By 1856 the village was the home offive institutions of higher learning.Miami University, the OxfordTheological Seminary, the OxfordFemale Institute, the Western FemaleSeminary, and the Oxford FemaleCollege made Oxford a true collegetown much like the city in England forwhich it was named.

In the following years Oxonians wit-nessed many changes in their smalltown. The Theological Seminary movedto Monmouth, Illinois, and Miami stu-dents left to fight on both sides of theCivil War. The Female Institute andFemale College merged into whatwould become Oxford College forWomen. Miami closed for twelve yearsand the Female Seminary became theWestern College for Women. By theend of the twentieth century theremaining women’s schools had closed,leaving only Miami.

While few pre-Civil War buildingsremain in the Uptown Oxford HistoricDistrict, many built in the late nine-teenth and early twentieth centuriescan still be seen. Most of these havereplaced earlier buildings althoughsome are the first ones on their sites.Brief descriptions of their significanceare given, with additional informationavailable from tour escorts and the pub-lic library.

Pieces of Oxford’s Past

Oxford’s location was determined in theearly 1800s when a site was selected forOhio’s second public university. To endthe squabbling among competing townsand cities, the decision was made tolocate the new school in an almost unin-habited wilderness area in northwesternButler County. The resulting village wouldbe given the classic name Oxford.

For many years before, indigenous tribesincluding the Miami and Shawnee hadshared the rolling hills of southwesternOhio. After their defeat by the army ofGeneral Anthony Wayne they were ban-ished from the region by the Treaty ofGreenville in 1795. By 1809 when MiamiUniversity was chartered, descendants ofEuropean immigrants had begun to settlealong the Four Mile Creek (calledTallawanda by the Native Americans).

In 1810 settlers bought lots in the new vil-lage that was laid out in a tract stillreferred to as the Mile Square. The uni-versity and two public squares wereincluded within Oxford’s boundaries. Thecampus was situated at the eastern edge,and the town squares were located nearthe center of what would become theUptown business district. Together thevillage and the university developed overthe next two decades, and in 1830 (with apopulation of over 700) Oxford was incor-porated.

Walking Tour of the

UptownOxford

HistoricDistrict

WWaallkkiinngg TToouurr ooff tthhee UUPPTTOOWWNN OOXXFFOORRDDHHIISSTTOORRIICC DDIISSTTRRIICCTT

Designated by the City of Oxford in1987, the Uptown Oxford HistoricDistrict is one of the city’s three historicdistricts and is the only one thatincludes commercial, residential, recre-ational, and religious sites. This self-guided walking tour of the High Streetbusiness district covers a twelve-blockarea and provides brief descriptions ofthe historic and architectural signifi-cance of 96 sites. Buildings included inthe tour are limited to those that wereconstructed prior to World War II andthat are still standing. (Only one excep-tion was made, and that was in orderto include the wedding site of a U.S.president despite the fact that thehouse was demolished.)

HOW TO USE THIS GUIDE

To take the entire walking tour, begin atthe Oxford Community Arts Center at thesouthwest corner of West High Street andSouth College Avenue. The circled numbernext to each address in the booklet corre-sponds to a location on the foldout map inthe back.

The complete tour takes approximatelytwo hours. Shorter tours can be taken ofjust the West End (about an hour and 15minutes) by following numbers 1-50 and78-96 or of only the East End (about 45minutes) by following numbers 51-77.

To arrange escorted group tours contact theOxford Visitors & Convention Bureau at

14 West Park Place, Second FloorOxford, OH 45056Phone 513-523-8687Fax 513-523-2927

E-mail info@enjoyoxford.orgWebsite www.enjoyoxford.org

For additional information on Oxford historycontact the

Lane Public Libraries’ Smith Library of Regional History

15 South College AvenueOxford, OH 45056

Phone 513-523-3035Fax 513-523-6661

E-mail sml@lanepl.orgWebsite www.lanepl.org/smith.html

Photographs were taken by Nora E. Bowers,John F. Brouhard, J. E. Elliott, George R. Hoxie,Ralph J. McGinnis, Miami University Recensiostaff, Hazelett A. Moore, Frank R. Snyder,Robert E. White, Gilson P. Wright, and otherswhose names are not known. The photos datefrom as early as the 1870s and are part of theSmith Library collection.

Cover: This postcard image produced byKraemer Art of Cincinnati was titled, West onHigh St. Oxford, Ohio. Photographed circa1909-1910, it shows the south side of WestHigh Street in the block between Main andBeech Streets. The digital image is part of theSmith History Library’s Clyde Bowden PostcardCollection.

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Oxford, Ohio2001

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UPTOWN OXFORD HISTORIC DISTRICT

1

10 South College AvenueChartered in 1849, the Oxford Female Institute

later merged with the Oxford Female College (locat-ed east of town). This building, later known as OxfordCollege for Women, first had Greek Revival and thenhad Victorian-era architectural features added beforethe school closed in 1928. After being acquired byMiami University, Neoclassical elements were added,and the building served as a dormitory until 1998. Itis listed in the National Register of Historic Places.

1

10 South College Avenue

Oxford College promotional brochure, c. 1899

2

303 West High Street(To save time this site can be viewed from 210 W. High St.)

This two-storey brick dwelling might have been builtas early as 1859 and once had a full-length frontporch. It was the home of a meat shop proprietor inthe early 1900s and later became the residence ofMary (Kimball) and George VanAusdall, a retired Indi-ana farmer. By mid-century the house was convertedto apartments, and in 1989 an addition was con-structed on the west side.

