Seven of the homes will be open, while one, the Ida R. Beardsley home will not be open, but the present owners, Donny and Amy Halferty, will be serving hot wassail on their front porch.
So, let us visit some of these fine old homes. The home known as the Simon Goldman residence, 121 S. Main, was built in 1891 in the Queen Ann style. Simon Goldman started as a peddler who became very successful as one of Middletown’s pioneer merchants. He is remembered not only for his home but in Goldman Park and Goldman Street. The fifteen room house was the Goldman family home for 102 years, and is now the home of Matt and Nancy Romero.
As you visit this home, please pay special attention to the hand-craved woodwork throughout the house. Most of it was done by Simon Goldman’s son, Joseph. At the age of three, Joseph contacted scarlet fever and became deaf. At a school for the deaf in New York, he became a painter and a wood carver. The woodwork is outstanding. Joseph also worked on the John Astor home in New York and the John Patterson home in Dayton as well as the Winchester House at 219 South Main.
The parlor contains a beautiful bird’s-eye maple fireplace, bookcase and other woodwork. The front hall features post and ball oak spandrels and wainscoting along with hand-carved columns and trim. Pay attention to the hand carved corner blocks throughout the home as they are all different.
The outside of the house should also be inspected. There are several different materials as well as different colors used in the construction of this home. The first story is of rusticated limestone with wood. This is typical of the Queen Ann style as are the fish scale shingles and the curved surfaces on the top gable.
Another interesting house is the one built in 1875 by Charles B. Johnson, 308 S. Main. It is a High Victorian Italianate style home that is owned by David and Janie McCauley-Myers. It features arched windows with hood molds, paired eave brackets and classical entrance, all features of the Italianate style. Many of the interior and exterior changes to the home appear to have been made in the early 1900s, possibly following the Great Flood of 1913. The most visible changes include “modernization” of the front porch to a Greek Revival style, and removal of a wall and fireplace which originally separated the front parlor from the entry way. The current owners have refinished the woodwork upstairs, recreated the faux marble finish on three fireplaces and renovated the upstairs bath. Recently they completely renovated the kitchen. Charles B. Johnson was a leading Middletown druggist and businessman and the home remained in the family for several generations.
Jackie Phillips owns the home at 808 S. Main. It dates from about 1875 and is constructed in the Princess Ann style. It is older and simpler than many of the homes on the tour, but represents an earlier picture of South Main Street. Many homes of this age and style were demolished to make way for the grand homes that currently stand. This house has been renovated while maintaining its historical integrity. This home belonged to the Richardson family for 108 years and is where they raised ten children - five born in this home. The exterior details have been highlighted by the paint treatment. The kitchen and laundry room walls are done in Venetian plaster. All the hard pine woodwork and floors have been restored.
Another fine home that is on the tour is the Joe Iseminger family’s house, 400 S. Main. Having been built in 1927, it is the newest home on the tour. It is presently owned by John and Penny Herr.
Joe Iseminger and his father-in-law operated a lumber and contracting company and built many fine buildings throughout Ohio. Some in this area include homes at 121, 228 and 509 S. Main and the Sorg Opera House. Well known architects, Pretzinger and Musselman of Dayton designed it in the Spanish Colonial style. It has a red clay roof with an eyebrow window, and stone arch and column entranceway flanked by two covered verandas. With its many details, the interior is also special. I invite you to come and see.
What is written in this column is just a sampling of the homes that will be open for your inspection. Others include the homes of Roger and Bonnie Daniel at 301, Donna Minotto and Toney Rose at 512, and Dan and Jennifer Tener at 513. Also, two churches on Broad Street will be open - St. Paul’s United Church of Christ and Bethlehem Lutheran.
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