of Chillicothe, Ross County & South-Central Ohio
of Chillicothe, Ross County & South-Central Ohio new 9/4/05
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The west side of 226 E. 2nd St., with attic window removed... |
While searching on the website of the Ross County Auditor to get the address for it, I learned that it is owned by the Tabernacle Baptist Church, who demolished a handfulof houses there (see the church and location's entry in my Chillicothe Demolitions by Churches story).
East Second Street between Mulberry and Bridge has suffered many demolitions in the last ten years. Buildings remaining from the canal are gone, half of a neighborhood has been turned into an urban sandbar, and turf and asphalt has smothered the area at Second and Hickory.
There you will find two houses at 226 and 231 East Second, standing in the no-man's-land between the loss of traditional Chillicothe from the commercial ravenings of Bridge Street, leisure ravenings of parking lots, and low-maintenance ravening of vacant lots.
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A northwest view of 231 and 226 E. 2nd Street in July and the barren land around them... |
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...and southwest view, showing their architectural value and the screening trees. |
The two houses are figurative fingers in the dike of Bridge Street, an almost coincidental gateway of architecture and trees that visually distances the mini-mall and fast-food franchise on one side and the traditional neighborhood just past the vacant area on the other side.
How long will these two stand?
new 10/11/05Here's an Associated Press story about an Ohio county that has recognized a historical asset, and a town that is working to accent it to bolster its economy.
Although not quite identical to Ross, this county is similar in having something distinctive: it "has more covered bridges than any other county in Ohio."
Although not quite identical to Chillicothe, this town is similar - or could be: it "has struggled for decades with high unemployment and the loss of industrial jobs."
This is Ashtabula County, which "hopes to add another distinction: the longest wooden covered bridge in the United States."
"What?" you ask, "they're adding to their heritage?"
Yup. "Officials say the 600-foot bridge could end up being the cornerstone of a budding tourist economy."
And, it's also accenting another aspect of their heritage - the natural. "The design also features a windowed walkway on top of the two-lane bridge, which should give pedestrians a spectacular view of the Ashtabula River valley."
And, this positive addition to not just the economy, but also to local history - as well as natural resources - is evidently a product of the highway department, and is being funded with big money from The Fed. "Construction on the county's 17th covered bridge is scheduled to begin next year and wrap up in 2008. Federal highway officials have pledged five million dollars toward construction costs."
(This news story, appearing October 8th, apparently came out during the annual Ashtabula County Covered Bridge Festival that weekend. "What?" you ask, "they celebrate their money-making heritage in a festival?" Well...so do we about the first of March...)
DRAFT new 10/11/05
Thirty years ago - or even fifteen - who would have expected commercial Bridge Street to be gnawing at the land this historical farmhouse stands on just south of Hopetown?
Yet, the bluff to its south is now a bumpy plain, and a sign indicates that this north parcel can be next in line. The house, at 1955 US Route 23, is a c1850s Greek Revival-Italianate hybrid.
But don't hold your breath - the next lone farmhouse, just north of the railroad underpass - even older and more special - also has a sign in front noting that it is available...
new 10/11/05
When I try to enjoy the sky, the thing that aggravates me the most - second only to nets of utility lines - are contrails, or jet plane trails. Ugly!
I know. I use electricity. I may someday take a plane ride.
The contrails are almost unavoidable, but must we have wires tangling up the sky everywhere? This view, from my front yard, is of a dawn sky florescing the Great Seal range of hills. I have not taken a serious photo of it for its beauty because I have to look through about a dozen wires and their associated naked, dead, looming sticks - and new this summer, another set of four wires and their poles - in addition to the electrical drop line to my house.
From what I've been able to research, it would cost half again - in the short run - to bury power lines. But which is more important - relatively cheap power - or uninterrupted skies and trees, and less vulnerable lines?
So much for what Thomas Worthington and his guests saw a couple hundred years ago...
