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| No: 720 | Street: Elm | Name: "Gravelotte" |
| Family: Rockaway | OwnerInfo: Y |
| Built: circa 1869 | Sec: 28 | Sub: Thomas R. Biggs-Gravelotte | Lot: Pt 11 |
| Architect: unknown | Cont/Build: Thomas Biggs |
| #Owners: 10 | Orig Use: Residential | Current Use: Residential |
| STYLE | Ranch: | Split: | Colonial: | Victorian: Y | Trans: | Trad: | Other: "vernacular" |
| CapeC: | Bung: | Eng: | Dutch: | Cont: | Misc: Italianate Victorian | ||
| CATALOGUE | Sears: | Gunn: | Pease: | BH&G: | Pattern: | OtherC: |
| MATERIAL | Siding: Y | Brick: | Stone: | Stucco: | Br&Sid: | OtherM: |
| ROOF: flat | Stories: 2 | |||||
| CHANGES | AsBuilt: | AddTo: Y | SubFrom: | Replace: |
| Prior to 1873 - 2 story frame addition on the north side of the house. Only change since is the enclosure of the rear porch (until 2000). 1973 - fire destroyed the barn at Elm and Douglas. 1999 - back lot sold off to Drackett & Harth for a building lot (became 805 Douglas). 1997 - Drackett & Harth built new garage (Architects Plus). 2000 - permit for John & Linda Rockaway to make an addition (at least mainly to the 2 story frame addition on the north side of the house) and remodel. Drackett & Harth contractors. Kyle Vonderheide architect. | ||||
| CurrOwner: John & Linda Rockaway | Date Frc: 1997 | DateToc: |
| OrigOwner: Charles & Mary Biggs Burns (fr. family Bible) | Date Frm: 1865/9 | DateTo: 1873 |
| Owner1: Charles A. & Jane E. Howe | Date Fr 1: 1873 | DateTo 1: 1920 |
| Owner2: Harry T. & Nina Y. Davis | Date Fr 2: 1920 | DateTo 2: 1959 |
| Owner3: Lee H. & Margaret L. Hontz | Date Fr 3: 1959 | DateTo 3: 1964 |
| Owner4: Arthur & Marilyn Dutton | Date Fr 4: 1964 | DateTo 4: 1968 |
| Owner5: Charles & Nancy Millard | Date Fr 5: 1968 | DateTo 5: 1974 |
| Owner6: John D. & Katherine Quist | Date Fr 6: 1974 | DateTo 6: 1977 |
| Owner7: Richard & Marilyn Mileham | Date Fr 7: 1977 | DateTo 7: 1997 |
| Owner8: Diamond D. Investments Inc. | Date Fr 8: 1997 | DateTo 8: 1997 |
| Owner9: | Date Fr 9: | DateTo 9: |
| Owner10: | Date Fr 10: | DateTo 10: |
| Owner11: | Date Fr 11: | DateTo 11: |
| 1975 Owner: | John D. & Kathryn S. Quist Pt 11 Thomas R. Biggs Sub & Pt Vac Maple Ave |
| Description: | "Gravelotte". Two story frame residential building distinguished by a symmetrical three bay facade, delicate three bay frame porch with scrolled bracketing and wooden balustrades, and central doorway with window transom. All windows are 2/2 and those on the first floor facade extend to the porch floor. The louvered shutters appear to be original. The wide entablature is marked by curved brackets and an overhanging cornice. A large brick central chimney protrudes from the flat roof, and a bay window dominates the south facade. (Ohio Historic Inventory in file.) |
| Story 1: | "Gravelotte" was one of two identical houses built by a wealthy merchant (probably not for his daughter as some believe). The other was the "Fenton House" on what is now Terrace Park School property. More research needs to be done on this as these houses may not even have been built at the same time and may not have looked the same as each other when built. See material on the "Fenton House". |
| Story 2: | Nina Y. Davis raised and sold turkeys here. According to her son she also was a realtor. There were 4 children: 2 girls and 2 boys. They raised 2 collies: Lonsdale Lochinvar and one of his daughters, Toodles. |
