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| No: 815 | Street: Miami | Name: Underwood House |
| Family: Olson | OwnerInfo: Y |
| Built: 1893/5/98 | Sec: 22 | Sub: Sibley's 2nd BL 12 | Lot: 15 - 19 |
| 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: | ||
| CATALOGUE | Sears: | Gunn: | Pease: | BH&G: | Pattern: | OtherC: |
| MATERIAL | Siding: Y | Brick: | Stone: | Stucco: | Br&Sid: | OtherM: |
| ROOF: gable | Stories: 2 | |||||
| CHANGES | AsBuilt: | AddTo: Y | SubFrom: | Replace: |
| Early 1960s - added four rooms: on the first floor, a formal living room, dining room, and "utility" room (with a walk-in pantry between the utility room and the kitchen); on the second (actually reached through the stair landing), a large bedroom, full bath, a walk-in closet (with small attic space above it), and a railed deck, which was over the utility room. The original living room became a music room and the original dining room, a family room. (information from Lindesmith's son Will) (1966 building permit says addition to south side of building: living room, dining room, bedroom and bath. Steinkamp & Nordloh, architects; Don Curless, builder; owner Robert N. Lindesmith). 1973 - Fitzhugh Corr added a room. 1983 - added entry hall and closet. Early 1980s - (?) bedroom added to 2nd floor. 1988-90 Harrisons restored the original outbuilding and enclosed the lean-to area. Added a room off the kitchen, replaced and added deck (wood deck on concrete piers). 1991 - added to existing deck. 2003 - porch & deck on old deck area (Olson). 2005 permit for Olson to add & remodel - alteration to rear entry porch. Charles Terrel. | ||||
| CurrOwner: Stefan & Elizabeth Olson | Date Frc: 1997 | DateToc: |
| OrigOwner: Roy L. Underwood to Thusnelda E. Underwood 1947 | Date Frm: | DateTo: 1948 |
| [Irvin J. Rauscher (probably moved from here to 707 Lexington) renters?] | Date Fr 1: ??? | DateTo 1: ??? |
| Owner2: Foster C. & Martha Fahey | Date Fr 2: 1948 | DateTo 2: 1954 |
| Owner3: James F. & Mary M. Daum | Date Fr 3: 1954 | DateTo 3: 1959 |
| Owner4: John H. & Mary Eliz. Stevens | Date Fr 4: 1959 | DateTo 4: 1966 |
| Owner5: Robert N. & Harriet "Roma" Lindesmith | Date Fr 5: 1966 | Date To 5: 1973 |
| Owner6: Fitzhugh L. & Elizabeth D. Corr | Date Fr 6: 1973 | DateTo 6: 1987 |
| Owner7: Robert Brandon Jr. & Agnes S."Tucky" Harrison | Date Fr 7: 1988 | DateTo 7: 1997 |
| Owner8: Stephen P. Kenkel Tr. | 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: | Fitzhugh L Corr. 15 to 19 Sib 2 |
| Description: | When the Lindesmiths bought this house in 1966 "it was only a six-room house (with cellar) on the first floor, living room (fronting on the street), dining room, kitchen, and a tiny lavatory off the kitchen; on the second floor, two good-sized bedrooms, one very small bedroom (used I believe by the Stevens as a nursery), and a full bath." (information from Lindesmith's son Will) |
| Story 1: | The original "garage" was built c1892 and was intended to provide electricity for Cincinnati. By the time construction was completed, C. G. &.E. was in business and that use never came to pass. The structure apparently was used as a water supply and outstation for the Terrace Park Fire Company. It was later converted to an apartment, according to plumbing and wiring, but was in ruins and a hazard in the 1980s. It has now been restored and is an office and workshop or den. |
| Another story relates that Roy Underwood, who was married to Jean Gellhaus' mother's sister, Nelda, "built a steam powered electric plant next to his house to bring electricity to the village. The building has been converted into a den." Camilla Warrick relates in her Village Views May 1993 article that Roy Underwood "was the man responsible for bringing electrical street lights to Terrace Park in 1909. His small, steam-powered electrical plant was built next to his home, a few doors down from the Traxel/Gellhaus cottage (809 Miami)." | |
| Can anyone explain these conflicting stories? |
| Story 2: | 1911-12 Directory: Roy Underwood - mechanical engineer & George Underwood (Lucy) painter. |
| Story 3: | Marie Stoecklin remembers the Seed family who lived here in the 1930s and 40s for about 10 years. They rented from Roy Underwood 1935-1942. There were 6 children: Dorothy (married Rohrer), Duane, Hugh, Roland, Sarah "Sally" and Connie. Connie was a friend of one of the Stoecklin's daughters. Roland played basketball with Eppa Rixey. Sarah Seed Seedhouse lives in Strongsville Ohio, Cleveland area (2003). Her son Brian now lives in the Cincinnati area and works for Fifth Third Bank. Sarah remembers Terrace Park as a wonderful place to grow up. One could go anywhere and feel safe and happy. She also remembers walking to the Post Office and the little store as well as going to the movies in Milford. The family came here from Detroit and moved to Fort Mitchell KY for a year and then to the Cleveland area. Hugh also remembers Terrace Park as a wonderful place to grow up - "no place like it. Every block had a field". He spent a lot of time at the Gooder's home on Yale. He remembers a lot of families: Gellhaus, Clancey, Mathis, Gerard, Proctor, West, Stevens, Steelman and others. Tom Proctor also remembers the Seed family, especially two of the boys who were wonderful jitter buggers. All the girls wanted to dance with them. |
