Brady's Bunch of Lorain County Nostalgia: The House at 35955 Detroit Road in Avon

When I first found this January 1955 article (at right) about a landmark Avon home, I Googled its address (35955 Detroit Road) and saw that its location was smack dab in the middle of the modern shopping area out there near State Route 83.

I assumed the home was lost to development long ago and put the article aside as being of little interest.

But when I revisited the article a few months ago, I did a little more research, and was surprised to find out the house was still there and I knew which one is was. I had even wondered about its history for a long time. Let’s see if you recognize it from the article too.

So here’s the article as written by Lillian Alten as it appeared in the Lorain Journal on January 24, 1955 – 61 years ago this month.

****

On Detroit Road
Antiques, School House Make Village Landmark
By LILLIAN ALTEN

AVON – Many people, villagers and visitors alike, have often noticed the lovely home of Mr. and Mrs. O. W. Schrader, 35955 Detroit Rd., but not many know the history behind it.

The property was originally known as the village school grounds and dates back to 1836, when it was School District No. 7. The house was originally a school. The first building on the site was moved, and the present building was used as a school until 1924, when the tornado and other circumstances caused the school to be closed.

Colonial, Georgian
The Schrader home, of colonial and Georgian structure, retains its antique charm, and visitors have little trouble realizing that it was once a two-room school house. A blackboard used in the school is now sealed in between the kitchen and breakfast room walls, which used to be the cloakroom in the school.

The floors throughout the house are the original maple floors of the school, and the floored attic had huge, old exposed beams, which serve to show how permanently the building was put together.

The Schrader’s say the present building was erected just before the turn of the century. The front and back steps of the house are the original steps used by the school children. The handrail at the back steps is worn smooth from use given it by children going in and out of the old schoolhouse.

Vestibule Cloakroom
The front vestibule, once the school cloakroom, has a ceiling six feet higher than the other rooms in the house. The windows have been shortened and ceilings have been lowered six feet. The basement walls are of sandstone.

The exterior of the house is of white painted brick with green shutters. The grounds are beautifully landscaped, and a sunken patio and huge double fireplace and located in the back yard.

Treasure Trove
The interior of the Schrader home is a treasure - trove of glass, silver, brass, copper and sandstone pieces, some of which came with the house. Mrs. Schrader’s hobby is antiques, and she collects antique dolls, glass and china. She is constantly searching for additions to her collection.

The house is furnished predominantly with Early American pieces, with some Victorian and some primitive furnishings completing the picture. Adding to the “antique” atmosphere are poster beds, complete with old fashioned pillow covers and dust ruffles.

Shown by appointment or invitation only, the house gives a feeling of welcome to all who enter, and is a charming village landmark.

****

Here are two shots of the house as it looked for many years, courtesy of the Lorain County Auditor website.

I remember driving by this building after construction commenced on the nearby shopping center, wondering what was going to happen to it. It looked particularly forlorn back then, surrounded by a sea of dirt and mud.

But happily, the structure did survive the construction of the shopping center. It housed a home decor business at some point (below).