3

210 West High StreetBuilt in the first decade of the 1900s, this brick

house was the residence of the family of Rose (Weir)and Zora Beckett, a businessman. Next it was thehome of Althea (Wagner) and John Hutchisson, a gro-cer, and by the mid-1960s the building had been con-verted to commercial use as a real estate office andbeauty salon.

2

210 West High Street

Oxford Herald, November 17, 1911

3

22 North College Avenue

22 North College AvenueThe Alexander House was built soon after the

Civil War by retired farmer John Shera and eventual-ly displayed evidence of both Greek Revival and Ital-ianate styles. The house was subsequently occupiedby Emma (Duvall) and Herschel Hinckley, a physician,and then by Elizabeth (Horner Hull) and WilliamAlexander, also a doctor. Both families made alter-ations to accommodate the medical practices. Thehome was later converted to apartments beforebecoming a bed and breakfast in the 1980s and latera restaurant. The property is listed in the NationalRegister of Historic Places.

4

Oxford Herald, March 4, 1910

4

200 West Church Street

200 West Church StreetThe Ferguson House was built in 1865 by Scot-

tish immigrants Catherine (McGregor) and JohnFerguson, a tinsmith. The brick residence with GreekRevival style elements was remodeled in 1937and remained in the Ferguson family until 1990. Itwas later rented to college students.

7

214 West Church StreetThis dwelling was probably built before the Civil

War, but little is known about its occupants in the1800s. In the 1900s a number of renters followedone another, including the families of a house painter,a printer, a truck driver, and an auto repairman.Before the end of the twentieth century, replacementsiding covered the frame exterior, and college stu-dents were the tenants.

5

208 West Church StreetThe Clough Cottage was built in the late 1930s

for Mabel (Gillard) and William Clough, a pharmacistat the drugstore owned by his wife’s family. Later inthe century the small frame home was rented to col-lege students.

6

5

130 West Church Street

130 West Church StreetThe Stork-Kolb House was built in the first

decade of the 1900s and originally had decorativeQueen Anne wood and metal detailing. It was thehome of Edna (Mee) and Arthur Stork, an Oxford busi-nessman and later the home of Isabella (Carnes) andJoseph Culler, a physics professor. During the latterhalf of the 1900s Lillian (Greschel) Kolb lived hereand ran a guest home. By the end of the century, col-lege students lived in the house and in the convertedgarage; vinyl siding was added in the early 2000s.

9

111 North College AvenueDesigned by architect David Maxfield, this Cape

Cod house was built in 1938 for Dessa (Shupe) andMervin Shellhouse, owner of a printing business. Thecouple ran an antiques shop from a building in theirbackyard. Later in the century the house belonged toa university professor.

8

Oxford, Ohio City Directory, 1958

6

116 West Church Street

116 West Church StreetThe George Munns House was probably built in

1904 by Mary (Shera) and George Munns, a localbanker. The Colonial Revival style residence was laterused as a fraternity house, a rest home, a church, andapartments. Vinyl siding replaced the original woodsiding.

10

117 West Church Street

117 West Church StreetErected in 1911, the Johnston-Prather House

was built in the Neoclassical style by Anna (McCreary)and William Johnston, a lumber dealer whose busi-ness was located across the alley. The Joe Pratherfamily owned the home from the 1950s to the 1990s,and by the early 2000s it was used for commercialpurposes and later for student housing.

11

7

101 West Church Street

101 West Church StreetThis Federal style home was probably built in the

1830s. It is believed that in the early 1850s future U.S.President Benjamin Harrison boarded here whileattending college. Colonel James Newton, a merchant,lived in this house during the “Irish Riot” of 1862, andin the late 1800s and early 1900s it was the home ofEliza (Munns) and Edward Greer, a retired farmer andnative of Ireland. The house was a funeral home fromthe 1920s through the end of the century.

13

100 West Church Street

100 West Church StreetProbably built before the Civil War, this two-

storey frame dwelling exhibited both Federal andItalianate style elements and originally featured afront porch with decorative “gingerbread” detailing.Initially a single-family residence, it was converted toapartments in the 1900s.

12

17 West Church StreetConstructed in 1924, this typical American

Foursquare residence was owned by Minnie (McVick-er) and Harry Kapp, a carpenter, who might also havebeen the builder of the house. In the later 1900s itwas the home of retired farmer, Oliver Bourne.Replacement siding was added by the end of the cen-tury.

15

8

32 West Church Street

32 West Church StreetThe J.G. Welsh House, with Shingle style and

Colonial Revival style elements, was built about 1901by Mary (Mollyneaux) Millikin and soon became thehome of Mary (Preston) and John Welsh, a banker. In1947 the Lutheran Church purchased the propertyand soon added their chapel at the rear. It was laterused for offices, apartments, and a fraternity house.

14

Oxford Herald, April 29, 1910

9

29 North Beech Street

29 North Beech (also 31 & 33 West Church Street)The Munns-Norris House was built in the early

19th century and in 1845 was purchased by Irishimmigrants Grace (Greer) and Thomas C. Munns, acoal and lumber dealer. The home remained in thefamily until Munns’ granddaughter, Sara Norris, anorganist and music instructor, sold it in the 1950s. By1970 the building had been converted to offices.

