| Click here to see photo | Click here for deeds | Click here to see census |
| No: 625 | Street: Elm | Name: The Stuntz House |
| Family: Smith | OwnerInfo: Y |
| Built: 1868 | Sec: 23 | Sub: C. R. Stuntz TP (Columbia Township) | Lot: Pt 1 (lot 6 of Camden plat) |
| Architect: | Cont/Build: |
| #Owners: | Orig Use: Residential | Current Use: Residential |
| STYLE | Ranch: | Split: | Colonial: | Victorian: Y | Trans: | Trad: | Other: |
| CapeC: | Bung: | Eng: | Dutch: | Cont: | Misc: Farmhouse | ||
| CATALOGUE | Sears: | Gunn: | Pease: | BH&G: | Pattern: | OtherC: |
| MATERIAL | Siding: Y | Brick: | Stone: | Stucco: | Br&Sid: | OtherM: |
| ROOF: truncated hip with gables (slate & metal) | Stories: 3 | |||||
| CHANGES | AsBuilt: | AddTo: Y | SubFrom: | Replace: |
| Early 1920s (it was there in 1925) - small front porch added. 1977/8 - aluminum siding (Frank Gilligan). 1988 - gazebo in back yard. 1995 - 1930s porch removed by Smiths and porch across entire front of house added. 1996 - Extensive remodeling inside - kitchen and master bedroom. | ||||
| CurrOwner: John J. "Jack" & Barbara H. Smith | Date Frc: 1979 | DateToc: |
| OrigOwner: Abraham & Alice Brower (land only) | Date Frm: | DateTo: 1868 |
| Owner1: Chauncey R. Stuntz (moved from Milford) | Date Fr 1: 1868 | DateTo 1: 1894 |
| Owner2: Eliza Stuntz (80 yrs old in 1914) | Date Fr 2: 1894 | DateTo 2: 1919 |
| Owner3: Edgar P. Mundy (Stories 2 & 3) | Date Fr 3: 1919 | DateTo 3: 1940 |
| Owner4: Casper & Marguerite R. Wickemeyer | Date Fr 4: 1940 | DateTo 4: 1941 |
| Owner5: Raymond & Evelyn J. Kotte | Date Fr 5: 1941 | DateTo 5: 1945 |
| Owner6: Dr. Adam P. & Mattie Basinger | Date Fr 6: 1945 | DateTo 6: 1959 |
| Owner7: Howard, Beatrice & Maurine Basinger | Date Fr 7: 1959 | DateTo 7: 1959 |
| Owner8: Richard L & Ann R. Barnhardt | Date Fr 8: 1959 | DateTo 8: 1964 |
| Owner9: Charles H. Jr. & Nancy M. Gerhardt (Gilligan) | Date Fr 9: 1964 | DateTo 9: |
| Owner10: Nancy & Frank Gilligan | Date Fr 10: | DateTo 10: 1979 |
| Owner11: | Date Fr 11: | DateTo 11: |
| Owner 12: |
| 1958 Owner: | Adam P. & Mattie L. Basinger. Pt. Lot 1 C. R. Stuntz (Beatrice Basinger also lives here & owns Lots 8 & 10 on Baysore [Red Bird] Lane) |
| 1975 Owner: | Nancy M. Gerhardt |
| Description: | Three story frame Victorian farmhouse. One of the oldest residences in Terrace Park. The house had iron railings at the top of the house to hold extra rain water(???). There were 2 brick cisterns. The carriage house was converted to a home (622 Myrtle). |
| Story 1: | Chauncey Stuntz owned c. 17 acres (included what is now Home St., Myrtle to Marietta & Marietta to Elm). He was a teacher and commuted to his job (teaching at Woodward High School until his death in 1895) in downtown Cincinnati by railroad. In 1892 Stuntz subdivided his acreage into building lots to help fight off annexation efforts. His subdivision included Myrtle and Floral Avenues and was bounded by Home Street and Marietta Avenue. His house was in the center of Lot 1, the largest lot in the subdivision. The anti-annexation efforts succeeded and Terrace Park was incorporated as a village in 1893. After his death his wife Eliza with two of her sons remained in the house until c.1905. Many of the lots were then sold but most were not built on until 1920-60. (Chauncy Stunz, daughter Mary, great grand daughter Jane Hern lives in Milford [April 1997] ?) |
| Story 2: | 1870 census: residents of 625 Elm were Chauncey & Eliza M. Houck Stuntz, 4 children and Eliza's father, Daniel. 1880 census: Chauncey & Eliza with 8 children, Eliza's father (farm laborer) and brother (railroad clerk). 1891 residents: Chauncey & Fannie Stuntz - teachers. 1897 residents: Eliza (widow of Chauncey), Frank, and Harry (clerk). 1911-12 Directory: E. P. Mundy - bookkeeper, Mabel Eaton Mundy, his wife & Elinor. Edgar P. Mundy rented the house with the option to buy. He bought the house in 1919. (We do not know who was Elinor - a sister? or worker?) |
