A Little piece of Paradise… College Hill, Ohio - SELFCRAFT

Chapter 25 A College Hill Landmark - Twin TowersIt has been nearly a century since the first residents moved into this impressive building whosegolden towers can be seen even from Kentucky. Although this is the second location, this is the firstMethodist Home in Ohio, incorporated Aug. 4, 1899 under the name of The Methodist Home for theAged. Its founder was Dr. Henry C. Weakley, a Cincinnati Methodist minister who also was instrumentalin founding the Elizabeth Gamble Deaconess Association and the Christ Hospital. It was while Dr.Weakley was serving Christ Hospital as their business manager that he became aware of the problems ofthe elderly and the lack of housing and care available to those alone or infirm. Dr. Weakley believed thatthe “moral worth of a civilization, a nation, a church, or a family may be expressed by the care it gives itsaged.”The first Methodist Home site was an old 58 room hotel for sale at Yellow Springs, Ohio. The hotelhad a splendid 14 acre setting and was once a resort for those visiting the springs located on the property.The Home was established and organized by representatives of the various Annual Conferences of theMethodist Episcopal Churches in Ohio. Dr. Weakley was the first general manager. In 1902 a firedestroyed the frame building, injuring no one but destroying all personal possessions. The residents ofYellow Springs provided temporary homes until another location could be located for the members. Aformer college dormitory at Granville, Ohio was used until a new structure was built.Fortunately, Mr. and Mrs. Obed J. Wilson of Clifton heard of the Home’s plight and offered a gift oftheir 20 acre summer home on the brow of College Hill. Mr. Wilson was a partner in the publishing firmof Wilson & Hinkle 4 which later became the Methodist Book Company, publishers of the McGuffeyReader series. Both of the Wilsons were children of Methodist ministers. They weren’t related to the otherWilson family in College Hill. The Wilsons gave an additional $70,000 for the erection of the north wing,containing the chapel. Later they donated the organ, their own private art collection and paid forconstruction of the art gallery. The flag staff next to the Wilson chapel was donated by Mrs. AmandaLandrum Wilson 5 , wife of Obed and sister to Lieut. George W. Landrum, to whom the pole is dedicated.Lt. Landrum fell during the battle of Chickamauga in 1863 while carrying messages for the Union.Ground was broken for construction, June 2, 1903. Labor problems, increased costs and lack ofmoney delayed building. The distinctive vitrified yellow brick was purchased from Hummel Stone andthe limestone foundation blocks were probably cut from the Wilson quarry, just a few blocks south onHamilton Avenue and from the site itself. The North Wing and Central sections were completed in 1908and opened for occupancy. Forty residents came from Granville to Northside by train. They traveled upHamilton Avenue by streetcars and carriages, some bringing their own feather beds along.At this time the facade was only the main building, the right wing and one (right) tower. Still, it hada 191 foot frontage (completed it would be 305 feet).The Romanesque tower is 150 feet high. Of much comment was the large retaining wall whichstretched across the ravine. One day the retaining wall collapsed. The ravine was alleged to be anUnderground Railroad escape route with a tunnel that terminated in the nearby Cary house. The weight ofthe wall caused the tunnel to collapse.The Wilson Memorial Chapel was dedicated June 9, 1909. The service was conducted by BishopMoore, a graduate of Farmers’ College. The chapel is described in a newspaper article of the time as“...occupying two floors, is beautiful in the extreme, with its softly tinted walls, its broad, graceful galleryopening onto the second floor, its encircling pews capable of seating 360, and its richly colored artwindows.”4 Walnut and Baker Streets.1996.5 For more information on the Wilson family, read, Queen City Lady, The 1861 Journal of Amanda Wilson, William Thomas Venner,155