preservation postpreserving tiffin’s architectural heritage

Tiffin Historic Trust, Inc. • Post Office Box 333 • Tiffin, Ohio 44883-0333 Fall, 2015

Tiffin Holiday House Tour Sunday, December 13, 1 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.

With the expansion of Tiffin’s Winterfest to two weekends, the Tiffin Historic Trust’s 2015 Annual Holiday House Tour is on the second Sunday, December 13, from 1:00 -5:00 p.m. Tour organizers Joan Martin and Nancy Cook have gathered an exciting selection of homes decorated for the holiday tour. Several are clustered in the Sycamore Street neighborhood and include the English Tudor style Frost-Kalnow family residence, the 1874 brick “Gingerbread” and Eastlake style home of Michael and Lori Mastro, and the 1889 Queen Ann style home that was later redesigned as a Classical Revival home, and is now owned by Doug and Cassandra Collar. Additional homes on the tour include Weston Reinbolt and Suzie Reineke’s modern loft apartment in the Empire Block of South Washington

Street, Nevin and Katlyn Martin’s Coe Street 1910 duplex, with tenant Michael Pinkston, Father Murd’s contemporary St. Francis Villa on Cardinal Lane, and John Bing and Ed Goshe’s highly decorated 1890’s red brick Victorian on Clinton Avenue. Tickets for the tour will be available in advance at Tiffin Ace Hardware, 1550 West Market Street (State Rt. 18) in Tiffin. Visitors can purchase a ticket on the day of the tour at the Tiffin Historic Trust’s headquarters, the Grammes-Brown House, 172 Jefferson St., Tiffin. The map showing the tour sites is included with the ticket. The donation is $10 per person. For further information phone: Nancy at 419-447-0665 or Joan at 419-618-0698, or check our website at www.tiffinhistorictrust.org or facebook page www.facebook.com/tiffinhistoric.trust.

The 2015 tour sites include:

140 S. Washington StreetEmpire Block Loft

Apartments, Weston Reinbolt & Suzie Reineke

19 Coe StreetNevin & Katlyn Martin

Duplex, Michael Pinkston

98 Sycamore StreetRosenthal-Collar House, Doug & Casandra Collar

115 Sycamore StreetEhrenfried-Lowry-Mastro

House, Michael &Lori Mastro

170 Sycamore StreetFrost-Kalnow Family

Residence192 Cardinal Lane

St. Francis Villas #26Fr. Frank Murd &Romaine Murd

26 Clinton AvenueMyers-Heidelberg-Bing

House, Ed Goshe &John Bing

Tickets will be available on the day

of the tour, December 13, at 172 Jefferson

Street, the Tiffin Historic Trust’s

Grammes-Brown House.

Behind the Facade Tour: Success & Encore

The Tiffin Historic Trust successfully hosted the first in a series of “Behind the Facade” walking tours in downtown Tiffin. On Sunday, September 20, 2015, more than eighty people gathered to tour properties in the Laird and Empire blocks, situated on South Washington Street between Madison and East Market Streets. The tour was an effort to complement the “Facade Improvement Program” currently offered to owners of property in the downtown

historic district by the Downtown Development Corporation, under the Seneca Industrial and Economic Development Corporation. Visitors heard a presentation by Amy Reinhart, Downtown Development Coordinator, about the current “Facade Improvement Program” and hopes for future developments. Smaller groups rotated between the renovated Laird Building, with building manager Tyler Shuff offering a tour of businesses and offices

on the first and second floors; the Beehive Cafe, where proprietor Ashlee Decker served appetizers and Ohio wines; Phoebe’s/138, where owner Mike Pinkston explained the renovations that developer Rick Reser is making to the adjacent property that will result in a new upscale restaurant, Empire 138; and several loft apartments, including the recently remodeled apartment now occupied by Weston Reinbolt and Susie Reineke. The visitors re-grouped at

Phoebe’s/138 for coffee and dessert.

The eighty visitors represented a variety of age and interest groups. The organizing committee of Doug Collar, Ashley Woodruff, and Vicki Ohl were very pleased by the enthusiastic response. Tickets had sold out by the preceding Thursday.

Because of the strong interest among the community, the committee held an encore presentation Sunday, November 1 and an additional 45 people attended.

News Flash!Local business leader Mr. Ebenezer Scrooge, 67, was found dead last night! The cause of death has not yet been determined.

According to his clerk, Mr. Robert Cratchit, Mr. Scroogle has not been well since last week, when, on Christmas night he experienced a series of hallucinations, due in all probability to digestive problems.

His nephew, Mr. Frederick Wilkins, said his Uncle had refused to see a physician, claiming his troubles were all “humbug.”

Scotland Yard has enlisted the support of the local citizens of the town of Tiffin, Ohio, in the United States to assist in investigating several mysterious circumstances surrounding the death. Inspector Farragut Lestrade said that the autopsy revealed disturbing indications that Scrooge may have been murdered. Although Mr. Scrooge appeared to be a solitary

man, it was well know that he had many enemies. The Yard hopes that the people of Tiffin will spend Saturday the 12th of December, from 10 to 5, collecting clues from various locations in Tiffin. There is a reward of $500 to the individual or group that is able to identify and prove who murdered the Mr. Scrooge.