16

Oxford Herald, November 25, 1910

10

15 North Beech Street

15 North Beech StreetThe Federal style David Magie House, with

added Greek Revival style elements, was probablybuilt in the 1830s and in 1859 became the town homeof Hannah (Young) and David Magie, a farmer. Hedeveloped the Magie hog, one of the strains that ledto the Poland China breed. The home belonged tomembers of the Manche family in the 1900s beforemaking the transition in the 1950s to apartments andthen to offices.

17

POLAND CHINA HOG from The People’s Farm andStock Cyclopedia by Waldo F. Brown, 1884

11

10 North Beech Street

10 North Beech StreetOriginally named the Oxford Theater, this movie

house was built in 1911 with Arts and Crafts style ele-ments. It was called the Talawanda Theater from1950 until the 1980s when it was substantiallyenlarged and renamed the Princess.

18

Oxford News, March 5, 1931

6 North Beech Street (formerly 100 West High Street)Built by the 1880s, this vernacular brick edifice

once housed a saloon on the first floor and a carriagepainting business on the second floor. The buildingwas later occupied by a poolroom, a gasoline station,and a children’s clothing store during the first half ofthe 1900s and by Ruhlman’s Grocery for most of thelatter half of the century.

20

12

6, 8 North Beech Street

8 North Beech StreetErected at the end of the 1800s (possibly as an

addition to the corner edifice), this narrow brickbuilding housed a bowling alley for over ten years.The Sunshine Restaurant, owned and operated byFredericka (Free) and Anthony Hodzins, occupied thesite from 1929 to the 1960s. Later businesses includ-ed another restaurant, a shoe repair shop, and a cos-metics store.

19

Miami Recensio, 1933

104 West High StreetErected by 1919, this two-storey brick building

was the location of an auto repair shop operated byAfrican-American Ben Gibson during the 1920s. TheKyger family added Art Deco elements when their cardealership used the site from the 1930s until 1968.The building was subsequently occupied by a drycleaning business and later by restaurants afterundergoing substantial façade changes.

22

13

104, 100 West High, 6 North Beech

100 West High Street (formerly 102 West High Street)This two-storey brick building with modest Ital-

ianate features was constructed as a residencebefore 1899, and from it the Cormier family ran anundertaking business from 1909 until the late 1920s.It remained a private home with renters upstairs untilthe grocery next door expanded into it in 1963.Other enterprises have occupied the site in recentyears.

21

Miami Recensio, 1947

14

112-114 West High Street

112-114 West High StreetCalled the Beckett Block when it was con-

structed in the early 1900s, this Italianate stylebuilding was originally a livery and boarding stable.The upper level became the USO clubroom in 1942when military personnel were training in Oxfordduring World War II. The Halter name was placed atthe top of the building when the family plumbingbusiness occupied the site later in the 1940s, andgrocery stores were located on the first floor duringmuch of the latter half of the twentieth century. Theoriginal brick arches can be seen over the second-storey windows.

23

Oxford Herald, March 24, 1911

15

131 West High Street

131 West High Street(A gas station now occupies the site.)

A two-storey vernacular frame building stood nearthe southeast corner of High and College from 1827until 1940 when it was razed to make room for theexpansion of the gasoline station on the corner.Known as the Temperance Tavern and later as Dr.Scott’s Boarding House, it was the location of the1853 wedding of Caroline Scott and Benjamin Harri-son, who became the 23rd U.S. president.

25

118 West High Street

118 West High StreetThe federal government provided funds for the

construction of this Colonial Revival style brick postoffice that was completed in 1938. After the postoffice ceased operation at this location in 1988, thebuilding was bought by the City of Oxford and laterbecame the Oxford Courthouse.

24

16

119-121, 123 West High Street

123 West High StreetThis one-storey commercial building was proba-

bly constructed with a pressed metal façade in thelate 1920s or early 1930s. Later, concrete veneermade to look like stone was applied to the front ofthe building. Businesses here included a barbershop,a dry cleaning establishment, and a shoe repair shop.

26

119-121 West High StreetPossibly built as early as 1839, this two-storey

vernacular style residence was converted to businessuse by the 1930s. While people lived on the secondfloor, some first-floor commercial enterprises includ-ed a furniture store, a gasoline station, a beauty par-lor, a sewing machine business, a real estate office, acopy shop, and an attorney’s office. Although theoriginal red bricks of the Beal Building have beencovered by a brick-like veneer, scalloped wood trimcan still be seen under the eaves.

27

Oxford News, August 25, 1932

17

117 West High Street

117 West High StreetPossibly built as early as 1839, this Greek

Revival style brick house belonged to gun makerJoseph and German-born Wilhelmina (Styhr) Haydenfor most of the remainder of the 1800s. In the early1900s it was the home of Frederick and Odille(Courtemanche) Cormier, Canadians of Frenchdescent. During the 1920s part of the porch wasenclosed for use as a gas station office, and by the1930s the Cormiers’ son added a building at the rearto accommodate a funeral parlor. Other familiesoccupied the residence until the 1990s when it wasrented to college students.

28

Hamilton Telegraph, October 10, 1867

18

109, 111 West High Street

109 West High StreetBuilt by 1870, this Italianate style commercial

building housed bakeries for most of its first 40 years.From 1912 until 1976 the family of Pauline (Piraino)and Michael Corso, immigrants from Sicily, operated afruit and vegetable market here while living above andbehind the shop. Bakeries again occupied the site formost of the remainder of the 20th century.