| Story 3: | Mrs. Mundy (Mabel Eaton) later lived with her daughter, Katherine, at 723 Floral. She died there May 1, 1965. According to Stan Miller "Mrs. E. P Mundy came here in 1909. Leader of W. C. T. U. Pres of the Wilmington District, attends conference at Lima 10/28/1942. Women's Society of Christian Service." |
| Story 4: | Dr. Adam Basinger had his office at 406 Western. He claimed to have delivered 4500 children including his own three. All three of his children (2 girls, Vee & Norene, and a boy, Howard) were local school teachers. In the 1940s his oldest daughter taught in Milford while another daughter was still at school in Terrace Park (Norene graduated in 1945). Dr. Basinger had a big black car which he drove quite fast. He was not a big man so he couldn't be seen in the car when driving. |
| Story 5: | Dr. Basinger had a summer camp in Pleasant Plain Ohio for poor children from the inner city. It was called Camp Matrena and was later bought by the Midwestern Children's Home (still thriving in 2005). Dr. Basinger was born August 29, 1881 and died March 6, 1959. He is buried in the Blanchester Cemetery. (Information from Jack Kemp &Virginia Critchell , both in Milford. |
| Story 6: | According to Mary Annett the camp was obviously not just for inner city children. Her three boys went there (for pay) and the oldest, Ed, later became a counselor. They had all the regular camp activities including horseback riding. Rea Sparrow was a Rep for the camp. Mary thinks perhaps Children's International Village met there one year. |
| Story 7: | We don't know when or how Dr. Basinger got the land in Pleasant Plain. However, Virginia Marquette remembers going out there as a teenager when Dr. Basinger had a fishing lake and restaurant there. One could go picnic and enjoy being in the country. Later he added cabins and started the boy's camp. It was after Dr. Basinger died that the property (66 acres) was available for sale and was bought in 1965 by the Midwestern Children's Home, sponsored by the Church of Christ. Jack Kemp's Dad was one of the first trustees. The Home opened for children in 1967 after 3 houses had been built. (information from Virginia Marquette from a publication of the Home) |
| Story 8: | According to a Breiling Terrace Park history report for the Terrace Park Woman's Club, this was one of only 4 houses standing east of the railroad before 1886. More information about Chauncey Stuntz and 625 Elm are in the file. |
| Story 9: | 1885 Stuntz Subdivision. C. R. Stuntz & Eliza Stuntz 1/31/1893 Dr. Frank Curry 35 married Miss Francis Stuntz whose father was Professor of Chemistry at Woodward High School. (Information from Stan Miller's papers) |
| Story 10: | More information in the Terrace Park Historical Society file. |
| Story 11: | This home was on the 1996 TP Garden Club Holiday Home Tour. |
| Story 12: | The Booze family. The parents were divorced and Mr. Booze rented here perhaps 6 years, probably from Mundy The mother lived in Mariemont. The children went to TP High School: Mack H. 1935, Dick 1937, Kathryn 1938 & Roger 1941. |
| 1939 Map: | line but no name |
| 1942 Map: | Kotte |
| 1951/3 Map: | Adam P. Basinger MD (office 406 Western) |
| 1959 Directory: | A. P. Basinger MD (Elm & Marietta) (Mattie L. Basinger died January 1, 1962) |
| 1960 Directory: | Richard L. & Ann Barnhart |
| 1962-63 Direct: | " |
| 1963-64 Direct: | " (moved to 808 Stanton) |
| 1965-66 Direct: | Chuck & Nancy Gerhardt |
| 1967-68 Direct: | '' |
| 1969-70 Direct: | Mrs. Nancy Gerhardt |
| 1971-72 Direct: | '' |
| 1973-74 Direct: | Frank & Nancy Gilligan & Cathy Gerhardt |
| 1975-76 Direct: | '' '' (Frank Gilligan, owner) |
| 1978 Directory: | " (Frank died May 26, 2004) |
| 1980 Directory: | Jack & Barbara Smith |
| 1982 Directory: | " |
| 1984 Directory: | " |
| 1986 Directory: | " |
| 1988 Directory: | " |
| 1990-91 Direct: | " |
| 1992-93 Direct: | " |
| 1994-95 Direct: | " |
| 1996-97 Direct: | " |
| 1998-99 Direct: | " |
| 2000-01 Direct: | " |
| 2002-03 Direct: | " |
| 2004-05 Direct: | " |
| 2006-07 Direct: | " |
| 2008-09 Direct: | |
| 2010-11 Direct: |