Edward Oliver was proprietor of a large general store in the Norris Block, known to many as the Victoria Building, on North Fifteenth Street. Oliver began his business career in Dennison, Ohio, in the early 1890s. After an economic downfall in Dennison, Oliver heard of the opportunities waiting in the new town of Sebring. On July 1, 1900, he opened his doors offering the community dry goods, notions, groceries, boots, and shoes. With sales exceeding $2,000 a month, he moved down the street into Mr. Norris’s brick block in April 1901, increasing his sales room to 25 feet by 90 feet. Pictured are Cal Pettay and Ed Oliver’s son Clyde standing outside the store in the Norris Block.
Gilbert Ostermeier and Myrtle Griffith assist customers at the Ostermeier Jewelry Store, which was located at 235 North Fifteenth Street. The store was owned and operated by Gilbert M. Ostermeier. Gilbert and his brother, Henry, started their business in 1920, when they bought out M.I. Kirkman’s store. In 1923, Henry bought out his brother’s interest and operated until 1926. The history of the jewelry trade in Sebring is somewhat complex. Henry sold to Mr. W. Webb, who then sold to his son-in-law, John Schulie. Gilbert reappears in 1936, when he purchases the Rector Jewelry Store, a predecessor of Schulie. Thus Ostermeier reemerged as the premier jewelry store.
This is another early view of North Fifteenth Street looking north from Pennsylvania Avenue. A good view of the newly constructed Katzenstein Block, on the right, and the Williams Brick Block, on the left, show the architectural detail of both buildings. The Williams building has seen significant changes over the years, while the Katzenstein Building has seen little change over the years. Many will remember when the Allen and Son Furniture Store and Hotel occupied this building.
A charming smile greets the hearty appetite of a customer at this quaint restaurant. Over the years, several eating establishments occupied the southwest corner of North Fifteenth Street and Ohio Avenue. Names like the Reitlers, Dick Colvin, Tom Erb, and “Tuck” Turner were all associated with this small establishment. Taken in March 1939, this photograph depicts Annie Stump, the tall woman at the far left.
The Diner, located next to the Hotel Sebring, at 213 N. Fifteenth Street, was owned and operated by Irene and Karl Mongelluzzo when this picture was taken on November 19, 1941. The diner was a converted interurban car from the old Stark Electric Railway Company.
When a community is being established a hardware store can be one of the most profitable business opportunities. This is precisely what H.G. Leonard, who was well established in Salem, Ohio, had in mind when he sent his sales representative, R. Emmet Lee, to Sebring in 1899. Soon after, Leonard purchased a lot on North Fifteenth Street for $1,000. On July 19,1900, when a two-story structure was completed and opened for business. Along with general hardware, Leonard added a line of shelf and builder’s hardware, stoves, tin, and granite ware, sewer pipes, slate and felt roofing, and plumbing. Soon after, it was necessary to double the size of his building. In this photograph, you can see the original building (the right portion) and the twin addition. In his first year of business, H.G. Leonard exceeded $50,000 in sales.
The centerpiece of downtown Sebring was the Hotel Sebring. This architectural beauty, with its Queen Anne tower, left a lasting impression on the many visitors to this community. Though many remember it in the winter of its life, in its day, the hotel accommodated key people in the pottery business. Located on the northwest corner of North Fifteenth Street and Oregon Avenue, the building burned down in the late 1940s. This postcard view shows it at its peak in 1910.
The Mahoning Brick Block was designed by Architect Jacob Myers, who opened an office in Sebring in 1901. This building has changed considerably over the years. Its post-Victorian appearance of stone arches and wrought-iron balconies have been replaced by a simplified brick face. Myers also designed the Methodist Episcopal Church, E.H. Sebring’s residence, and O.H. Sebring’s residence. In this photograph, we see Baer’s Men’s Clothing Store, on the right. Another occupant of a portion of this building was the C & P Super Market, owned by Melvin “Pete” Hesser and Cliff Dougherty. Attorney Richard Ross occupies this site today. The right portion of the building housed Eddie’s Sport Shop and Billiard Room, which was owned by Eddie Howell. Today, Gromoll’s Drug Store occupies this site while the second floor serves as apartments.
