Mathias Armbruster was born in Wurtenburg Germany in 1839 and came to the U.S.A. in 1858. He operated Armbruster Scenic Studios in Columbus—he painted scenic theatrical stage sets. Armbruster purchased the area around what is now known as Walhalla Ravine, and converted Clinton Chapel at 3100 North High Street into his private residence. His son Albert’s house was just north of Mathias’ home, where the parking lot for Southwick-Good-Fortkamp funeral home now is. Mathias eventually sold most of the acreage to a real estate developer, and helped name the streets after his beloved Wagner Ring Operas.

Mathias died in Columbus in 1920. Here he is shown looking west from the cupola on his roof. (Photo courtesy of Leeann Faust)

In the center, a view of High Street taken from Armbruster’s cupola; Olentangy Park is in the background. (Photo courtesy of Leeann Faust)

The photo on the right shows Albert Armbruster’s house. (Photo courtesy of Leeann Faust)

The building at 3100 North High Street, originally Clinton Chapel and presently a funeral home, was converted into a residence in the late 1800s by Mathias Armbruster. Leeann Faust’s mother–a descendent of Armbruster–sketched out “before and after” floor plans for 3100 North High Street, from memory. “Before” represents the floor plan when Mathias Armbruster lived there. “After” is the floor plan as modified by subsequent resident Uncle Jack Sullivan ca. 1920. The second floor was converted into apartments. I’m including both Leeann’s mother’s first draft, and her “cleaned up” versions.

These are the floor plans after Jack Sullivan modified the residence. The 2nd story had been converted into apartments and aren’t shown here.



(Photos courtesy of Leeann Faust.)

You can search this site for “3100 North High Street” or “Armbruster” for more pictures of this building.

Leeann Faust gave me some additional images of the Mathias Armbruster home at 3100 North High Street.

This photo shows the north side, kitchen door, and the house’s well below the arch. The verso of the photo says “Aunt Flora Armbruster Neilson”.

The verso of this photo says, “Back of 3100 North High Street [home of Mathias Armbruster] / Steps from Walhalla to Pergola”

Pauline and Katrina facing west from the kitchen door at 3100 North High Street.

“Garden and Pergola / North side of [3100 North High Street].”

This picture shows Albert’s house, located just to the north of 3100 North High Street.

Another view of Albert’s house taken from the north window of 3100 North High Street.

(Photos courtesy of Leeann Faust.)

This church is not in Clintonville, but because it is so close to Clintonville I could not resist including North Congregational Church located at East Blake and East Avenues, on this website. The photograph was taken in 1900. (Photo courtesy of Judy Cohen)

This is a wonderful picture of the house that still stands at 253 Crestview. Despite what has been scribbled on the photo, the picture was probably taken around 1908 when the house is estimated to have been built. The people in the photo are standing on the east side of the house; the front is to the right (the side with the dormer). You can click on the image to enlarge it; there is something behind the house looks like a cemetery but is more likely an orchard which would have been in the vicinity of Kelso and Calumet. (Courtesy of Chris Althof)

Northwest corner of Duncan and High Street, 1921. (Photocopy courtesy of Frank Jones.)

I tell the story of Virginia Walcutt Gay in my book, Clintonville and Beechwold. She was born May 9, 1831, and passed away on May 8, 1914. Mrs. Gay was a member of a Columbus pioneer family–daughter of John Macey and Muriel Brodrick Walcutt–and a sister of General C. C. Walcutt, once Columbus mayor. Her husband, Harvey D. Gay, died in 1878. This is Virginia’s private mausoleum at Greenlawn cemetery, section 32, lot no. 35.

The three Tozer sisters in the yard of 25 Arcadia Avenue. Josie Tozer Kissinger (1875-1947), Miriam Tozer Jones (1869-1941), and Jennie Tozer Hopkins (1864-1951). Miriam Jones is Frank Jones’ wife and the grandmother of Frank Jones. (Photo courtesy of Frank Jones.)

The house at 105 Weber was built around 1915, and current residents Tom and Margo Thacker have been researching the house and the family who lived there until 1965, the Ankrom family. The house itself is an Aladdin kit house; the images above are the Aladdin listing. In 1918 Charles Cornell, a machinist, lived in the house.

Solomon and Lydia Ankrom (shown to the left), their son Lindsey and their daughter Estella lived at 2366 North High Street in early 1918.

The Ankroms moved to 105 East Weber (shown in the photo on the right) around 1918/19. Solomon (1857-1935) was possibly a blacksmith, and may have been retired by the time he moved to Weber Road. Lydia Dixon Ankrom (1861-1948) was his wife. The family originally hailed from McArthur Ohio. Solomon and the rest of his family are buried in Sunset Cemetery.

After his marriage, son Lindsey (1884-1971) lived with his wife Grace Hafford Ankrom nearby at 100 Walhalla. In the wintertime the two households could probably wave at each other across the ravine. In 1918 he worked at the McDonald Steube Company Grocer Co., located at 60 East Gay Street. He married Grace Hafford Ankrom (1894-1975) in 1927. Prior to marrying Lindsey, Grace lived in the Hafford house at 100 Walhalla with her sister (and, I think, her brother). Grace was a teacher at Clinton School. For a bit more about this family, check my 100 Walhalla entry on this web site.

Estella (1888-1987) was Solomon and Lydia’s daughter. Estella never married, and probably lived in the 105 East Weber house until her death in 1987. She worked as a bookkeeper for Columbus Pharmacal on 326-336 Oak Street.

The final member of the Ankrom household was Sunny the cat, life dates unrecorded. Here’s Sunny enjoying Lydia’s lap with Lindsey and possibly Estella.

(Photos courtesy of Tom and Margo Thacker.)

In another entry on this web site, I mentioned that Lindsey and Grace Hafford Ankrom lived at 100 Walhalla with Grace’s sister Helen. Scott Hawley subsequently sent me some additional photos of the family and their home. Grace Hafford is Scott’s grandfather’s (Howard E. Hawley Jr.’s) aunt.

This studio picture is Helen Hafford, in 1901. Like her sister Grace, Helen was a school teacher. (Photo courtesy of Scott Hawley.)

This studio picture of Grace Greenwood Hafford (1883-1975) was taken in Chicago, Illinois in Jan 1909. (Photo courtesy of Albert Muth, Livonia, Michigan.)

Lindsey and Grace after their wedding, with niece Genevieve Hawley (later Genevieve Muth) serving as flower girl, at 100 Walhalla. (Photo courtesy of Albert Muth, Livonia, Michigan.)

Lindsey in front of 100 Walhalla. (Photo courtesy of Scott Hawley.)

Another picture of Lindsey and Grace, taken in September 1965 at the Howard Hawley Sr farm on Miller-Paul Road in Harlem Township, Delaware, Ohio. (Photo courtesy of Albert Muth, Livonia, Michigan.)

Grace and Lindsey on one of their birthdays, taken in the Hawley home on Piedmont Road. (Photo courtesy of Scott Hawley.)

This photo of the house at 100 Walhalla was taken in 1975 and was used in the advertisement for the sale of the home. (Photo courtesy of Scott Hawley.)

And one more of 100 Walhalla presumably in the 1930s or 1940s. (Photo courtesy of Scott Hawley.)