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John H. Herrick Archives:
Documenting Structures at The Ohio State University
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Alwood Greenhouses
Herrick Archives Number H 401/2
A. IDENTIFICATION & LOCATION
1. Name
1.1 Never officially named by Board of Trustees action.
1.2 Alternate names noted:
Alwood Greenhouse
J. Virgil Alwood listed in 1942 City Directory as resident of l883 Olentangy River Road (H 402)
J. Alwood and Annie Alwood listed in 1942 and earlier city directories as residents of 1945 Olentangy River Road (H 401)
2. Location
2.1 Located at 1883 and 1945 Olentangy River Road. See map below.
For identification of other buildings shown, see Appendix A.
3. General Description
3.1 Lists of improvements on the land are found in three documents in the filet of the Office of
Property Management of the University as follows:A. Sales contract dated July 5, 1950 prepared by C. R. O'Neil & Company.
B. Report of inspection (H 401 only) by C. R. O'Neil and John E. Shepler on July 3, 1950.
C. Application for tax exemption prepared by Vice President J. B. Taylor and dated February 20, 1952 or about a year and a half later.
These several lists are in substantial agreement, but differ in some details. Part of the difference may be due to partial demolition between the date of purchase and the date of application for tax exemption, but most of the differences are due to errors or differences in measuring.
3.2. The improvements included are as follows:
3.2.1. H 401, which includes the main house and greenhouse facilities at 1945 Olentangy River Road
The main house (10 room brick house in Documents A and B; two-story brick and frame house, 37' x 29', in Document C).
The sales building - a 40' x 75' concrete block two-story building in Document A; with 15' x 40' basement in Document B; a two-story concrete block: and frame office, 661 x 37' in Document C.
The boiler plant - a concrete block structure 40' x 97' in Document A; a two-level building approximately 40' x 83' in Document B; or an 80' x 37' concrete block and frame boiler house in Document C.
The greenhouses - Approximately 37,330 sq. ft, in six houese in Document A; 37,330 sq. ft. in seven houses in Document B; 25,622 sq. ft. in seven sections in Document C.
3.2.2 H 402 at 1883 Olentangy River Road,
A five room frame dwelling in Document A; a frame house, 43' x 43' in Document C. Not listed in Document B.
A frame garage, 21' x 22' in Document C. Not mentioned in Document B.
The closing statement (November 30, 1950) indicates that the house (H 402) had six rooms.
3.3 Photograph X 12960 (1947) shows a windmill and an elevated water tank behind the house at H 401. According to Professor Robert Q. Whiteus, these were still in existence when he lived there in 1955-56.
This same photograph shows three small wooden sheds across the drive south of the sales building. These have not been identified.
B. ACQUISITION
These buildings vere on the property at the time of acquisition by the University. Title was conveyed by three warranty deeds executed October 16, 1950 as follows:
1. a. By John Virgil Alwood etal,(Deed book 1593, P. 566)
b. By Seffie A. Alwood (Deed book 1593, p. 559)
c. By Seffie A. Alwood (Deed book 1593, p. 562)
The closing took place on November 30, 1950.
C. DEMOLITION
1. The Board of Trustees on February 12, 1953 approved the demolition of the house and out buildings at
1695 Olentangy River Road. This is clearly H 402 at 1863 Olentangy River Road. Either the house
number had been changed or the wrong number was used in the Board minutes, probably the latter.
2. Demolition of the house at 1945 Olentangy River Road, the water tower, and the concrete block buildings
(H 401) was approved by the Board of Trustees on April 9, 1956.
3. The greenhouses were gone by 1954-55, when Dr. Al Gabel lived at 1945 Olentangy River Road, but they
were listed in the application for tax exemption dated February 20, 1952. Therefore, it can be
assumed that they were demolished between February 20, 1952 and late 1954. No record has been found.
D. COST
The total cost was $260,000, including approximately 26 acres of land.
E. MISCELLANEOUS
No record has been found of use of the greenhouses (H 401} by the University.
The concrete block buildings (H 401) were used for certain research projects and were known as the Veterinary Research Laboratory.
F. PHOTOGRAPHS
1. In Photoarchives:
1.1. Frame 1-1 of October 26, 1946 aerial survey - in the upper right hand quadrant of the picture.
1.2. X 1091 - upper left.
1.3. X 12960 - lower left (H 401 only).
John H. Herrick
June 3, 1975