Heritage News of Chillicothe, Ross County & South-Central Ohio

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	The house back in 1991, while still occupied by Ross County.

No Peace for Former Landmark

The mosty-demolished Zimaroy Downs House just will not find peace. A further alteration in the plans for the site was proposed in the December 12th Design Review Board meeting by owner First Baptist Church.

Demolition in July 2006 went farther than what had been agreed upon (as I reported in "Remnants of Mansion May Be Further Reduced"). The church had agreed with the Design Review Board and the Chillicothe Conservancy to leave the arcaded porch intact, while demolishing the rest of the house. However, demolition continued into the porch until it was stopped by the city, leaving several arches cracked or collapsed. The city ordered the damaged arches to be dismantled or demolished down to their supporting piers, but so far that has happened only to one arch.

The Design Review Board had been wanting to hear from First Baptist Church for several months about this situation. Its representative, the Reverend Jonathan McReynolds, finally was able to make the December 2006 meeting. In it, he handed out a "Project Status" sheet and showed three architectural renederings for the site.

Update & Plans for Site

The "53 West Fourth Street Project Status" sheet noted several things. Demolition of the arches was delayed by the demolition contractor being needed at the site of the Second Street fires and on Western Avenue, but he has resumed work. The church is in the process of developing plans for the site.

The sheet also stated that the First Baptist Church "has never stated or intended for the property at 53 West Fourth Street to be used as a parking lot," which the Reverend McReynolds descibed as "disinformation" in a Chillicothe Gazette article.

The Reverend McReynolds showed three preliminary architectural renderings drawn by Sunrush Construction to the Design Review Board, which he said he could not leave with the board because they were copyrighted.

• The first plan was to remove the porch arcade and build a large new sanctuary, inspired by Cavalry Lutheran Church, on the site. Only the stone curbing from the Downs House would be retained. The design showed a large building with a wide, tall facade on Fourth Street. A small spire would top the wide gable.


• The second plan showed a smaller design that expands the current sanctuary of the existing church building, with a roofline and two gables that extend the form of the church. Again, only the stone curbing from the Downs House would be retained. The stained glass window on the east facade of the church would be moved to one of the new front gables.


• The third plan is to keep the arcade intact.

The Reverend McReynolds said, that regarding the arcade, "we all had great intentions but they didn't work out." The "Project Status" sheet stated that "a multitude of concerns has come forward regarding the reconstruction of arches. Congregants, neighbors and citizens have concerns with how any design of arches standing alone will look in conjunction with the adjoining property and surrounding properties."

Plans one and two, which the church favors, would cost more than $500,000. The church will decide on one plan and approach the Design Review Board probably in its January meeting.

The second plan is a great idea - it is sensitive to the church and accents the streetscape.

So what took so long to arrive at this? Why didn't the church come up with these ideas before demolishing the house? The second would have been acceptible by the Design Review Board and would have saved the church its antics with trying to vanquish the arcade and saved the viewing public from having to watch it.

The first plan is overly massive for the streetscape and is a design uncompatible with the downtown. It would abandon the sanctuary of the current church and take up more open space in the rear of the addition. Hopefuly the church will select number two - and the Design Review Board request it - and this matter can find resolution.

	The remnants of the Zimeroy F. Downs House December 29th.

Not a New Story

I have written previous articles on the situation of the house.

• In June of 2005, I wrote that this high-style architect-designed house built in the mid-1890s is one of Chillicothe's landmark houses - and its owner is seeking permission for demolition June 16th.


• In January 2006, I wrote that the Zimaroy Downs House was set to be demolished this January, as approved by the Design Review Board.


• In April 2006, I wrote about parts of the house being saved before its demolition.


• In August 2006, I wrote that Remnants of Mansion May Be Further Reduced; my notes on conversations at the Design Review Board meeting on July 20th, 2006; notes from letters sent after that meeting; and notes from the Design Review Board meeting on August 17th.

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