| Story 3: | See Ohio Historic Inventory information in file. See also information on the house and Terrace Park prepared for the Mileham family in 1988 for possible inclusion of the home in the National Historical Register (in TP His Soc file) |
| Story 4: | According to a Breiling Terrace Park history report for the Terrace Park Woman's Club this was one of four houses standing east of the railroad before 1886. |
| Story 5: | Thomas R. Biggs, son of Zacheus, lived at Round Botton Farm; 1st married Catherine and had one daughter who married Charles R. Burns; 2nd married Mary E. Langdon and had five children (no twins), Margretta married Charles Miller. See Biggs family chart in file (Esther Power). |
| Story 6: | 1911-12 Directory: Jane R. Howe, widow of Charles. Blanche. 1891 residents: Charles & Samuel Howe - farmers. Charles also there in 1897. |
| Story 7: | Charles A. Howe was born 2/28/1836 in Lebanon NH and came to Cincinnati in 1842. He was a cabinet maker and painter. He received a common school education. He married 11/26/1868 Miss Jennie Ross whose father, John Ross, was born in NJ 1/10/1808 and migrated with his parents to Hamilton County in 1812, locating near Cincinnati. After reaching manhood he engaged in farming at which he was financially successful. He was a Democrat - lived in Terrace Park and attended the Episcopal church. Was there a Perry Howe - bicycle rider - burned to death in a gasoline explosion at home? Also a Stanley & Blanche. (from notes by Stan Miller but no source given) Source History of Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Ohio; their Past and Present. 1894 |
| Story 8: | This home was on the 1992 Terrace Park Garden Club House Tour (An Historic Walk Through Terrace Park and on the 2002 Heritage House Tour. |
| Story 9: | John Rockaway is the son of John & Dottie Rockaway, 823 Yale. His brother is James, 309 Stanton) |
| Story 10: | Map of Gravelotte (area belonging to Thomas Biggs including this house). "Miss Frances Biggs (daughter of T. R. Biggs) gave me this copy Sept 12, 1956. This plat was made no later than 1876 which was the year Mr. Biggs died. In view of the fact that he was ruined in the Panic of 1873 this plat was probably made in either 1872 or 1873. Miss Biggs died June 1, 1957." from James B. Parker Jr. |
| 1939 Map: | Davis |
| 1942 Map: | H. T. Davis (moved to 615 Lexington) |
| 1951/3 Map: | Herbert Davis |
| 1959 Directory: | Nina Y. Davis |
| 1960 Directory: | Lee & Peggy Hontz (moved from 800 Park) |
| 1962-63 Direct: | '' |
| 1963-64 Direct: | '' |
| 1965-66 Direct: | Arthur & Marilyn Dutton |
| 1967-68 Direct: | '' |
| 1969-70 Direct: | Charles & Nancy Millard |
| 1971-72 Direct: | '' |
| 1973-74 Direct: | '' (moved from 709 Yale) |
| 1975-76 Direct: | John & Kay Quist |
| 1978 Directory: | Dick & Lynne Mileham (moved from 610 Miami) |
| 1980 Directory: | " |
| 1982 Directory: | " |
| 1984 Directory: | " |
| 1986 Directory: | " |
| 1988 Directory: | " |
| 1990-91 Direct: | " |
| 1992-93 Direct: | " |
| 1994-95 Direct: | " |
| 1996-97 Direct: | " (moved to Indian Hill) |
| 1998-99 Direct: | Harvey & Viviane Romeike (renters) |
| 2000-01 Direct: | " |
| 2002-03 Direct: | John & Linda Rockaway |
| 2004-05 Direct: | " |
| 2006-07 Direct: | " |
| 2008-09 Direct: | |
| 2010-11 Direct: |