USA > Ohio > Hamilton County > Cincinnati > The suburbs of Cincinnati : sketches, historical and descriptive > Part 2
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The residence of John Reid, erected about five years ago, is surrounded by grounds well cared for, about ten acres in extent. William R. Phipps has a substantial dwelling, erected about four years ago on a lot of nearly seven acres. The edifice is decidedly agreeable in its architecture, has a veranda looking out to the south-east, and pleasant surroundings.
Following these successively, are the homes of R. B. Stephenson, Henry Van Valkenburg and William W. Andrews, singularly attractive in their ap- pearance. The grounds are filled with shrubbery and kept in excellent order.
Next on the west of the avenue, are the premises of W. F. Irwin, to which allusion has been made. Mr. Irwin has been here since 1852, and has made valuable additions to the property. The broad front, and hospitable recess remain the same as when the house was occupied by Mr. Kendall. A graveled drive, describing a complete circle, intervenes between the gateway and the dwelling, and evergreens and shrubbery have been plentifully dispersed. In the rear he has a large garden and fruit trees in abundance. The premises, though well known twenty-five years ago, are among the most attractive in the village.
Adjoining Mr. Irwin's on the south, is the residence of William P. Wal- lace, which we have previously mentioned as the Bassett or Caldwell property. The building is so well preserved that one would scarcely think it dated back thirty years. There are about seven acres in the ground that sur- round the building. On the same side of the avenue, G. W. B. Cleneay has built an expensive residence. The architecture is quaint and some- what irregular. He has about his buildings spacious and eligible grounds, which he has already highly improved and adorned.
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Suburbs of Cincinnati.
Nearly opposite Mr. Cleneay's is the residence of Mrs. W. C. Mann. Verandas run quite around the building, and the premises are attractive. She has five acres about her dwelling, which are well set with shade trees, the maple and poplar predominating. On the north-west corner of Main and Forest avenues, adjoining Mr. Cleneay's on the south, J. A. Pomeroy has elegant premises. He has a lot of about one acre and a half, well laid off and set in shrubbery, and a tasteful residence with veranda looking to the avenue.
On Glenwood avenue, which is passed on the left coming south, Dr. George C. Blackman has a residence, erected three years ago. It is a spacious, pleasant-looking home, with verandas covering the whole first-story front. A mate to this, the former home of H. H. Gibson, has recently passed into the hands of Captain Collier. East of Dr. Blackman's is the dwelling of Dr. I. S. Dodge, erected five years ago, upon a lot of about two acres. Nearly opposite Dr. Blackman's, John W. Dale has a dwelling of inviting appearance, which is about four years old. Near Mr. Dale's, on the south side of the avenue, is the tasteful residence of the Rev. Joseph Gam- ble, pastor of the Presbyterian Church; and in the same locality the pleas- ant home of John Roberts. Judge Price has also a handsome dwelling.
On the north side of Glenwood avenue is the residence of M. T. Antram, a two-story brick edifice with tower and elegant verandas. While the archi- tecture of Mr. Antram's is novel, the whole premises are attractive.
Immediately adjoining the latter, with a lot extending to Main avenue, is the mate to Mr. Antram's residence, now occupied by William Stewart.
On Forest avenue there is the residence of E. A. Herod, erected three years ago; also, those of George Hafer and J. W. G. Stackpole. On the north-east corner of Forest and Washington avenues is the residence of William A. Webb, with about two acres of land. The north-west corner is graced with one of the handsomest pieces of property in Avondale-that of Charles Hofer. He has about two acres of land, upon which he erected, three years ago, an expensive residence. It is well finished throughout, has a Mansard roof, and is surrounded by attractive grounds. His evergreens are
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Avondale.
very beautiful. In his yard are twelve Norway spruce, some of which are forty years old. In addition to these, the larch, cedar, and white pine abound.
Going north, on Washington avenue, first comes the residence of L. H. Sargent, erected about five years ago, upon a large lot. Adjoining this is the John Mears property, which is occupied by Mr. Mears' widow. The building is an old one, but the beautiful orchard and splendid evergreens grow more attractive by age.