Local Business Leader Found Dead!by John Bing

Plenty To Do December 11th-13th

Winterfest takes place Saturday, December 5th and the following weekend- December 11-13th – is titled “Victorian Weekend.” Starting off the weekend activities, the Tiffin Glass Museum will be open and serving refreshments as well as offering door prizes. In the evening, Heidelberg University is hosting a traditional Victorian Christmas dinner in the Great Hall. This event is a charitable fundraiser.

The theme for the scheduled events on Saturday the 12th is “Dickens in Tiffin.” The day starts with a snowball assault on the Top Hats of Victorian Gentlemen on the Central Courthouse Square. Concurrently, the Enchanted Moment Doll Museum & Shoppe (174 Jefferson St.) is hosting a book signing. Likewise, there will be a hourly narrated Trolly Tour of Historic Tiffin traveling to sites that Charles Dickens visited when he came to Tiffin in 1842 to catch a train to Sandusky on the Mad River Railroad.

Back in 1942, Dickens was considered a literary “rock star” of his time, the year he left England to tour America. In fact, Dickens was so popular that his arrival in Boston has been compared to that of the “Beatles” coming to America in 1964. When he returned to England, he wrote his

famous novel, A Christmas Carol, in 1843. Were some of the characters in that story based upon the real people he met during his trip through Ohio and Tiffin?

In the afternoon, the American Civil War Museum of Ohio, the Tiffin Glass Museum and the Seneca Country Museum will be open. The Ritz Theater is hosting Alistair Sims 1951 verson of the film, “Christmas Carol”, followed by a discussion of Dickens’ visit to Tiffin, and Christmas stories. An English tea is being held at Old Trinity Episcopal Church ( you will need a reservation) followed by lessons and Carols.

Throughout the day, Tiffin bars, restaurants, and businesses are participating in a puzzle game to solve the murder of Ebenezer Scrooge. Clues will be available at specific locations. A cash prize will be awarded to the lucky winner who solves the mystery.

On Sunday, December 13th the celebration continues with the opportunity to visit museums once again. Plus, the 25th Annual House Tour of Christmas decorated Tiffin Homes begins at one o’clock. Tickets can be purchased at Tiffin Hardware and the day of the tour at Grammes-Brown House (172 Jefferson St.)

Winterfest Weekend is Upon UsTiffin Historic Trust sup-ports the weekend of events – “Tiffin Winter-fest” – being sponsored by Destination Seneca County and the Tiffin Chamber of Commerce. The kick-off weekend starts on Friday, Decem-ber 4th with carolers and a tree lighting ceremo-ny on the Courthouse square. The annual Tiffin University music department “Christmas at the Ritz” is a 7:00 PM. Being offered concur-rently are carriage rides and a Level-Up gaming activity as well as the serving of complemen-tary hot chocolate.

The day begins on Saturday, the 5th with breakfast with Santa at two different locations. A morning 5K run /walk – “Run Like the Dickens” is taking place, followed by Kiwanis Club Parade. The afternoon will be filled with various family friendly activities for children of all ages. In the evening, carriage rides will be offered.

On Sunday there is a brunch at the Elks Club as well as a Christmas cookie decorating con-test. In the afternoon, Heidelberg University will present their annual “ A Heidelberg Christ-mas at the Ritz.” In the evening, there is a luminary walk scheduled at Zimmerman Nature Preserve and a walk through a live nativity on the campus of St. Francis.

October Tea–A Scary Good Time!

Cheryl Hufford & Carol Bussey

Verna Jean & Elise Fruth

Tea Monster Bites!

Donna Marsh, Sharon Wilbert Linda Aiken and Jane Brokaw

Ron Hill, Poe’s Black Cat

Marie Garlick of Swanton & Rebecca Ott of Jasper Michigan and Mary Coleman of Fremont

Our Mission“ To promote historic preservation in Tiffin by meetings, publications, tours, or other means. To act as a non-profit organization to apply for and accept any grants that may be appropriate to further the cause of historic preservation. To promote and develop any plan for the preservation and restoration of Tiffin and to work with all interested groups and individuals to put this plan into effect.”

The Tiffin Historic Trust Welcomes You To Become A New Member!

I want to help preserve our architectural heritage. Please enroll me as a member in the following categories:

Annual Memberships:

o Individual $10 o Patron $50 o Family $20 o Business $75 o Sponsor $35 o Corporate $250

BECOME A MEMBER TODAY AND RECEIVE A 25% DISCOUNT ON TEA EVENTS, AND RECEIVE OUR QUARTERLY NEWSLETTER PLUS ATTEND OUR ANNUAL CELEBRATION DINNER.

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www.tiffinhistorictrust.comP.O. Box 333 tiffinhistoric@att.net Tiffin, OH 44883 419-447-4789

Tiffin Historic Trust Board of Trustees OfficersJohn Bing (President)

Jackie Fletcher (Vice-President)Mary Lewis (Treasurer)

Nancy Rubenstein (Secretary)

Term Expiring 2016 Term Expiring 2017 Term Expiring 2018 John Bing Jackie Fletcher Karin Brown Doug Collar Mark Levans Nancy Cook Mary Lewis Ian Mertens Vicki Ohl Joan Martin David Selnik Valeriya Stoyanova Nancy Rubenstein Phyllis Watts Ashley Woodruff

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P.O. Box 333Tiffin, OH 44883-0333

Welcome new member Lewis Miller!

Annual Chili SupperCome join us to celebrate the season and enjoy good food and friendship.Grammes-Brown House172 Jefferson St.Monday,December 14th, 6:30 pm