Middletown, Ohio - December 3, 2006
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All Photographs Copyright © 2006 Robert E Pence
On a very dreary December day a small contingent from Urbanohio.com met up in Middletown to take part in the Candlelight Tour of Homes
in the South Main Street Historic district. First, we walked around downtown and were given tours of a couple of significant downtown
buildings by their owners.
City Building
Formerly occupied by G.C. Murphy company, the building housing studios of Beau Verre / Riordan has been extensively renovated by itsowners. Interior features include woodwork salvaged from a former school. The replacement of many structural, mechanical and electrical
components represents a major investment in Middletown's downtown.
Views from the roof.
The gallery of Christopher Walden, nationally acclaimed wildlife artist, is on the first floor of the building adjacent to Beau Verre's studios.
1 Floor Up, in a former Eagles lodge is being developed as a downtown arts venue.
We began our Candlelight Tour of Homes in the South Main Street Historic Districtby stopping at St. Paul's United Church of Christ to get our tickets.
First United Methodist Church's Richardsonian Romanesque building wasdesigned by noted Cincinnati architect Samuel Hannaford, and ground was
broken in 1890. The windows, original to the building, were created by Chicago
stained glass designer George A. Misch.
The burned building in the next block is the former home of First Baptist Church.
Sorg House.
1878 Winchester House.
Daniel McCallay House, 1866.
On December 17, 2004, the owners of the Lefferson Home, an 1827 farmhouse and the oldest house in Middletown, returned home from aChristmas dinner with friends to find their home gutted by fire. They have rebuilt on the site, using approximately the footprint of the original
house and with very nearly the same appearance and using some fixtures and materials that were salvaged from the original house.
1872 Leibee House suffered decades of inappropriate remodeling including time as a nursing home before being purchased by MiddletownPlanning Director Marty Kohler, who has torn out the renovations and is restoring the home to its original appearance.
