Rombach Place facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Rombach Place
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Front and western end
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 Location in Ohio
Location in the United States
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| Location | 149 E. Locust Street, Wilmington, Ohio |
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| Area | 1 acre (0.40 ha) |
| Built | 1831 |
| Architect | Robert Wickersham |
| NRHP reference No. | 79001793 |
| Added to NRHP | June 20, 1979 |
The Rombach Place is a special old house in Wilmington, Ohio, United States. It was built a long time ago, in the early 1800s. This house was once home to a family that included two important national politicians. Today, it's not a home anymore. Instead, it's a museum where you can learn about history. It's also recognized as a historic site because of its importance.
History of the Rombach Place
The Rombach Place was built in 1831 by a person named Robert Wickersham. Later, it became the home of the family of James W. Denver. James Denver was a very important politician in the middle of the 1800s.
James Denver was born in Winchester, Virginia, in 1817. When he was 39, he married Louise Rombach from Wilmington. They had four children together. James spent much of his younger years on a farm near Wilmington. Later, he moved far to the west. He served as a U.S. Representative for California. He was also a governor of the Kansas Territory. A new town in the far west of that territory, now in Colorado, was even named after him: Denver.
James Denver also worked as the Commissioner of Indian Affairs. During the Civil War, he was a U.S. Army general. After the war, he came back to Wilmington for a while. In 1870, while his family lived in the Rombach Place, their youngest son was born. His name was Matthew. Matthew later followed in his father's footsteps and became a U.S. Representative for Ohio.
Architecture of the House
The Rombach Place was built in the Greek Revival style. This style was popular because it looked like ancient Greek buildings. The main part of the house is two stories tall. It has five sections, called bays, across its front.
The main entrance is in the middle of the first floor. It has a small porch, called a portico. This portico has a triangular roof, called a pediment, supported by four square columns. The ends of the house have smaller windows and tall chimneys. Attached to these ends are smaller, one-story sections. The house is shaped like the letter "T" when you look at it from above. It is made of brick and has a shingled roof. The roof rises to two pointed sections, called gables. The outside walls are covered with a material called stucco. There is also a fence around the roofs of the one-story sections on the ends.
Preserving the Rombach Place
Today, the Rombach Place is no longer a family home. It is now the home of the Clinton County Historical Society. This group uses the house as a museum. It also has a library for people researching their family history. Plus, it's a place where meetings and events are held.
The house was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. This means it's recognized as an important historical site. It earned this honor for two main reasons. First, its architecture is historically important. Second, it was the home of General James Denver, a famous person. The Rombach Place was the third building in Wilmington to be listed on the National Register. The Doan House was listed on the same day. College Hall at Wilmington College was listed six years earlier.