To the right are the premises of Judge W. Y. Gholson, a time-honored dwelling in the midst of fifteen acres of fruit and other trees. It was the for- mer residence of Dr. William Smith, one of the early citizens of Avondale. Judge Gholson has resided here about ten years, and no doubt finds unusual pleasure in the retirement which this quiet, comfortable home affords. On the same avenue, are the residences of H. M. Magill, F. C. Ben- nett, and H. A. Johnston, all of them tasteful homes with fine surround- ings. On the north-west corner of Washington and Monroe avenues, is the residence of Frederick Schultze, erected three years ago. It has a ver- anda looking out on Washington avenue, and is surrounded by ample grounds. At the foot of Monroe avenue, Godfrey Holterhoff has an expen- sive dwelling. with Mansard roof and tower. His building faces the east, and occupies a position which commands an extensive view of the Millcreek valley and highlands beyond.
Returning to Forest avenue, and proceeding to the west, we pass the resi- dence of A. B. Johnson, a neat two-story frame edifice, with plenty of shrub- bery and fruit; and that of Lester Taylor, with evergreens and fruit trees surrounding. Near them, George W. Guysi has a residence of irregular out- line, erected in 1867, upon a lot of two acres. The improvements surround- ing the house are new, and the landscape to the north very beautiful. Glen- dale, seven miles away, can be distinctly seen. Still farther to the west is the dwelling of John Gaff, erected about four years ago. Mr. Gaff has a circular drive and a very pretty lawn, with evergreens and shrubbery well distributed throughout his grounds.
At the east end of the avenue is the former residence of Allen Collier,
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Suburbs of Cincinnati.
recently purchased by Mr. Cleneay, very tasteful, with an abundance of ever- greens about it, and surroundings of no ordinary attraction. There are about fifteen acres of land, to the rear of which is a grove of native forest trees. Few places in Avondale are so picturesque as this.
On Rockdale avenue, William Horsely erected a dwelling in 1867. Near it is the Williams property, a large residence on the north side.
Still further to the westward, on Rockdale avenue, are the residences of J. L. Haven and Theophilus Wilson, both comfortable frame dwellings, surrounded by beautiful grounds.
On the same avenue, near Washington avenue, the Rev. James Stevenson, pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, has a neat two-story frame resi- dence, erected two years ago.
Near Main avenue are the residences of J. E. Wynne and Gomer Wynne, tasteful in their external appearance, and neat in all their appointments. The residences of these brothers are adjoining, and just west of the Presby- terian Church, which is also on this avenue.
Reaching Main avenue, and proceeding to the south, four improvements are soon approached that will compare favorably with any in the village. They are on the west side of Main avenue, and near each other. The first is that of John Grubb, at the head of Maple avenue, a very pretty little street running west from Main. Mr. Grubb has about three acres of land, well improved, with a residence erected nearly six years ago. His location is a very desirable one. He is away from the main thoroughfare, yet very accessible. Next, on the south, is the residence of John Dickson, erected six years ago. He has a lot of about three acres, well laid out, through which his dwelling is approached by a neatly-kept drive. His house has heavy double porticoes looking to the avenue.
Sonth of Mr. Dickson's are the premises of Andrew Lamb, who has three and a half acres handsomely laid out and kept in admirable order. His dwelling is brick, with tower, and veranda on lower front, from which he looks over his lawn to the avenue. The house, like those on either side, is
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Avondale.
well removed from the street, and occupies a beautiful position, which is attained by a gradual and easy ascent.
Adjoining Mr. Lamb's is the residence of H. F. West, which was recently finished at a heavy cost. It is a fine edifice, with Mansard roof. From his broad verandas, that embrace both the south and east of the building, the land falls rapidly both to Main avenue on the east and Linden avenue on the south, and exhibits one of the prettiest slopes that is seen in Avondale. Mr. West has about six acres of land within his inclosure, all of which presents a favorable appearance from the south and east. Ou Linden avenue, which bounds Mr. West's property on the south, are the residences of R. A. John- ston, Simpson Glenn, and William Glenn. They are pleasantly situated, in the midst of handsome grounds. The locations of the Messrs. Glenn are on the summit of the elevation which Linden avenue surmounts, and besides having very neatly-kept lawns, have superb landscapes stretching away to the east.
On Linden avenue, Samuel J. Hale has recently erected a commodious and elegant residence, with all the modern conveniences and improvements. The location is an admirable one, and time only is needed to develop a spot of surpassing beauty.
Opposite Mr. Hale's is a tasteful two-story brick residence, erected by Mr. Lamb for his son John Lamb, and now occupied by Dr. T. R. Spence. The dwelling occupies an eligible position, and the premises are quite attractive.
