E.A. Fuller was a prominent Clinton Township horse trader at the turn of the century. I found the Clinton Township records for the late 1800s and early 1900s, and his name was frequently mentioned as buying or selling horses. I assume that the so-called “Fuller Farm”—where Calvary Bible Church, Whetstone Park, Clintonville Women’s Club, and The Church of Christ, Scientist are today—once belonged to this man. (Photo courtesy of Calvary Bible Church)

The vacant farm has been put to many uses. During World War II, the land used for victory gardens. (There were also victory gardens near Riverside Hospital.) Children put the area to their own purposes, scrambling through the undergrowth and playing by the river. Many long-time residents recall a family that lived in the farm house—some have called it a log cabin, others say it was a chicken coop–of the old Fuller Farm. Some say the family was partly Native American; others say partly Romani; in any case, the family’s race added to their mystique and exoticism in the minds of the Clintonville children of the time. The family’s surname was Windsor; Mr. Windsor was a professor at OSU, and many of the people fondly recall daughter Zolithia [or Zelitha] (back row, 4th from left) and her brother Romanus (3rd rw, 2nd from right).

During or shortly after World War II, Rand Hollenback (founder of The Booster) lobbied for remaining land to be converted into a park, and the City of Columbus purchased the 161 acre farm. It became Whetstone Park. From early on the park has included a casting pond, softball diamond, tennis, picnic and playground, and archery field.

North Community Lutheran Church, when it first opened on Morse Road in 1949, was described as a “modified Colonial” made of cement block with light green stucco, sandfinished Colonial Brick, and white wood trim. When they opened they had plans for a baseball diamond, outdoor basketball and volleyball courts, tennis courts, horseshoe pits, and a variety of other sports. (Photos courtesy of North Community Lutheran Church)

This is a great image of Calvary Bible Church, in its first phase of construction. The church’s original pastor, William A. Ashbrook, was pastor of Glen Echo Presbyterian Church. He resigned and founded an independent, non-sectarian church in 1940, after a lengthy disagreement with the Presbyterian hierarchy. 114 members withdrew from Glen Echo with him. For awhile they met at Medary Elementary School, and in 1941 they purchased the southeast corner of the old Fuller farm, at 3939 North High Street. The war interrupted construction—no building permits were being issued due to the shortage of materials–but in July 1949 the church broke ground. Ashbrook had been a resident of Clintonville for 13 years at the time of the land purchase and lived on North Broadway. In 1950 the new church—a basement and a ground floor–was dedicated. That’s the phase shown in this photo. In 1954 the church was expanded to include an auditorium for 450, classrooms, choir loft, and baptistery; in 1958 it was expanded again to include a parking lot. (Photo courtesy of Calvary Bible Church)

During the 1900s, the history of Clintonville churches is always a story of growth and overcrowding. Here are some pictures of the Clinton Heights Lutheran Church. The original church, a white frame mission chapel shown in my book, was build around 1922.

Their Sunday School grew quickly, and by the late 1940s classes were held in adjacent houses and in the church kitchen (shown). Members voted to start a sister congregation on Morse Road (North Community Lutheran Church) to serve the burgeoning population in that area. A new church on Clinton Heights was dedicated in 1951 to serve the legacy members’ needs.

In 1971, the double house located to the south of the church was razed and the parking lot developed. In the 1990s an additional house to the east was torn down to supplement their parking. (Photos courtesy of Clinton Heights Lutheran Church)

This photo shows the Catechism class on 1941, left to right: Gordon Brevoort, Fred Gardner, James Hagely, Rev. Harold Moench, Norma Montague, Helen Marshall, and Patty Allard. (Photo courtesy of Gordon Brevoort)

This is a photograph of the Church of Christ, Scientist at 3989 North High Street, just as its construction was being completed in the early 1950s. (Photo courtesy of Marge Hauer.)

An October 15-2010 note from Joe Motil:

There was a large 3 story barn located behind the property across from Immaculate Conception Church. Attached to this barn was also a residence. The name of the family that lived in this residence was “Butts”. This would have been around 1966. I have a photo from my families back yard at 360 Clinton Hts. of the top of the barn. The barn burnt down sometime in the early 80′s or late 70′s I believe. There was also a small barn behind the brick house on the south side and about 3 or 4 house east of Calumet. Sorry I don’t have the address at hand. It was tore down maybe in the late 70′s and a new garage is currently there.

There’s an update to this information here.

Okay, who here remembers the Sunbubble–and is willing to admit it? In 1986 it was located at 4495 North High Street, cost $6 an hour, and offered “a private chance to slip into a hot tub, watch some M-TV or a movie, listen to your favorite radio station or cassette tape and have a good time.” Sunbubble was eventually demolished to make way for the Unitarian Church’s expansion and the overhaul of that section of High Street. And note: this photo shows two models in a promotional photo for the hot-tub facility.