30

Miami Recensio, 1927

111 West HighStreet

Probably erected in1888, this two-storeybrick building was firstoccupied by a tailor’sestablishment and thenby a grocery store. Inthe early 1900s it wasknown as the West EndMeat Market and waslater operated by Golda(Orem) and TrumanMajor, who lived abovetheir store. Businessesafter World War IIincluded an architect’soffice, a real estateagency, and a pet store.

29

19

33, 35-37-39 West High Street

35-37-39 West High StreetBuilt in 1883 by Bavarian immigrant Moritz

Schlenck, this Italianate building that still bears hisname originally housed three family-owned storesselling groceries, dry goods, and shoes. GrandsonCharles Zwick had a store in the Schlenck Block until1974, and Beasley’s Bakery was located in the cornershop from the 1940s to the 1980s.

31

Miami Recensio, 1920

33 West High StreetBuilt of rusticated concrete blocks early in the

1900s, this building originally housed a restaurant.Barbershops occupied the site from the 1920s to the1970s and were succeeded by small specialty shops.

32

20

38 West High Street

38 West High StreetEzra Bourne, horse trader and livery stable

owner, built this brick building in the Italianate stylein 1900. In 1909 it was bought by the Oxford Hard-ware Company, which operated here until 1984.Although the bricks have been covered by stucco andthe majority of distinguishable architectural featuresremoved, the stepped gable façade is still visible. (Thebell tower in the photograph was used to summon volunteer fire-men from the West End of town.)

33

Oxford Herald, December 17, 1909

21

31 West High Street

31 West High StreetBeginning with its con-

struction about 1885, this Ital-ianate style brick buildinghoused a number of commer-cial enterprises, includingsaloons, restaurants, poolrooms, a produce market, anda combination clothing anddime store. Oxford’s African-American Freemasons used theupper floor as their lodge hallin the 1930s and 1940s. Archi-tectural features include win-dows with triangularpediments and decorative cor-nice brackets.

34

29 WestHigh Street

Constructed in thelate 1800s, this Ital-ianate style buildingwas occupied byhardware and gro-cery stores for manyyears. From at leastthe 1940s until the1960s it housed vari-ety and dime stores.Later businessesincluded a savingsassociation and atanning salon.

35

Miami Recensio, 1914

29 West High Street

22

32, 26-28 West High Street

32 West High StreetProbably erected in the early 1890s, this two-

storey brick building began as a harness shop with abilliard room above. It was later occupied by arestaurant, grocery stores, a barbershop, a poolroom,and other commercial enterprises. The location ofthe Oxford Press newspaper from 1941-1968, it washere that the editor’s column “Beneath the Tower”received its name from the water tower that stood ablock away.

26-28 West High StreetOriginally constructed in 1871 as a three-storey

brick building in the Italianate style, it has beencalled both Davis Hall and the Davis Block becauseJoshua Davis was its first owner. The third floor wasinitially a high-ceilinged opera house, which was laterused as a meeting hall for the G.A.R. and then for theKnights of Pythias. Major façade changes resultedfrom a 1924 fire, and in 2008 a fourth floor was cre-ated out of the old opera house space. The extra levelrequired installing a new upper row of windows andre-sizing the third floor windows. First floor busi-nesses have included a tinsmith's shop, hardwarestores, a grocery store, clothing stores, a theater, apoolroom, restaurants, and a variety store.

37

36

23

20 West High Street

20 West High StreetBanks have occupied the first floor of this Ital-

ianate style brick edifice since its construction in1872. For a number of years the second floor of thisBank Block was used by printers, dentists, and otherbusinesses, while the third floor was the lodge hall ofthe Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In the 1880sthe basement level housed an African-American-owned barbershop. Remodeling in the 1950s alteredthe first floor façade.

38

Oxford Fair Booklet, September 1915

24

11, 15-17-19 West High Street

15-17-19 West High StreetThis three-storey Italianate style building was

erected by George and Moses Kyger in 1868. Thethird floor, called Kyger’s Hall, was used for publicentertainment and dances and then by the USOtoward the end of World War II. The second floor wasused for residential units, a tailor’s establishment, abarbershop, and office space. Known as the HornerBuilding for most of the 1900s, the first floor housedvarious businesses that sold dry goods, groceries,clothes, drugs, and hardware.

11 West High StreetJohn Chatten, a saddle-maker, constructed the

Chatten-Hayden Building by 1867. The third floor ofthis Italianate style building was used as a meetinghall for fraternities and other groups, while officeswere located on the second floor. First floor busi-nesses included Chatten’s harness shop, a drugstore,and for over 50 years, Clyde Hayden’s Shoe Store.Businesses in the later 1900s included a home acces-sories store and a delicatessen.

40

39

25

West Park

West ParkFor many years the most prominent feature of

the West Park was the bandstand that served thecommunity from 1874 to 1936. During the 1900s,veterans were remembered with a flagpole, a navalcannon, and a small raised plaza. The park wasnamed for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in 1992 and com-pletely redesigned in 2000.

Unnumbered West Park PlaceIt was probably in the late 1920s that this nar-

row passageway was enclosed with a concreteveneer façade that was made to look like stone. Itincluded a rear stairway to upper levels of the build-ings facing High Street and maintained rear access tothe first floor businesses. It also created some addi-tional interior space on an upper level.

10 West Park PlaceThe two-storey brick McCord Building was con-

structed in 1875 by undertaker Samuel Gath and thenhoused Frank McCord’s furniture store until the1920s. From the 1930s to the 1960s a bowling alleyoccupied the site, followed by various other busi-nesses. The front of the building has been covered bya more recent brick veneer.

