A History of Minerva Park, 1895-1992, by Vernon
Pack, historian.A History of Minerva Park, 1895-1992, by Vernon
Pack, historian.
The seed was sown during this decade for
what would become a most unusual community, one that still boasts an idyllic
setting. The streetcar line on June 17, 1926 be came the Columbus Railway
Power & Light Company, with Charles F. Johnson buying it that same day.
The well-known area developer's Minerva Park Realty Company deeded the 42-acre
Minerva Park East on August 25,1926.
Little time was wasted cutting down trees, laying sewer and water lines and building streets. The deteriorating dam was replaced with a new one that drained all the water out of the big lake.
The new Minerva Park School. The building was accepted by the Sharon
Township Board of Education in the fall of 1924, according to the official
board minutes. The school's first principal was Marjorie Wilson.
During the next two years, a housing boom occurred, with lots selling as high as $3,000 each. Johnson printed a colorful map of the area he was developing. Harold Hard has long possessed the plate for the 1926 Johnson map.
The name "Minerva" was retained for the development. Although there was a Greek goddess of that name, it is the likeness of the Roman goddess wearing a helmet that graces the columns along Cleveland Avenue.
The old Minerva Park School, located near the northeast corner of what is now Cleveland Avenue and Jordan Road, provided schooling for many of the children in that area of Blendon Township. It was eventually replaced with the new Minerva Park School. Located on the west side of Cleveland Avenue, the new school was constructed at a cost of $27,300 plus plumbing and heating costs. The building was accepted by the Sharon Township Board of Education in the fall of 1924, according to the official board minutes.
The school's first principal was Marjorie Wilson. On the faculty during part or all of this decade were Pearle Bishop, Vivian G. Barnes, Amanda Fuller, Lizzie Chambers, Ella Nave and Charlotte McGrill.
In 1928 the principal's salary was increased to $140 per month. Teachers received $125 each month. Fen Burwell was hired as a janitor in 1926. He would hold that position for more than two decades, most of that time as the head custodian. The pupils were quite fond of him. The 1929 school year opened with an enrollment of 84 pupils.
Carleton Berry many years ago quoted his
son-in-law, DeVere Kerr, as believing that the Amphitheater was constructed
by Charles Johnson in 1928.Its primary purpose was to feature a band that
would help introduce the new community to prospective buyers. Whether or
not it ever served that purpose is strictly conjecture.
The first home to be occupied in Minerva Park was "Overbrook" which was completed in late 1928 at the entrance to Lakewood Drive.
Featured in Home Beautiful, its first owners were Isaac and Alice Young; they were the owners of a large dairy in Linden. They moved into their Cape Cod-style home in mid-December. Built of Arkansas pine, special features included the formal dining room, a beautiful stairway, "air washing and a humidifying heating system."
The first home to be
occupied in Minerva Park was "Overbrook" which was completed in
late 1928 at the entrance to Lakewood Drive.
An unusual home opened in November 1929. Known as "The Elms," it had been featured in the Home Beautiful series during the previous summer. Its first occupants were DeVere Kerr and his wife. He was associated with his father-in-law, Carleton Berry, in publishing The Linden News. They were next door neighbors.
An article in The Linden News indicated "The Elms" had an "English mode of architecture." Its combination of natural wood beams, roughhewn stone, stucco and green-gray shingles made it an attractive landmark. Its ". . . ponderous portals of entranceway have lanterns and ornaments of wrought iron."
The wood fireplace was of California tile construction. The home featured seven rooms. There were numerous windows. All of the French doors had leaded glass, and the plumbing fixtures were of chromide to resist tarnish.
Significant dates from this era
The historical text and photos reproduced here are used with the permission of the author. The graphics contained in this web site were produced by the copyright holder.
Rick Lakin, rlakin@home.com