Alpine Avon Lake Home – 1951

Another photo of the house, courtesy of 
Avon Lake, Ohio – Images of America

Sometimes I find an article on microfilm just a little too late.

When I saw the photo of the house in Avon Lake accompanying the article above (which appeared in the Lorain Journal back on June 25, 1951), I immediately recognized it. Although the house was not easy to see from Lake Road, its barn-like garage (similarly styled to resemble an Alpine lodge), was close to Lake Road.

I thought, "Hey, this would make a great subject for a 'Then and Now' feature!"

What I had forgotten was that the house had been torn down years ago, about the same time as the historic house that sat next to it (which I wrote about here in 2014).

Here's an aerial view showing both long-gone houses. The one featured in the article is on the right near the top of the photo.

It's too bad the house had to go, as it had a lot of history. According to the article, the house had been built by J. A. Gehring, a wealthy Cleveland brewer, in 1898 at a cost of $92,000. He called the 14-room chalet, "Green Gables."

After Gehring passed away, his widow sold the home to Edwin S. Griffith, president of the Bishop - Babcock Co. of Cleveland in 1920. And Griffith's widow sold it to R. J. Hildebrandt, president of Cleveland's Hildebrandt Provision Company. Hildebrandt owned it at the time of the Journal article.

The article notes one especially interesting historical point about the house. David Lloyd George, the former British prime minister, stayed at the house during a visit to America. "A plaque bearing a likeness of the official rests in the beach house behind the chalet," according to the 1951 article.

I wonder where that plaque is today?

Anyway, the Alpine-style garage that went with the house apparently survived, although it has been modified by the new owners of the property.