[...unknown history...] ...Other than the "Bourneville Circle," a Hopewell(?) earthwork on the upper terrace behind the house, now badly plowed down and largely invisible...
The farmstead is mostly denuded, with only the house and a forgetible early-twentieth century corn-crib remaining. A small wood frame outbuilding behind and to the side of the house was burned down recently, leaving a jumble of its stone foundation. A mobile home sits behind the house, facing the opposite way, seemingly turning its back on this noble farmhouse that is probably more than fifteen times its senior.
Located on US Route 50, just west of the outlet of Lower Twin Road, near Bourneville, in Twin Township, Ross County, Ohio, USA - 12381 US 50 US 50, Bourneville OH 45612(?). The is at about UTM XXXXXX) viewable on a
USGS topographic map or in an
aerial photo in the map frame of the county auditor's website.
- Built Environment Classification:
- Architectural Style: elements of the
Federal
and
Greek Revival
- Chronology: Built c1835; abandoned c1970
* Photo-recorded July 2004. All Images are linked to large-sized versions. *
The Baum(?) Farmhouse
A c1835 central-passage I-House with integral side rear ell
The house faces south-southeast, towards the road and rising sun. Its location on the edge of the upper terrace, and the location of the road farther from the bluff, gives it a noble but aloof appearance.
It is one of five farmsteads on the edge of the bluff (three now gone) along this stretch of the road between a bedrock knoll and the hamlet of Bourneville.
The front door, centered in its symmetrical and evenly-spaced five-bay facade, demonstrated the stylistic transition the house straddles.
Two elements testify to the Federal Style: The front wall's Flemish-bond brickwork is an expensive trait commonly used in the Federal era, and the almost "perimiter" type transom was a treatment for the Federal style.
Although it resembles the late-nineteenth century Queen Anne style perimiter window, three aspects testify to its early nineteenth century date: The perimiter panes are not tinted; most are rectangular, and not square; and most everything on the house is unaltered. (...Although it just may be Queen Anne, in conjunction with the Eastlake styled doorknob and doorbell renovations!)
The door is Greek Revival, probably early Greek Revival. The vertical twin panels echo classical columns, but here they are not blank, instead having anthemions with connecting scrolls. I don't recall having seen this anywhere else in my travels. I'll bet it was lifted from a builder's guide of the time, as many unusual elements like this were.
The formal parlor was probably on the east side of the first floor, without a rear ell to muss things up with traffic.
Too many of the windows have lost their glass, but at least that makes it easier to be an architectural voyeur. In the back window of the parlor we see a pile of mattresses stacked like dead bodies... But past that is the early Greek Revival styled parlor mantle. Since the parlor was the fanciest part of the house, it would have the most up-to-date ornament - and here it is.
Above the parlor is the "Parlor Chamber."
Here we can see a feature of the house without intruding. Inside is the typical solution to storage and convenient niches on either side of an interior firebox and chimney: a built-in closet. And, this one has its original Federal-styled door. Like another element on this house, although it resembles a later styled element (a "ladder door" of the early twentieth century) I'm cetain in this case that it is not.
On the outside is more of the Flemish bond brickwork, with the characteristic Greek-cross-like pattern of alternating headers and stretchers.
At the top of the wall is an eave with hybrid styling : a blank boxed cornice is a nod to the Greek Revival, but under it is a characteristic Federal styled crown molding that terminates just before the ends of the walls.
The chimney cap appears to have been rebuilt, as chimnneys almost alway need after a few generations of use and weathering. It would have had some sort of cap to terminate it architecturally.
I forget what Josh was pointing at, but here's the back of the house. The "L" shaped house faces out towards the front and side where the drive and most of the weather approaches, leaving the inner sides of the "L" to face the dooryard.
The parlor side is on the far left, without further building behind it, reducing traffic and allowing a view from front to back. In the first floor of the ell would have been the family dining room, and the kitchen. The ell was built with inferior brick under the shelter of an original lean-to porch along its depth, sheltering the two side doors and rear door of the core.
The Kitchen door remains Federal styled, with multiple-paneled door, echoing paneled framing, and three-pane transom. Its simpler than the front doorway, but still pretty good for a back door!
