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Zimmerman House
Orr Zimmerman, who owned the Olympic Swimming Pool, owned the Tudor-style house that still stands on the northwest corner of Henderson and Olentangy River Road. Zimmerman built the house in 1929 on what was then a 52-acre estate; at the time, Henderson was a country gravel road and Olentangy a narrow two-lane street. The architect was Thomas Tulley. Interior walls were decorated by a New York artist, with beautiful wooded scenes in both the trophy room and the living room. Two Canadian bear cubs, captured on a hunting trip, were raised in a small house on the property. In 1977 the house was a Decorators’ Show House.
Log House
This diminutive log structure was built in Meigs County in 1840 and brought to Clintonville in 1937 by Grace McGrath, great-granddaughter of the original owner. The house was put next to McGrath’s home. McGrath was an art teacher at Central High School and she used it as an art studio. Subsequent owners have expanded the house with bathrooms, an updated kitchen and bedroom, and porch. (Photo by Inga Smith, photo displayed courtesy of the homeowner)
Log houses, log cabins
Don Hutslar, in his book Log Construction in the Ohio Country 1750–1850, differentiates between log cabins, which were intended to be temporary, and log houses, which were intended to serve as a home and were consequently sturdier, larger, perhaps taller. I wonder how many log homes there are in Clintonville, covered by contemporary siding. I have been told that there is one at 232 West North Broadway, on the north side of West North Broadway, east of the river.
Minstrel shows
In the early part of the twentieth century, many Clintonville organizations and churches held minstrel shows, as fundraisers and for entertainment. I chose not to sanitize minstrel shows from my book, because they were an authentic part of Clintonville’s history, albeit the part we are all glad we’ve done away with. I regret any offense or hurt caused by these pictures.
Standard Oil Station is Outstanding!
This cute gas station was located at the northern end of the Olentangy Village shopping area in 1939. Today, it is Oldskool restaurant. Is today’s restaurant the same (original) building? I think so. (Photo courtesy of Melissa Goodrich)
The wild Indian Springs
Old maps show at least 3 “Indian springs” within Clintonville. Overbrook Ravine, one of the Indian springs, was untamed and picturesque. Lore has it that Indians harvested cranberries along the brook. (Photo courtesy of Galen Gonser)
