chairs for guests of the tea room.  It was also rumored once to have been a brothel for the railroad workers.
Story 2: The "Marigold Tea Shoppe" was opened c1926/27 in an already existing building by Bertha O'Hara (widow) and her cousin (sister?) Gertrude Grunkemeyer (maiden lady).  It closed in 1942 due to gasoline shortage. There was no printed menu.  A large sign was by the driveway.  It was noted for its fried chicken dinners (quoted in "Adventures in Good Eating", a nationally distributed book).  It served groups:  weddings, receptions and the Cincinnati Reds baseball  team.  ("Tea Room" information from Ruth Oberle [333 Harvard] and sister-in-law, Betty Everhart, whose aunts opened the tea room, and Bob O'Hara, son of Bertha O'Hara)
Story 3: Peonies along the walk, relocated in 1999 along the rear terrace, are "peony officionalis" like the peonies at the Errett/Fenton House that were destroyed earlier.  Even though the peonies at 435 Elm are no longer visible from the street it's wonderful that they're still growing!   
Story 4: When the Cramers owned the house it was full of antiques collected by Mrs. Cramer, some of which were no doubt sold from the house.
Story 5: The Eisle's son, Doug, later lived at 711 Stanton according to the 1982 Terrace Park phone book.
Story 6: Mrs. William Cook France (Ruth Neely France) was a newspaper and public relations woman.   When the France family owned 435 Elm, it was known as "France Acre".   There is more information on Mrs. France in the "People file" of the TP Historical Society.  Ruth Neely France is the sister of Mrs. Simon Ross, 1005 Elm (according to the minutes of the TP Woman's Club, May 21, 1928).  
Story 7: February 2005 Eastern Hills Journal - Elm Avenue: Rosenberg, Bart H. to Freshley, Fred & Jill Ann." Is this a triangle of land nearer where the RR bridge was (south of their house)?
1939 Map: O'Hara & Grunkemeyer
1942 Map: Minnch
1951/3 Map: W. C. France
1959 Directory: Lowell & Virginia Cramer
1960 Directory: ''
1962-63 Direct: ''
1963-64 Direct: ''
1965-66 Direct: ''
1967-68 Direct: ''
1969-70 Direct: Robert & Jeanette Eisele
1971-72 Direct: ''
1973-74 Direct: ''
1975-76 Direct: '' (Sold 1976)
1978 Directory: Don & Palmer Elsworth
1980 Directory: William & Sarah Cantwell (moved from 315 Harvard)
1982 Directory: "
1984 Directory: "
1986 Directory: " (Sold 1986)
1988 Directory: Nat & Gigi Comisar
1990-91 Direct: "
1992-93 Direct: "
1994-95 Direct: " (moved to 906 Miami)
1996-97 Direct: Dan & Jill Freshly
1998-99 Direct: "
2000-01 Direct: "
2002-03 Direct: "
2004-05 Direct: "
2006-07 Direct: "
2008-09 Direct:  
2010-11 Direct: