East High Street Historic District (Springfield, Ohio) facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
|
|
East High Street District
|
|
Asa Bushnell House
|
|
 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
|
|
| Location | Roughly bounded by E. High, S. Sycamore, and Walnut Sts., Springfield, Ohio |
|---|---|
| Area | 5 acres (2.0 ha) |
| Built | 1856 |
| Architect | Robert H. Robertson |
| Architectural style | Renaissance Revival, Italianate, Richardsonian Romanesque |
| NRHP reference No. | 74001412 |
| Added to NRHP | October 9, 1974 |
The East High Street Historic District is a special part of Springfield, Ohio, United States. It's famous for its large, old houses, often called mansions. This area is on one of Springfield's most important streets. Many important people from Springfield used to live here. Because of its history and amazing buildings, this area was named a historic district in 1974.
History of East High Street
Springfield was started in 1800. For about 50 years, the land where the district now stands was used for farming. But by the 1840s, Springfield began to grow towards the east. Two brothers, Gustavus and William Foos, divided their land along High Street in 1848 so people could build homes there.
After the American Civil War, this part of East High Street became a very popular neighborhood. It was where Springfield's richest citizens wanted to live. Many of them wanted to be a bit further away from their businesses in the city center. Even though people tried to make West High Street a "millionaires' row" in the 1880s, East High Street stayed the most fancy address in Springfield well into the 20th century.
Famous Residents and Their Homes
Many important families lived in the East High Street Historic District. These included the Buchwalter, Bauer, and Bushnell families. They lived at 805, 825, and 838 High Street.
Edward Lyon Buchwalter was a successful businessman. His first wife, Clementine Buchwalter, was a leader in the women's club movement. Charles A. Bauer came from Germany. He became a very skilled mechanical engineer and a top advisor in Springfield.
Asa S. Bushnell and his wife lived at 838 East High Street. In 1908, their house was considered one of the most beautiful homes in Springfield. It was built starting in 1888. Asa Bushnell lived here when he was the Governor of Ohio in the 1890s.
His house is built in the Richardsonian Romanesque style. This means it has strong stone walls, windows grouped together, and big archways. Inside, the house has many fireplaces, detailed wood carvings, and fancy chandeliers. After being owned by another family in the 1920s, a funeral home operator named Austin Richards bought the house in 1939. His company has used the building for over sixty years, and it's still known as Richards, Raff, and Dunbar Memorial Home today.
Why East High Street is Preserved
The East High Street area still has amazing examples of late 19th-century architectural styles. These include the Richardsonian Romanesque, Renaissance Revival, and Italianate styles.
Other neighborhoods might have had similar collections of these styles. But East High Street is special because its mix of styles has lasted until today. Many other neighborhoods lost their unique old buildings over time.
Because of its important architecture, a small part of East High Street was named the East High Street Historic District. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1974. This district includes five important buildings. They are located at 805, 810, 815, 825, and 838 East High Street.