Howard Crewson, manager of the Western Union Telegraph Office, poses in his office at 103 North Fifteenth Street during the late 1930s or early 1940s. Crewson was appointed manager in 1920 and served in that position for 25 years.
Eastham’s Grocery, which began operation in 1940, was owned and operated by Thelma J. and A. Clyde Eastham. Located at 291 North Fifteenth Street, the store remained in operation until Mr. Eastham’s death in the early 1960s, when the space was rented to Elsass.
The Midland-Buckeye Federal Savings and Loan Association began as two separate entities. The Buckeye Building and Loan Association was chartered in 1899, with capital stock of $100,000. The first president was Frank A. Sebring, and W.H. Sebring served as secretary. Much of the early development of the community relied on the company for financial backing. Despite the Depression, Buckeye managed to remain open, curtailing withdrawals as much as possible, and keeping foreclosures to a minimum. In the spring of 1938, Buckeye merged with The Midland Savings and Loan Association of Alliance. Construction of this building at 286 North Fifteenth Street soon followed. Midland-Buckeye was a victim of the 1980s savings and loan scandals.
Barbara Stanwyck on the cover of Motion Picture Magazine, a 25¢ Pocket Book Mystery by Ellery Queen, or Decca’s latest 78 hits were just a few items you could find at Deemer’s Newstand on North Fifteenth Street. Snapped on July 21, 1945, from behind the counter, one can see the variety Ralph and Cecil Deemer offered the residents of Sebring. With the war coming to a close, notice the patriotic flair with the model Air Force planes hanging from the ceiling.
Want to scare your neighbor? Need a great costume for trick or treat? Well, in the 1940s, Deemer’s was the place to go, as this was a great hangout spot for skeletons, black cats, and spooky faces. Candy was always in abundance at Halloween. Taken on October 28, 1947, at 12:36 p.m., Deemer’s was a mainstay on Fifteenth Street for over 40 years. Note the Frank Le Fevre and Son Insurance and Real Estate calendar hanging on the wall to the right.
The art of creating a milk shake is demonstrated by Jim Papadeonise at the White Palace Restaurant. Located on the north side of the Strand Theatre, the White Palace was a popular hangout spot in the 1940s.
White Palace Restaurant is seen here as it appeared in the 1940s. It was owned and operated by the Papadeonis family.
The smell of fresh shoe polish on a fine pair of Florsheim shoes, or new stitching on a trusted pair of work boots are the memories many have of Mike’s Shu Renewery on North Fifteenth Street. The small and unassuming building, which stood next to the Hotel Sebring, housed the business that was owned and operated by Karl Scarpetti.
The Isaly Dairy Company, which started in Mansfield, Ohio, was one of the largest and most popular dairy and ice cream producers in the nation. Even though the company no longer exists, Klondike Bars (the trade name and recipe were sold after Isaly’s closed) are one of the best selling ice cream products today. At its height of popularity, during the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s, virtually every town in Ohio, and the surrounding states, had an Isaly’s store. This store was known for its Art Deco counters and booths, with streamlined chrome, an Isaly’s menu included: sandwiches and fries, sodas, ice cream cones, and shakes. In this photograph, we see customers arriving at the Sebring store on a warm summer evening, probably in the 1940s.
This is opening day of the Citizens Banking Company’s new building, in the fall of 1912, on the northwest corner of North Fifteenth Street and Ohio Avenue. The day was filled with carnival-like activities. The sign in front of the Ohio Avenue door of the building stated that your name would be entered into a raffle if you opened a new account. Founded by Oliver. H. Sebring, who served as president, the bank began in a building a
t 255 North Fifteenth Street around 1900. W.L. Murphy, son-in-law of Oliver H. Sebring, served as secretary. On October 7, 1931, the Citizens Banking Company fell victim to the nation’s economic downfall. The financial blow to the community was enormous and the bank would never reopen. Banking was moved to Alliance, during the late 1930s and the War years. In the late 1940s, the Sebring Retail Merchants Association, along with numerous citizens and businesses in the community, raised $100,000 in capital stock. A federal charter was granted on February 7, 1948, and The First National Bank of Sebring was in operation in the old Citizens Building. In the 1970s, they merged with First National City Bank of Alliance. In the 1980s the Alliance bank merged with Bank One.
The Citizens Banking Company building is shown here in the mid-1920s. Note the ornate street lamps.
Wagons move down West Ohio Avenue at North Sixteenth Street, during the Harvest Home Festival, in 1912.
Participants in the September 1912 Harvest Home Festival pose on North Fifteenth Street. The photograph was taken from Maryland Avenue looking south towards Ohio Avenue. The children represent the school system as the banner down the road reads grades seven and eight. The festivals were an important part of the Sebring community for a number of years.
Streamers give North Fifteenth Street a festive look during the 1912 Harvest Home Festival. This view, taken from the roof of the Mahoning Block, by DeWolf Studios, shows the Harvest Home Festival parade. The Sebring family and other distinguished residents participated in the parade.
Some of the women of Sebring start the preparations for the Annual Ox Roast during the Harvest Home Festival in October 1908. Your choice “ten cents.” The newspaper said it best: “In a vacant lot now occupied by Bank One, a large tent was erected. Here the mingling of food odors that rose to a hungry man’s nostrils was enough to make him swoon. A large pit was dug and tubs of butter offered their golden treasure to those eating piping hot ears of sweet corn. Thick succulent sandwiches of roasted ox meat were served.”
Five
A DWELLING PLACE
The George E. Sebring residence was the first of the Sebring homes to be built in the village, and construction began in the fall of 1898. The home was located on the northwest corner of West Ohio Avenue and Sixteenth Street, and the cost of construction was estimated to be between $8,000 and $12,000. George E. Sebring was the first insurance agent in Sebring, operating (along with his son H. Orville) one of the first real estate companies, known as Sebring Real Estate. He was responsible for bringing the Strong Enamel Company from Bellaire, Ohio, and in 1911, founded Sebring, Florida. Mr. Sebring divided his time between Ohio and Florida, and he eventually sold this home to his nephew, Charles L. Sebring, and live out the remainder of his life in Florida. He died on January 4, 1927, at the age of 68. He was survived by his wife Cora Harris Sebring and five children: George Eugene Jr., Payne, Dorothy, Orville, and Mrs. Samuel (Ethel) Rose. Note the carriage house, on the left, and the First United Presbyterian Church, on the right.
After Charles Leigh Sebring, son of Frank, purchased his Uncle George’s home, he altered and expanded the house considerably. Married three times, Charles’s first wife, Jesse Morgan, died during childbirth. He married his second wife, Conradine Uran, on January 25, 1911, in Alliance. It was at this time that they moved into this residence. After the death of Conradine in 1965, Charles married Marion Headland. Charles was sales manager of the Edwin Knowles China Company of Newell, West Virginia. In 1946, he and Conradine moved to Sebring, Florida, where they became prominent in the citrus business. Charles had three daughters, Mrs. Allen Duane (Barbara) Gage, Mrs. Roy (Josephine) Smail, and Mrs. Don (Evelyn) Beddoe. Mr. Beddoe was a well-recognized actor in over 300 movie and television productions in Hollywood. His appearances include, The Best Years of Our Lives, Pillow Talk, and A Star is Born.
This 1920s postcard shows the C.L. Sebring home as most older Sebring residents would remember it. After Charles and his wife Conradine moved to West Virginia, the house was purchased by William V. Oliver. In 1934, “Vern” Oliver was responsible for purchase of the Saxon China Company building from bondholders and organizing the French-Saxon China Company. He remained head of the firm until his death in 1963. He was a leader in the pottery industry, serving as president of the U.S. Potters Association. His widow remained in the home until her death. In the 1970s, the contents and fixtures of the house were sold at auction and the house was torn down. The C.L. Sebring manor is located on this site today.
This postcard view, from the roof of the Citizens Banking Company, shows West Ohio Avenue with its pristine yards and carefully pruned hedges. On the right, the house with the gazebo front porch is the Charles L. Sebring residence, which was Frank A. Sebring’s first home. Across Sixteenth Street is the George E. Sebring residence and the late Will Sebring’s home, which is now Dean’s Funeral Home.
This early view of West Ohio Avenue, looking east, shows the transformation of the street from dirt and mud to brick. On the north side, the curbing and brick have been installed. On the south side, roadwork has not been completed for the newly constructed homes of Frank A. Sebring, Will and Anne Sebring Murphy, and Oliver H. Sebring. S.E. McKee had installed electricity to the Sebring family homes by this time.
