“The Dominion Land Company has purchased the Whipp and Ingham farm containing 90 acres of land, Stop 15 C.D. & M. on North High Street. The ground was purchased by the company to supply numerous customers with large lots where the soil is rich. It is to be platted into extremely large lots and will be sold on easy terms so as to enable a great number of people to follow their regular work in the City and at the same time, have lands where they can have a nice garden and keep a few chickens and thus help the problem of the high cost of living…The name of this sub-division will be Highland Gardens.” –from The Dominion Land Company Columbus Home News, May 1913, Volume 1 Number 2.

(This photo is Louise Corp on Tulane Road, but I’m sure the chickens of Highland Gardens looked much the same.  Photo courtesy of the Clintonville Historical Society.)

“The natural beauty of these lands would inspire even one not familiar with the business of platting of allotments. The elevation of this tract is nearly 920 feet above sea level. The middle section of these lands slope both east and west and to the south, thus giving the sunny side of the hill in winter and the shady side in Summer. The view from the top of the hill is the most magnificent and inspiring sight in or around Columbus. The rolling valley of the Olentangy River, dotted with beautiful forest trees, bungalows and other types of homes, show a real masterpiece of Nature’s Handiwork. Back of the beautiful valley the rising hills continue for miles and miles. The view in any direction from this beautiful location is almost without bounds…This new tract will be known as the Dominion Park Addition.” –from The Dominion Land Company Columbus Home News, May 1913, Volume 1 Number 2.

Caption: Dr. D.G. Sanor residence at the entrance to the Indian Springs Addition

According to a transcript of a WBNS-Radio broadcast salute to Clintonville on May 27, 1959 and reprinted in The Clintonville Historical Society’s January 2009 issue of its newsletter, Clintonville Heritage, Clintonville’s first voting booth was located at the corner of Weber and High, and on Election Day, the Ladies Aid Societies would work all day, serving hot dinners to the farmers who came to vote.

Como has a venerable history. The house of one of the Bull family members was located on Como; the oldest house in Clintonville is reputed to be there; Howard Westervelt (founder of North Broadway Methodist Church) lived there.

This charming house is located at 57 West Como and was built around 1903. The picture was taken sometime before 1926. (Photo courtesy of Verna Rogers)

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 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)

Back in 1910, this address served as a home for children.

First of all, in case you are wondering, there is currently no 218 Jason Avenue or 218 W. Pacemont. Pacemont Avenue was originally called Jason Avenue. The area where the orphanage stands was outside of the Columbus City limits in 1910 & 1920, during many of the years when it operated as an orphanage. When the western end of Jason/Pacemont was added as the “the Aldrich’s Riverside addition,” the house numbers were adjusted to compensate for all the new lots. The current address is 56 West Pacemont.

The boarding house/orphanage/nursery was run by Judiah & Mary Ella Throps (sometimes spelled Throp or Throop). Judiah was born in 1844, served in the Civil War, and died in 1913. (His occupation was listed as “Painter” and also, in 1910, as “Nursery.” Mary Ella was born in 1865, and died in 1933. (Her occupation was listed as “Housekeeper” and occasionally “Nurse”.) Both are buried in Union Cemetery.

According to the 1910 Census, the Throps had one 7 year old son living with them (son Ernest Throps). Mary was at the time 45 years old. They also had 12 young boarders living with them, all under the age of 6 and many just babies.

By the 1920 Census, Judiah had passed away. The 1920 census states that Mary (by this time, age 55) had 3 children living with in her household: Earnest Throps (age 16); William Throps (age 9), Mabel Leonard (a servant, age 29) and Glendus Leonard (age 5, listed as a boarder). (I can’t help wondering whether there were additional boarders, not listed by the census taker.)

By the 1930 Census, Mary was 64. By this time she had quite a few extra living companions: William Throps (son, age 19), Richard Throps (adopted son, age 4), Helen Gatewood (servant, age 22), Jeanne Paden (8), Oswin Poletzie (7), Shirley Poletzie (3), Elva Waton (18), Marie Obrien (6), Charles Jordan (6), Mick Tudor (3), Virginia Adkins (2), and Algie Donaldson (2).

This research was conducted by Scott Caputo of the Columbus Metropolitan Library, Main branch, Geneaology, History, & Travel Desk. We are so glad he discovered this history. Scott had a library client who knew that their grandmother had a child out of wedlock in 1910. The grandmother had put the infant in an “orphanage” located at 218 Jason Avenue, where he died shortly afterward. The infant was Harry White and is included in the 1910 census in a list of around a dozen “boarders” at this address. All are under 5 years old.

Here’s a directory of the source material used for the above information, and also linked to above:
Sanborn Maps
Censuses
Business Directories
Death and Civil War Records

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.)