East of these improvements are the residences on Ridgway street. One of these, belonging to Dr. Scudder, lately completed, occupies a position from which it appears equally well from both Main avenue and Ridgway street. Fayette Smith has also a new, commodious edifice on the same street.
On the west side of Main avenue, south of Linden avenue, as we approach Cincinnati, is the dwelling of F. W. Dury and that lately occupied by B. F. Paddack, both substantial edifices, well hidden by thick shrubbery and occasional forest trees, and approached through picturesque drives. Near the southern boundary of the village, on the east side, is the residence of the family of the late General M. S. Wade, a roomy edifice, well known to those familiar with the early history of the Lebanon Pike, as the place improved by Horace Gooch, about the year 1835, then called Beech Grove Female Seminary.
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Suburbs of Cincinnati.
On the east side of Burnet avenue, is the residence of Henry Niemeyer, erected about five years ago. Mr. Niemeyer has a location which has few superiors in this locality.
The residence of H. J. Hickman on Main avenue south of Linden avenue, is a neat edifice surrounded with shrubbery and well removed from the street. On Grove street, near Rockdale avenue, John Kennett, two years ago, erected a tasteful residence. Mr. Kennett selected a locust grove for the site of his building.
There are other places which must be left unmentioned, some of which are scarcely less attractive than those which have been described.
CHURCHES.
Avondale has three church organizations, all of which now have places of worship.
The Presbyterian Church, lately Old School, a very tasteful brick edifice, was completed and occupied about the first of February, 1868. It is situated on the north side of Rockdale avenue, a short distance from Main avenue. The building is forty-three by sixty-three feet. The audience room is furnished with pine and black walnut pews, cushioned with crimson damask. It has inside shutters, and a neat pulpit, constructed of the same material, the panels of the latter being covered with crimson. The church is nicely carpeted, and is, withal, a very cozy house of worship. The pastor, Rev. Joseph Gam- ble, formerly of St. Louis, has been with the congregation since November, 1867.
The Grace Methodist Episcopal Church, formerly Mears Chapel, is a neat edifice forty feet by sixty feet, situated on the south side of Forest avenue, west of Washington avenue. The building was thoroughly repaired and much improved two years ago at an expense of twenty-two hundred dollars. Two porticoes were added, and the inside neatly finished and furnished. The society is not large, yet it maintains a stationed minister, who receives a salary of fifteen hundred dollars per annum. Rev. James Stevenson
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Avondale.
has been the pastor of the church since the conference of 1867. The Sab- bath school is under the charge of Stephen H. Burton.
Grace Protestant Episcopal Church has been erected during the past year, and was first occupied Sunday, February 27, 1870, on which occasion the ser- mon was preached by the Rev. Wm. A. Snively, Rector of Christ Church. The edifice is a gothic chapel, with a steep slate roof, and bell turret in the rear. The material is blue limestone, undressed, with the freestone trimmings that so handsomely relieve the severity of the dark stone now largely used in our public buildings. The front is furnished with a large decoratedl window of stained glass, the main windows in the audience room being of the same material. The entrance to the main room is by two lateral stone porches. The chancel is of medium size, with the choir on the one side and the vestry room on the other. In the rear, the chancel is adorned with a handsome, decorated window. The interior of the church is as neat and chaste as the exterior is tasteful. The pews are covered with crimson terry, and are elegant in all respects.
The room, which will seat two hundred and fifty persons, is handsomely car- peted, and the whole presents the appearance of a suburban church-home that would do credit to any congregation. The edifice is on a lot two acres in extent, on Main avenue, north of Glenwood avenue. The cost of lot and church, when entirely completed, will reach $25,000. The rector, the Rev. A. F. Blake, has been with the congregation since its organization in April, 1866. The present membership is about twenty. The Sabbath school, in charge of B. F. Lewis, averages thirty scholars.
SCHOOLS.
The public school of Avondale is a large one, and will bear comparison with any in the country. It is under the charge of A. B. Johnson, with five assistant teachers, one of whom is his accomplished wife. The whole number of pupils enrolled is four hundred and fifty-eight; in regular attend- ance, three hundred and fifty. Fifteen years ago the number in attendance 3
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Suburbs of Cincinnati.
was thirty-three. The school building is of brick, about seventy feet by thirty, with hall and six rooms. It was remodeled three years ago, to afford accommodations for the increased number of children. It is eligibly located on the west side of Main avenue, south of Rockdale avenue, and the grounds upon which it stands have recently been enlarged by the purchase of lands extending to the latter avenue.