43

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41

26

12 and 14West Park Place

12 West ParkPlace

This one-storey brickbuilding, known asPark Place Hall, wasconstructed for roller-skating and dancingin the late 1920s.From the 1930s to the1980s it was occupiedby printing compa-nies, and by the 1990sit was used foroffices.

44

14 West Park PlaceConstructed by 1875, this two-storey brick

building still exhibits Italianate features in its archedwindows. For about 90 years grocery stores and drygoods businesses occupied the first floor. The 1971remodeling of the building next door included thisbuilding and made office space available on both thefirst and second floors.

45

Oxford News, December 19, 1929

27

14, 16-18 West Park Place

16-18 West Park PlaceErected by Arthur Stork in 1917, this two-storey

brick building, designed in a commercial vernacularstyle, was occupied by automobile dealerships forover 50 years. In 1971 an insurance business remod-eled the building.

46

22 West Park PlacePossibly built as early as the 1830s, this remain-

ing part of a larger brick building was used for cigarmaking in the 1880s. Commercial enterprises in the1900s included a plumbing business and, after WorldWar II, a florist’s shop.

48

20 West Park PlaceProbably built by the 1850s, this two-storey

commercial building housed a dry goods store andthen a saloon, until the 1900s, when subsequent busi-nesses included a nickelodeon, an antiques shop, amusic store, a sewing machine service shop, and adecorating center. In 1974 the flower shop to theeast expanded into the space, and at some point thesecond-storey bricks were covered with a paintedbrick-like veneer.

47

28

12 West Church StreetThe Johnston-Caldwell Home was built in the

1890s in the Queen Anne style. In the early 1900s itbelonged to Elizabeth (Ramsey Cramer) and JohnJohnston, a lumber dealer, and in the mid-1900s itwas the home of Laura (Wolf) and John Caldwell, thevillage postmaster. In the later years of the centuryalterations and additions were made to convert theresidence to doctors’ offices.

2 West Church StreetBuilt in 1909, this dwelling has lost most of its

identifying architectural features. AfterWorldWar I itwas the home of Dr. Wade and Marion (Thayer Ash-ton) MacMillan. He was the medical director atMiami University, and she was a psychology professorat Oxford College for Women. By mid-century theresidence was occupied by the family of Henry Mont-gomery, a classics professor, and by the end of the1900s it was used as a business office for the nearbymedical practice.

To begin a tour of only the East End (or to continue atour of the entire district), proceed to number 51.

To complete a tour of only the West End of the dis-trict, turn south on Main Street and resume the tourat number 78.

50

49

29

East Park

East ParkA well-known landmark that could be seen for

miles was the water tower, which stood in the EastPark from 1922 until 1998. From 1885, there wasalso a Civil War cannon here, until it was moved tothe west park when both Uptown parks underwent amajor redevelopment in 2000. The park was namedOxford Memorial Park in 1992.

52

101 North Main Street

101 North Main StreetThis Romanesque style limestone church with a

slate roof was under construction from 1925 until1927. It was named the Memorial PresbyterianChurch because it was erected with funds donated byLaura (Magie) Kumler in memory of her husband anddaughter. In 1966 this church merged with the Unit-ed Presbyterian Church, and in 1983 the name waschanged to the Oxford Presbyterian Church.

51

30

48-52 East Park Place, 20-22-24 East High Street

48-52 East Park PlaceErected on McCullough family property in the

1800s, these two buildings (which now appear asone) were built of bricks that were later covered bystucco. Modest Italianate style elements can still beseen. Until the 1930s, blacksmiths occupied the northpart of the building while a woodworking shop, anupholstery business, and a bakery succeeded oneanother in the south part. Later a telegraph office, abus station, a taxi stand, and a dentist's office werelocated here, followed by a utility company, a bar-bershop, and ice cream stores. Recently the upperlevel has housed the Oxford Community Foundation,but it was earlier the location of the Hillel Foundationwhere Miami's Jewish students met in the late 1940sand early 1950s.

53

20-22-24 East High StreetThe McCullough Block, featuring stepped

gables, is Oxford’s oldest commercial building andwas constructed about 1818 by the McCullough fam-ily. Later enhanced with a brick exterior, the buildinghoused a tavern, rooming house, and hotel at varioustimes. In 1855 Sigma Chi Fraternity was founded in astudent’s room on the second floor. For over one hun-dred years drug stores occupied the front of thebuilding while other businesses operated from thePark Place entrances.

54

31

19-21 East High Street

19-21 East High StreetBuilt of large yellow bricks about 1910 and later

named for its Greek immigrant owners in the 1930s,the Vlachos Building features decorative tile work inrelief between the second-floor bay windows. Forclose to fifty years barbershops occupied the westhalf of the building, and men’s clothing stores occu-pied the east half, while apartments were located onthe second floor. Toward the end of the century abeer and wine store occupied the site, and paint wasapplied to the exterior bricks.

55

Miami Recensio, 1923

32

26-28-30 East High Street

26-28-30 East High StreetPossibly built in the 1850s, with an Italianate

style façade added in the 1870s, this brick buildinghoused numerous commercial enterprises, includingan art school, a milliner’s shop, a laundry, a newspa-per office, restaurants, a photographer’s studio, shoestores, and clothing shops.