| Story 4: | More information from Will Lindesmith - "With regard to the deck, I did not understand then - nor do I understand now! - why the only access to this deck [over the utility room] was by a fairly uncomfortable climb through either the closet window, master bathroom window, or the window in the small bedroom." |
| The outbuilding was called 'the little house'. The story we heard was that at one point, it was used as an artist's studio. There was an open-ended 'garage' (really just a carport) attached to this. And though quite attractive from the outside, the inside was in appalling shape: while there were traces of a kitchen, a bath, and a loft area (perhaps for sleeping?), the structure was so weak, we only used - for storage purposes - the front portion of the main room. (Though there was some vague talk from time to time of restoring this building into a small apartment, my parents were not there long enough for anything to become of this plan.) | |
| We were also told that at one point in the past, part of the cellar had been used to cultivate mushrooms (!); certainly it was moldy enough to add credence to this story. (This story and "the little house" info probably from the Stevens, previous owners or from Gerry Morgan in real estate across the street.) | |
| Anecdote - "Shortly after moving in, one of the neighbors came over to introduce herself. During the chat, the woman asked, 'What are you doing about the bank?' For an agonizing moment, mother was nonplussed, wondering what on earth business was it of hers. Mercifully, before she could say anything, it clicked in her mind that the question pertained to the chronic erosion problem of the steep drop-off from the back lawn down to the Little Miami, and not mortgages, financing, and such things.. It seems that the ongoing tradition had been for the village to dump all downed tree limbs, branches, etc. over the cliff: this was a less-than-ideal solution, as after heavy rains, parts of this mass would wash into the river. I do remember, though, that my father bought portions of an old iron fire escape from a building being demolished in Milford. The rationale was that it would provide easy access to the river bank (where, for a brief period, he kept a small fishing skiff). In actuality, this didn't work too well, as the fire escape was precariously (at best!) anchored, and every time a heavy storm was predicted, the skiff had to be dragged half-way up the cliff (NOT an easy task, I assure you.)" | |
| Story 5: | The 1943 picture included here may or may not actually be of this house but we think it may be. If not it must be of an earlier house than the one we picture at 811 Miami. |
| Story 6: | Did the Irvin J. Rauschers live here - renters from Roy Underwood or the Underwood family? |
| Story 7: | Ron Bernert (son of Mary Armstrong at 209 Stanton) has a story to tell and wonders if it's all true. "Back in the early 80's, there was a set of old cast iron steps going down the bank partially to the river. They were in such bad shape you could not use them, but near the bottom was a large steel boiler or something about 20 feet from the river. It was about 15 feet across at one point. We were bored one day so we tore most of it up and threw it into the Little Miami, but we were told that it was the boiler from the original power company that provided power for TP when the railroad was around. We were told this by an old man who lived a couple of doors down." Does anyone know more about this or can anyone confirm what the structure was? |
| 1939 Map: | Seed (renters?) |
| 1942 Map: | Seed (renters?) |
| 1951/3 Map: | Foster Fahey |
| 1959 Directory: | James & Mary Daum |
| 1960 Directory: | John & Mary Stevens |
| 1962-63 Direct: | '' |
| 1963-64 Direct: | '' |
| 1965-66 Direct: | '' |
| 1967-68 Direct: | Robert "Bob"& Roma Lindesmith (P&G) |
| 1969-70 Direct: | '' |
| 1971-72 Direct: | " (Bob retired from P&G in 1973. They relocated to Florida. He died there in 1993. Roma died in 2004) |
| 1973-74 Direct: | Fritz & Buffy Corr (moved from 100 Red Bird) |
| 1975-76 Direct: | '' |
| 1978 Directory: | '' |
| 1980 Directory: | " |
| 1982 Directory: | " |
| 1984 Directory: | '' |
| 1986 Directory: | '' |
| 1988 Directory: | R. Brandon Jr. & Tucky Harrison (Sold 1988) |
| 1990-91 Direct: | '' |
| 1992-93 Direct: | '' |
| 1994-95 Direct: | '' |
| 1996-97 Direct: | '' |
| 1998-99 Direct: | Stefan & Elizabeth Olson (moved from 800 Elm) |
| 2000-01 Direct: | " |
| 2002-03 Direct: | " |
| 2004-05 Direct: | " |
| 2006-07 Direct: | " |
| 2008-09 Direct: | |
| 2010-11 Direct: |