APPROACHES.
The approaches to Avondale are much the same as those to Walnut Hills. The main route is by the Lebanon turnpike, though it can easily be reached both from Mt. Auburn and Walnut Hills. Omnibuses run at regular intervals during the day, passing through the entire village, which is about one mile and a half in length. The time will soon come when it will have a street railway. A through route is entirely practicable, and an extension of the Mount Auburn road among the probabilities.
POPULATION.
The population of Avondale, in the absence of a census, can only be con- jectured. It probably ranges from twelve to fifteen hundred. It is composed largely of the families of business men who are actively employed in Cincin- nati. There are comparatively few of any other class. The society of the place is good, and there is every facility for social culture and enjoyment.
The following gentlemen are the municipal officers of Avondale for 1870-71 : Mayor-ROBERT A. JOHNSTON.
Recorder-A. B. JOHNSON.
Council - ROBERT MITCHELL, SETH EVANS, JOHN GAFF, JOHN DICKSON, JAMES L. HAVEN, and W. J. BERNE.
Marshal-JEREMIAH TWOHIG.
CLIFTON.
MONG the many suburbs of Cincinnati, there is no one that is more favorably known than Clifton. Its beautiful drives, splendid improvements, and fine prospects, have been for years among the chief attractions of Cincinnati's surroundings.
W. G. W. Gano may be considered the pioneer of Clifton. He removed to the place he now occupies, at the foot of Crescent avenue, in the year 1838, and has resided there uninterruptedly since that time.
In 1843, Robert Buchanan purchased forty-three acres of land, which he now occupies, thirty-three acres of which he bought of Nicholas Longworth at $40 per acre, and the remainder of Mr. Avery at $60 per acre. The country then was much unlike the Clifton of to-day. The Carthage road was but partially completed, and a part of this route, during the wet season, was almost impassable. Clifton avenue was an unimproved mud road that had recently been changed from the old Irwin Mill route to the section line.
Mr. Buchanan put up a house at once, and in July of the same year removed with his family. He, however, for years, used it only as a summer residence, spending the winters in Cincinnati. He soon felt the need of neighbors, and set himself at work to devise means to procure them. The Lafayette Bank had come into possession of five hundred acres of land, which embraced those west of the present Clifton and Crescent avenues, and north of William Gibson's. The land was valued at $75 per acre for that which was cleared, and $50 for the timber.
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Suturks of Cincinnati.
In 1843, a committee was sent out, that, with the assistance of 3fr. Buchanan, located the present Lafayette avenue, naming it for the bank, and divided the lands into tracts of from ten to forty acres, to which they affixed prices. The division was about the same that now exists. The lots now owned by Messrs. Probasco, Ellis, Taylor, and Bennett, were woodland, valued at $65 per acre ; that of Mr. Shoenberger, $46; Bishop McIlvaine, $75; Mr. DeLand, $80; Mr. Sherlock, $81 ; while that now owned by Mrs. Neave, on account of its elevation and the land having been cleared, was valued at $104, which was the highest valuation placed upon any tract. The lot where Mrs. Bowler's house stands was valued at $45 per acre. At these prices, which now seem incredibly low, the lands were generally dis- posed of during the years of 1843 and 1844.
Flamen Ball, Esq., in the summer of 1843, purchased twenty-two acres of what was known as the Ireland property, made improvements, and removed to it in August of that year. Mr. Ball has resided there ever since, and is thus one of the oldest residents of Clifton. He was soon followed by B. B. Whiteman, who purchased the land where he now resides in the same vear, and removed with his family in 1844.
In 1844, Winthrop B. Smith purchased the lot owned by Mr. DeLand, erected the residence now there, and removed to it the same year. Bishop McIlvaine purchased his lot in 1844, erected buildings, and removed to them in 1846. About the same time, or soon thereafter, purchases and improve- ments were made by Dr. John A. Warder, William B. Dodds, Hamilton Harbaugh, John. W. Burrows, Daniel Bowdell, and J. B. Schroeder.
The work of building having fairly begun in this suburb, the want of incor- poration soon became apparent. Streets needed to be improved, the public peace preserved, and citizens protected against stock running at large. Steps were accordingly taken to procure an act of incorporation, which, in 1849, through the unremitting exertions of Flamen Ball, was obtained. Mr. Ball was electedl the first mayor, and discharged the duties of that office each year following, until 1860, with the exception of two terms.