56

Miami Recensio, 1941

33

31 East High Street

31 East High StreetDesigned by Hamilton architect Fred Mueller

and erected by Oxford contractor T. C. Lloyd in 1910,this two-story brick building featured a second-floorbay window. The first owners were German immi-grants Pauline (Neuhaus) and Bernhard Ringold, abaker and Civil War veteran. It was here in 1916 thatGreek immigrant Andrew Rubekas opened a confec-tionery called the Purity, which later became arestaurant and existed as a bar until the late 1970s.

57

Miami Recensio, 1923

34

32 East High Street

32 East High StreetProbably constructed before the Civil War (with

an Italianate façade added in the 1870s), this two-storey brick building was extensively altered again inthe 1930s with the addition of a Colonial Revivalfaçade. Acquired by the Folker family (whose initialcan be seen in the entryway tile), the building wasoccupied over the years by a grocery store, the town-ship clerk’s office, a printing business, a laundry anddry cleaning establishment, a jewelry business, arecord shop, and clothing stores.

58

Miami Recensio, 1930

35

Clock

ClockIn the 1880s this clock was located on the south

side of High Street in front of a jewelry store ownedby Frank Schweeting, a native of Germany. It wasmoved to its present location in the late 1930s, andthe numerals on the face were changed from Romanto Arabic in the late 1950s. The clock was purchasedby the City in 1979.

59

Miami Recensio, 1941

35-37-39 East High Street

35-37-39 East High StreetProbably erected about 1840, the Federal style

building was occupied by a law practice, a confec-tionery, a shoe store, a temperance hall, a tailoringbusiness, a hat shop, and photographers’ studios.Frank R. Snyder bought the studio in 1897 and latersold stationery, art supplies, and gifts. Owned by thefamily until 2006, Snyder’s was Oxford’s oldest busi-ness when it closed.

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36 East High Street

36 East High StreetThis Art Deco style edifice was built in 1938 as

the Miami-Western Theatre, which was named for thelocal university and the women’s college that gener-ated a large number of Oxford’s movie-goers. Afterthe theatre closed in 1988, the building was remod-eled and opened as a bar and restaurant in 1993.

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14 North Poplar Street

14 North Poplar StreetOxford’s Methodist Church was built in the

Gothic Revival style between 1872 and 1875. Its twospires, completed over a decade later, make it visibleon the skyline from miles away. An addition in 1969provided classrooms and offices to the south.

62

Oxford Herald, January 14, 1910

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104 East Church Street

104 East Church StreetConstruction of this brick edifice was completed

in 1839, making it Oxford’s oldest house of worship.Until 1858 the Greek Revival style building housedboth the Associate Reformed Church and the OxfordTheological Seminary. As the result of a merger in1858, it became the United Presbyterian Church.Aftermerging with Oxford’s Memorial Presbyterian Churchin 1966, it was renamed the Seminary Building andused for church and community activities.

63

Oxford Herald, January 14, 1910

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108 East Church Street

108 East Church StreetBuilt in 1892 by the United Presbyterian Church,

this two-storey frame house served as a parsonageuntil the church merger of 1966. In the 1980s and‘90s, it was occupied by social service agencies, andby 2000 it was rented to college students. Shinglesnow cover the original wood siding.

114 East Church StreetThis Federal style house is believed to have

been built before the Civil War and was purchased byJohn Miller, a coal dealer, in 1864. The propertyremained in his family until the death of his widoweddaughter, Jane (Miller) Bourne in 1919. In the 1920sthe original red brick exterior was covered by stucco,and for the next fifty years it was occupied by fami-lies including those of Miami professors who taughtEnglish, geology, German, music, and speech. In thelater years of the 20th century, it served as an insur-ance office and then as college student housing.

AlleysOxford, like many small towns, was laid out withalleys to provide rear access to residential and com-mercial buildings. In the business district these pas-sageways (narrower than streets) allowed merchantsto receive deliveries and have refuse removed with-out using their front entrances. Fewer deliveries aremade this way today because modern trucks are larg-er than the earlier horse-drawn wagons.

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121 East High Street

121 East High StreetErected in 1925, this two-storey vernacular

building was occupied by the Miami Co-op Store foralmost 50 years. In addition to managing the text-book and school supplies business, owner John Fra-zier ran an insurance agency and rented apartmentsupstairs. Later the building was remodeled, and bythe end of the century an eating establishment occu-pied the site.

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Miami Recensio, 1927

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117 East High Street

117 East High StreetBuilt in 1936 as the Campus Gates Apartments,

this two-storey frame building exhibited ColonialRevival style elements. Each of the eight units wastypically occupied by a single working woman (a sec-retary, a shop proprietor, a professor, a hospitalemployee, a typist, a telephone operator, a teacher)who lived within walking distance of her job. In 1965the building was converted to commercial use.

67

Oxford Press, August 21, 1969

110 East High StreetOne of Oxford’s oldest buildings in the business

district, this two-storey, Federal style, brick edificewas erected by 1839.With the exception of a grocerystore and a cobbler shop, it was occupied primarily byresidential units until the 1900s. Subsequent com-mercial enterprises included a car dealership, a print-ing company, a music store, and by 1970, a bookstore.

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111 East High Street

111 East High StreetSt. Mary Church, built in an interpretation of the

Gothic Revival style, has served its Catholic parish-ioners in this location since its construction was com-pleted in 1921. The west wing was added in 1942 tohouse a rectory and meeting rooms.

