After living in Beavercreek for many years, Ed and Susan Ross became curious when, about 20 years ago, they saw an open house for a home with barns in the middle of Centerville. Ed Ross said the home was on the market for a long time, and the price kept getting lowered.
“He just loved the land and the barns and all the buildings,” Susan Ross said. “I think he was just a little more taken with it, and the more I started thinking about it, I was starting to get kind of excited … We just thought it would be a fun project. We don’t have any kids to worry about. We could take our time, do what we want, and so we just went for it.”
When the Rosses made an offer on the home in 2005, an offer was pending, but luckily for them, it fell through. They put their Beavercreek home on the market, and it sold quickly, so they could move right in. However, the home was in pretty bad shape once they got in it, as it had been split into three separate apartments.
They began renovations while living in the home, which took many years. Renovations included replacing the old furnace, adding an HVAC system, fixing the plumbing, removing the extra stairways that led to the upstairs apartment, sanding the floors, restoring the fireplaces, replacing linoleum and fixing the plaster walls.
The list of renovations is much more extensive than this as the couple has fixed and updated things as the years have passed. They have also made significant changes to the outside of the home to the barns and porches. Like most historic homes, there is always something that needs attention.
Ed Ross, who is the president of the board of trustees of Centerville-Washington History, is fascinated by the home’s history and wanted to preserve as much of the home’s original features. Ed Ross gives tours of the home and gives presentations on Ida Weller, one of the former owners of the home. The Ross’ purchased the home from Judy Weller, Ida’s daughter.
“The Wellers lived here, and they farmed,” he said. “We got pictures of them with horses plowing right out here in the front yard and all the land around it. They had milk cattle, and then they had beef cattle and 3,500 chickens. And Ida was big into the chickens. That was her domain. And she was very controversial, because when she was in the chicken house, she wore slacks.”
Arthur and Ida Weller purchased the home in 1910 from Mary Wilson Kelsey, who was part of the Wilson family. Samuel Wilson built the farmhouse in 1840 using local lumber and limestone. They also made the bricks on site. Samuel and his wife Sarah raised 10 children on the farm.
Ida Weller was born in 1876 and graduated from the original Centerville High School. She was a teacher and eventually earned her bachelor’s degree at age 56. She was also a magazine writer, playwright, radio personality, artist, photographer, musician and gardener. Ida Weller Elementary School is named for Ida to honor all of her accomplishments and contributions to education.
Ed and Susan Ross also have artifacts from Ida Weller’s life in the home, including her writing desk and chair that includes a “chicken log” where she recorded egg production and other notes. They have old photographic prints of her, as well original farm items like a corn grinder.
“We got a lot of stuff that’s been given to us by the family because they don’t know what to do with it,” Susan Ross said. “We’ll probably get the historical society to take some of it.”
In 1998, the Wilson-Weller House was designated as a historical landmark in Centerville. Ed and Susan Ross continue the legacy of the home, now called the Wilson-Weller-Ross House, and they feel like they have a responsibility to preserve and communicate the home’s history to others.
“I love to tour people through, and we think we owe it because this is a Centerville landmark property,” Ed Ross said. “It’s part of Centerville history, so we think we owe it to the community. We used to do Christmas old house tours at Christmas time. We’ve done that twice, and on those we had busloads, of people come through. That was fun.”
The Rosses said that they are basically done with renovations. They created a family space in the barn out back where they host family gatherings, which is one of Ed Ross’ favorite spaces. They are focused on preservation and ongoing maintenance, including tree issues and other yard work. They know there will always be something to fix.
“I’ve had new houses, and when you get a brand-new house, everything’s perfect,” Susan Ross said. “The carpet doesn’t have a spot on it. The walls are perfect. They don’t have smudges on them. When you start out with an old house, everything you do is wonderful … I don’t sweat the imperfections.”
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