Monday, October 21, 2019

Historic House Demos – Fall 1969 - Part 1

The autumn of 1969 was a busy time in Lorain when it came to demolishing historic homes.

While doing my regular blog research on Journal microfilm at the Lorain Public Library, I came up with two demolition photos that I never thought I’d see. And both of them were on the same roll of microfilm: September 1969.

The first home was at the intersection of Baumhart Road and West Erie Avenue (U. S. Route 6). Here’s a photo of it circa 1956.
It was built in the 1820s by Colonel Henry Brown (later known as Judge Henry Brown), who was one of the founding fathers of his namesake Brownhelm settlement. By the late 1940s the house was known as the Baumhart house, since the descendants of Jacob Baumhardt (who was born in the house) were living in it.

(I did a seven-part series on the house back here in 2017.)

And here’s the sad demolition photo, from the September 10, 1969 Journal.

Unfortunately by the time of the demolition, the Journal no longer had anyone on staff (like it did in the 1950s) who knew the history of the house and its actual age (it was not 200 years old).
Tomorrow – The other house
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5 comments:

  1. AnonymousOctober 21, 2019 at 12:08 PM

    How strange to read your blog today and you mention Henry Brown and the house he built 200 years ago. The Chronicle has an article that also mentions him today.

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  2. Dan BradyOctober 21, 2019 at 12:50 PM

    What a great coincidence! Thanks for the heads-up on the Chronicle article – it was a good one!

    https://chroniclet.com/news/175245/dead-come-alive-at-brownhelm-cemetery/

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  3. Col. Matt NahornSeptember 9, 2020 at 8:58 PM

    I don't know how I missed this post. I was re-researching Brown's house, and this popped up. I'll add it to my file! Such a sad photo. I wonder if anything - like the mailbox cabinet mentioned in an earlier article was saved...probably not, but probably will never know... onward

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  4. Col. Matt NahornSeptember 9, 2020 at 9:01 PM

    The article mentions the house was on Baumhart Road, but it was on Route 6, correct?

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  5. Dan BradySeptember 9, 2020 at 11:40 PM

    That’s right, Colonel. I’m guessing that whoever wrote the photo caption probably wasn’t familiar with the exact location of the house (on Route 6 at its intersection of Baumhart Road), although they were correct about it being across from the Ford plant and paved over for a parking lot.

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