68

Hamilton Evening Journal, May 27, 1921

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101 East High Street

101 East High StreetDesigned by architect Rial T. Parrish, Oxford’s

red brick Municipal Building was erected as a publicworks project in 1939. A Colonial Revival style edi-fice, it replaced the old Town Hall that had stood onthe same site. The fire department occupied the rearportion of the building until 1983, and the police sta-tion remains in the building today.

12 South Poplar StreetThe Marquis-Peden House was built prior to

1925, and two of its early residents were Hungarianimmigrants Lena (Schady) and Anton Marquis, whoran a shoe repair shop on High Street. Constructed ofwood frame with brick exterior, this two-storey resi-dence with Craftsman style details was later thehome and gift shop of Helen Peden for many yearsbefore being converted to offices.

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Miami Recensio, 1920

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19 East Walnut StreetA vernacular frame dwelling, the Old Rectory

was built by the 1880s and at one time had a full-length front porch. Acquired in 1947 by Holy TrinityEpiscopal Church, it served as the parish rectory until1954. The building was later used by the church forclassrooms, a thrift shop, apartments, meeting space,a nursery school, and offices.

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26 East Walnut Street

26 East Walnut StreetThe Folker Apartments were constructed in the

late 1930s by Earl C. Folker, Oxford businessman. Themulti-storey, glazed brick building included eightunits and was typical of the period in its moderndesign with evidence of International style influence.It remained in the Folker family until the 1990s, andin the early 2000s, new owners replaced the originalcasement windows and flat roof.

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Miami Recensio, 1940

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7 East Walnut StreetBuilt in the early 1900s, the Beeks House fea-

tured an asymmetrical façade with Queen Anne styledetailing. It was originally the home of Mary (Keely)and Oscar Beeks, a dentist. Later occupants includedmembers of the forerunner of Sigma Alphu Mu fra-ternity (for one year) and then other college students.Aluminum siding replaced the original wood exterior.

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16 East Walnut Street

16 East Walnut StreetIsabelle (Coulter) and William Stewart, who was

born in Ireland, built this residence in 1909. He wasthe superintendent of Oxford Public Schools for 27years, and it was for him that a local school wasnamed. Originally sided with wood and includingsome Colonial Revival style elements, the exterior ofthe Stewart Home was later covered with vinyl.

74

Oxford News, February 7, 1908

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3 East Walnut Street

3 East Walnut StreetThough remodeling has changed some of its

architectural features, this two-storey brick dwellingwas originally constructed in the Italian Villa style. Itwas erected in the early 1860s by Sarah (Porter) andWalter Jones, a paver and bridge builder. Later resi-dents included the families of an apothecary, a tailor,a merchant, an attorney, and a banker before thehouse was converted to apartments.

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109 South Main Street

109 South Main StreetThe Hidlay House, built in the early 1900s with

Colonial Revival style elements, was for almost half acentury the home of Dora (Rains) and Milton Hidlay,a flour mill proprietor. The house became rentalproperty before the end of the 20th century.

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102 South Main Street

102 South Main StreetThe oldest part of the VanAusdall House might

date to 1839, but subsequent additions and alu-minum siding have altered its appearance. The homeand office of a physician during the later 1800s, itbecame a rooming house for college students in 1920when it was purchased by Margaret (Cosbey) VanAus-dall. The following year the short-lived Delta SigmaRho fraternity was founded here. VanAusdall heirsstill owned the property and rented to college stu-dents in the 2000s.

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108 South Main StreetProbably built in the 1830s, this brick house was

the location of a saloon operated by Irish immigrantPatrick Dugan in the 1870s. Later known as the Fer-ris Home, it belonged to Amelia and Henry Ferris, adrayman, who lived here for close to forty years. Inthe late 1920s the building was remodeled for use asa tea room, and then for almost thirty years it wasthe residence of the family of a Hamilton insurancecompany executive before being converted to rentalproperty.

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This concludes the tour of the East End of the district.To return to the starting point of the East End tour,proceed north on Main Street.

The West End tour resumes here.

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9 West Walnut Street

9 West Walnut StreetConstructed by the early 1920s, the Jones Bun-

galow was the home of Alma (Fermann) and ElzieSayers. It became the home of Ida (Ludwig) Jones inthe 1940s and remained in her family as rental prop-erty into the 2000s.

81

Oxford Press, August 25, 1932

7 West Walnut StreetOriginally wood-sided, the Stearns House was

built in the late 1920s by Wilma (VanAusdall) andTheron Sterns, a post office employee. The Sears &Roebuck house was erected on a piece of her moth-er’s lot and remained in the family until later in thecentury when it was covered with vinyl siding andused for rental property.

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15, 17 West Walnut Street

15 West Walnut StreetBriefly a chapter house of the “non-fraternity”

that became Phi Kappa Tau, this residence was builtby 1907 with wood siding that was later coveredwith vinyl. A rooming house for a number of years, itwas from the late 1950s to the 1990s the home ofHilda (Doerflein) Sauerland, a flower shop employee.

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17 West Walnut StreetBuilt in 1909, this house belonged to Flora

(Alexander) and Charles Jones (a retired farmer) frombefore 1920 until the 1940s. Their son Orin andfamily then lived here until the property was sold toWinona (Miller) and Lewis Schocke, another retiredfarmer. By the early 2000s the original wood sidingwas replaced by vinyl, and the house was rentalproperty.