This photograph depicts the Willard I. and Helen Sebring Gahris residence at 456 West Ohio Avenue. Though it is not one of the largest homes on the street, it has a sense of elegance and grandeur and is not overbearing or pretentious. The stucco home is typical of the style built by the second and third generations of wealthy industrialist families in the early teens. Mrs. Gahris was the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Frank A. Sebring. Unfortunately, she will always be remembered as the hostess for the “Welcome Home” dinner for Colonel Charles C. Weybrecht at the Lakeside Country Club at Myers Lake in Canton, Ohio. Weybrecht, along with Mrs. Gahris and several other prominent people, were victims of botulism from canned ripe olives in August 1919. Mrs. Gahris was known for her golfing skills and just weeks before her death won top prize at the club’s annual outing. Her husband was active in his father-in-law’s business, the Sebring Pottery Company. He died unexpectedly in the early 1920s en route to New York on business. The Gahris’s only child, Gretchen, lived with her mother’s parents. She married J. Harrison Keller and lived in this home for a number of years. It was purchased by Roger and Marilyn (Eastham) Johnston in 1966. They sold the home in 1998 to the Slusser Family.
Shown here is a postcard view of West Ohio Avenue, looking east from the Gahris residence in the teens. The view of the west side of the house shows the gambrel style roof, which was prominent in the era between 1910 and 1920.
Considered the largest and the grandest of the homes in Sebring, Oliver H. Sebring’s residence was designed by architect Jacob Myers. It was located on the southwest corner of West Ohio Avenue and Sixteenth Street. The exterior was altered several times. In this photograph, prior to 1902, the front porch and the porte-cochere were not built yet. Oldest of the six brothers, Oliver established the Citizen Banking Company, The Sebring Manufacturing Corporation, and was co-owner (with his son Bert) of the Sebring Cooperage Company. Mr. Sebring’s business interests extended outside Sebring. He was a director and vice president of the Knowles, Taylor, and Knowles Pottery of East Liverpool and vice-president of the Louis H. Porter Company of Chicago. Oliver and his family were also active participants in the Sebring campground revivals.
This is a view of the O.H. Sebring estate after the addition of the front porch and the porte-cochere. With thirty rooms and seven bathrooms, the cost to build this home was estimated to be $75,000. The beautiful landscaping complements this wonderful estate. The typical park-like setting with the large urns and hedges were commonplace during the Victorian and post-Victorian (Edwardian) era. This gave the family the opportunity of privacy, even though the lots were not enormous.
This rare interior view provided by Betty Grove, granddaughter of O.H. Sebring, was taken from the staircase looking toward the receiving ha
ll. The semi-circular room was on the east side of the home (part of the circular tower), which can be seen in the exterior photographs. Note the ornate lighting fixture on the newel post and the beautiful statues between the arches leading into the room. As always, ferns and palms were a significant part of the interior decorating. Their delicate leaves were a nice contrast to the heavy, but wonderfully crafted, woodwork.
This view of the newel post and the staircase rails show the talent of the craftsman at the turn of the century. Visitors were greeted by the warmth of the fireplace in the main hall. Note the ceiling lighting fixture, which was referred to as a converter light. The round globes were electric, and the top portion of the fixture was gas.
Just prior to his death on July 24, 1929, Oliver H. Sebring remodeled the house. According to his granddaughter, Betty Grove, the home was virtually gutted. Rooms were enlarged, the fireplaces were removed or changed, and summer sleeping rooms and dressing rooms were added over the porte-cochere. Over the front porch, a large sunroom was added, where Mrs. Sebring kept her canaries. The total cost of remodeling was estimated to be $200,000. In the late 1930s, the home was converted to apartments by Dr. and Mrs. A.M. (Kathleen Sebring) Overlander. Kathleen was the granddaughter of Oliver. During Thanksgiving evening dinner in 1943, fire broke out and rapidly spread to the attic, where the wood burned down inside the brick veneer shell. The first alarm was sounded at 5:55 p.m., and the fire was brought under control by 8:30 p.m. with the help of the Alliance Fire Department. This photograph shows the aftermath of the fire. Note the enclosed porch over the front.
Sebring, Ohio Page 4