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Clifton.
The tract of land alluded to as having belonged to the Lafayette Bank, had been known as the Clifton Farm, and this name, by a kind of common consent, had been adopted as the name of the new community.
BOUNDARIES.
Clifton is bounded on the east by the Carthage turnpike, that runs, after leaving the toll-gate, a few degrees east of north, until reaching the little Catholic community of St. Bernard, which is just beyond the most northerly point of Clifton. Running thence almost due west, the corpora- tion line strikes the Miami canal, which winds around the base of the hills upon which Clifton is built, pursuing a south-westerly direction for some dis- tance, and then turning to the south until reaching the House of Refuge. These constitute the northern and western boundaries, while the southern is the south lines of sections 21 and 15, which it follows until reaching the point where the latter intersects the Carthage road. The village embraces nearly all of section 21, and parts of sections 15, 16, and 22, the whole making about two sections of land.
The configuration of the land is such that the entire district is admirably adapted to country seats; and this is specially true of that which lies adja- cent to the point where the hills begin rapidly to descend to the Millcreek Valley. Every person who has passed along the Cincinnati, Hamilton and Dayton Railroad, or the common roads that run through the valley of Mill- creek, remembers the noble hills that sweep around for several miles to the east, covered with rich foliage or luxuriant grass, with now and then a tower. or buttress, or veranda, partially disclosed by openings in the forest trees. These highlands are Clifton, from the slopes of which the beholder looks out upon a valley of great extent and of rare beauty. For many miles to the north are suburban places, beautiful farms, comfortable farm-houses, fields rich in pasturage, interspersed with beautiful groves. Beyond are the grand hills, their sides covered with verdure and dotted with the houses of thrifty farmers. Through the valley the creek wanders, and the landscape is scarcely ever without a railroad train to lend it additional interest.
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Suburbs of Cincinnati.
Clifton is purely a suburban place. There is nothing of the town about it. There is neither store, grocery, mechanic's shop, nor saloon, and the whole place is so completely under the control of those who desire to keep it for purposes of country residence, that it must be many years before the general character of the place can change. Of course, it will become more thickly settled. Each year the inhabitants will increase in numbers, until it will become less retired; but it will be among the last places about Cincinnati that will suffer from encroachments of business.
AVENUES.
Clifton has few avenues-the places generally being large, and as accessi- ble by one main avenue, with two or three diverging ones, as if there were a score. The principal one is named after the place-Clifton-and runs north and south on the section line. This avenue, ten years ago, was con- tinued south along the western boundary of Corryville to the city corpora- tion line-making the entire avenue two miles in length; but there is only about one mile of this that lies within the corporate limits of Clifton.
It is a broad, well-improved avenue, with a solidly-constructed road-bed covered with gravel, and green sward skirting it throughout its entire length. Shade trees have generally been planted on either side, and, while they now afford an agreeable shade, in a few years they will make this one of the shadiest, coolest drives about the city. Intersecting this, near the south cor- poration line, is the old Cumminsville road, now called Ludlow avenue, which bears off, in a north-westerly direction, to Cumminsville.
The next street intersecting Clifton avenue is Glenway, a pretty little avenue, along which are three or four attractive homes. This runs across from Clifton avenue to the Carthage road. When it has performed about half the distance, it is intersected by Brookline avenue, which leaves the main road that comes from Corryville, midway between Carthage road and Clifton avenue, and runs northwardly through a slight depression that seems made expressly for this purpose.
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Clifton.
A short distance beyond, along the north line of Theodore Cook's place, is Resor avenue, which leaves Clifton avenue and runs west about a fourth of a mile, to the residence of David Gibson. A short distance north, running parallel with the latter, is Central avenue. This leaves Clifton avenue at the school-house, and runs west to Lafayette avenue, which it intersects near the western terminus of the latter.
Clifton avenue terminates at the old Episcopal Church property, now the residence of William P. Neff, from which point tro avenues diverge-the one to the right called Crescent avenue, which runs first to the north-east, and then, gradually bearing to the left to reach Spring Grove Cemetery, describes a curve which gives the street its name. The street to the left is Lafayette avenue, which runs westerly, bearing gradually to the south until it intersects Ludlow avenue, not far from the western boundary of Clifton. This avenue is a smooth, beautiful, graveled drive, with young shade trees on either side, and distinguished for having the finest residences upon it that are found in Clifton.
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