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Oxford Press, June 7, 1945

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20 West Walnut Street

20 West Walnut StreetThe Welliver-Beal Bungalow was built in the

Craftsman style in 1920. After serving as the resi-dence of Adelaide (Hatch) and George Welliver, aretired banker, it became the home of Roger andMary (Smith) Beal. He was a mail carrier and laterpostmaster while she ran a guest home in their resi-dence. By the end of the century the building wasconverted to other uses.

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28 West Walnut StreetThe Burkhardt Bungalow was built in 1922 by

Elizabeth (Milders) and Gottlieb Burkhardt, a nativeof Germany, who before his retirement had been abaker, confectioner, restaurateur, and banker. Daugh-ter Lena, a bookkeeper and bank teller, lived hereuntil her death in the 1960s.

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109 South Beech StreetThe Karl Zwick House was built as a double

house (duplex) with Colonial Revival style elementsin the first decade of the 1900s. The family of Jean-nette (Law) and Karl Zwick, a dry goods merchant,lived in one half of the residence and rented theother half for over fifty years. The dwelling laterbelonged to the owner of a nearby car dealership.

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108 South Beech StreetThis brick house, with Colonial Revival style ele-

ments, was owned by Hugh Moore, a physician, forseveral decades after it was built in 1907. Early ten-ants were Delta Kappa Epsilon and Alpha Theta Phifraternities. Later renters were the families of a pro-fessor, a doctor, and a minister. By the end of the cen-tury, college students were the usual tenants.

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108 South Beech Street

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14 South Beech StreetThis Greek Revival style church was erected by

Joel Collins in 1855 and was purchased by BethelA.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church twoyears later. Oxford’s oldest African-American congre-gation, Bethel acquired the property fifteen yearsafter forming in 1842. Alterations have included inte-rior remodeling in 1896, the addition of a vestibule in1950, the construction of a rear annex in 1954, andthe replacement of the annex with a larger one in1981.

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12 South Beech StreetBuilt in 1914, this concrete block building with a

“Boomtown” front, served as the village post officefor ten years. Other businesses (including a transferand storage company, an auto parts dealership, and areal estate office) occupied the site before theDiPaolo family opened a pizza place in 1976 and thenoperated a restaurant here from 1979 to the end ofthe century. The building was extensively altered inthe 1980s.

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12 South Beech Street

14 South Beech Street

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103 West Walnut Street

103 West Walnut StreetIn 1864 Jeannette (Hinckley) and Scottish immi-

grant Hugh Gilchrist, a physician, bought this two-storey brick house from storekeeper John Clough. It isbelieved that the house was built in the 1840s andwas a stop on the Underground Railroad. The oldestpart of the Gilchrist-Moore House was built in theFederal style, but Victorian-era details were added in1872 when the home was enlarged and remodeled toaccommodate the doctor’s office. Two generationslater, Gilchrist relatives Hugh and Hazelett Moorepracticed medicine here until the property was soldout of the family in 1931. It was later the home ofBohemian natives Martha (Stein) and Victor Furth, anarchitect, who fled Nazi Europe. The building wasconverted to office space in the early 2000s.

113 West Walnut StreetThis house with Arts and Crafts style elements

was constructed in the early 1920s with an upstairsapartment. It was built by Wealthy (Hutchisson) andPerry Schultz, a retired Indiana farmer. For a shorttime in the mid-1960s the Alpha Delta Phi fraternityused it as an annex to their chapter house a fewblocks away. Ealeta (Lowe) Dingledine called it “Wal-nut Lodge” when she converted it to a residence forretired women in 1965. By the early 2000s, universitystudents were the tenants.

114 West Walnut StreetFish-scale shingles can still be seen on this

Queen Anne style residence. Built by 1892, it was thehome of Elena (Shera) and John Keller, a salesman,whose family lived here for over half a century. Later,vinyl siding replaced the original wood exterior.

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115, 117 West Walnut Street

115 West Walnut StreetBuilt in 1909, this late Queen Anne style resi-

dence once housed the Adelphic Association, a fore-runner of the Alpha Delta Sigma fraternity (whichlater became part of Sigma Alpha Epsilon). From the1920s to the 1960s the frame house belonged to theSamuel Douglas family, and by the 1980s it had beenconverted to office space and sided with vinyl.

117 West Walnut StreetThe William Shera Home, built in the Colonial

Revival style, was probably constructed in time forthe 1902 marriage of Hattie (Roudebush) andWilliamShera, who was in the banking business. Theirnephew, who lived with them, inherited the house,and it remained in the Shera family until the 1940s.The residence was the home of university professorsfor most of the later 1900s and still retains its origi-nal wood siding.

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93

Oxford News, April 25, 1902

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123, 129 West Walnut Street

123 West Walnut StreetThe Charles H. Shera House, a two-storey frame

dwelling with Colonial Revival elements, was built in1902 for newlyweds Jessie (Hauk) and Charles Shera,who was in the condensed milk business. After hiswife’s death, Charles (and his infant son) moved nextdoor to live with his brother and sister-in-law. Thishouse was rented to others before being sold out ofthe Shera family. In the second half of the 1900s itbelonged to the family of an employee of MoslerSafe Company in Hamilton and then to the family ofan African-American Air Force officer connected withMiami’s ROTC program.

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129 West Walnut StreetThe Caleb Shera Home was built about 1904 by

Anna (Matson) and Caleb Shera, a banker. This two-storey frame home in the Colonial Revival styleremained in the Shera family for over half a centurybefore it became rental property.

96

Oxford News, March 28, 1902

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Notes