historical homes of greater cincinnati...

BEST6 GREAT HOUSES& THE PEOPLEWHO BRING THEM TO LIFE

A CLIFTON CLASSIC

H I S T O R I C A L H O M E S O F G R E AT E R C I N C I N N AT I

MAGAZINE

Issue No. 15Est. 2005

Seven dollars

insideBEST

BEST / HISTORICAL HOMES8

Editorial DirectorMARIANNE SANDHAGE

[email protected]

PhotographersREBECCA WORPLE

owenemma.com

CRAIG THOMPSONcraigthompsonphoto.com

DesignerSTEPHEN SULLIVAN

[email protected]

About BestBest Magazine is published 3X each year: January, Mayand September. Its editorial focus is on featuring fami-lies in their homes: who they are, what they do, whatthey like. Its advertising focus is to present products /services most likely desired by its readers and providedby Cincinnati’s top businesses. The location topic ofeach issue changes from issue to issue.

If you would like to nominate a family for inclusion inBest, or tell us about an advertising client you wouldlike to recommend, call us at 513-708-3849.

Distribution of BestEach issue of Best is mailed to 10,000+ selected home-owners living primarily on Cincinnati’s eastside. Singlecopies are available for $7 each through Joseph-BethBooksellers in Rookwood, and by mail from the publisher.

AccuracyBeing human beings, we are far from perfect. Whileevery reasonable effort was made to be accurate andclear, we apologize now if something got past us. Weappreciate your understanding.

Coming Up Next in BestMay 2010: The Homes & People of Hyde Park &

Mt. LookoutSpring 2010: Being Green in Cincinnati, a special

edition of BestSeptember 2010: The Homes & People of Indian Hill

Best is Published ByMaverick Productions, Inc.41 Locust Hill RoadCincinnati, Ohio 45245Tel. 513-708-3849email: [email protected]

Publisher / WriterDOUGLAS E. SANDHAGE

Tel. 513-708-3849 / dou [email protected]

© 2010, Maverick Productions, Inc.

Issue 15: Historical Homes of Greater Cincinnati

Cover Story

66 The SammarcosOakwoodJim and Ruthann Sammarco love playing Scrabble in oneof their favorite niches in the home that Henry Probascobuilt during the time of Lincoln. Every room in this castleis spectacular, but wait till you see the staircase.

14 The McElwainsA Night in the Artist Studio

28 The Daniels Vintage Neighborhood Welcomes Modern Family

46 The WeddlesThe Ws: What the Wiedemanns started, the Weddles aimto carry on

84 The LeonesIt Doesn’t Matter Where You Live

98 The RuthvensJohn & Judy: A Closer Look

Off the Top of My Head: Short Columns10 Marianne Sandhage / You are Invited44 Michael Mauck / Building An Historical Legacy62 Kate Hawkins / Bad Girls Reading Bad Books97 Paul Daugherty / Man Caves111 Doug Sandhage / Storytellers

www.bestmagazinecincinnati.com

Established 2005

Featuring 125 Families…So Far

Best Magazine is printed on recycled paper

HISTORICAL HOMES / BEST 99BEST / HISTORICAL HOMES98

&JohnJudy

A closer look

The Ruthvens of GeorgetownStory by Doug SandhagePhotos by Rebecca Worple

Though less than two miles from downtown Georgetown,the Ruthven farm could be a 100 miles from nowhere ifyou didn’t know any better. The white Federal style farm-house built in 1835 sits smack-dab in the middle of 140acres. No other houses are in sight, not even a cell tower. A pond graces the front entry, an old tobacco barn just afew hundred feet away.

This is where Judy and John Ruthven have lived thelast 40 years.

Interesting people have driven the road that dead-endsat their place. Neil Armstrong has been here. Rob and JanePortman. Secretary of Commerce William C. Verity and hiswife Peggy.

Grump, his wife Cora, Little Sister, and Jimmy once livedhere. But I digress.

John Ruthven is America’s wildlife artist. PresidentGeorge W. Bush personally said so when he hung a NationalMedal of Arts medal around his neck in 2004. John is theman who can paint a bird so accurately that you’d think helived in the nest for awhile.

Judy would have received a presidential honor as well ifonly Ulysses S. Grant were still alive. He would have huggedher for sure. She single-handedly saved his boyhood home inGeorgetown from being torn down and sold for scrap.

To know John and Judy you have to get a bit closer. Youhave to walk with John in his woods; visit the Grant homewith Judy.

A Walk in the WoodsFrom a distance it looked like an old soccer ball, placedconspicuously near the creek bed, as if dropped there bythe Wisconsin glacier John Ruthven says passed throughhere some 20,000 years ago. “See that?” says John, asbright eyed as if this was his first discovery of a giant Puffball Mushroom. He bent over and gently pulled thethree-pound beauty from its mossy nest. It looked like abrain, but as white as snow. As a kid, John used to stompon them when they turned brown to make the trillion or sospores inside explode – like a mushroom cloud, so to speak.If I wasn’t around, and had this puffball already turned, I suspect the kid in him would have been aroused.

John is 85 years young. He walks an hour every day overthe creeks and through the woods that mark the boundariesof their 140-acre farm. Perhaps more than 50,000 miles total,he muses. “Rain, snow, sleet, or hail,” makes no difference hesays. He pulls on his trademark L.L.Bean boots and his High-

land wool cap and away we go – he as if half his age. His gaitis strong, his eyes are focused, but, most important to a manof his reputation, his ability to see things the rest of us usuallydon’t is nothing short of phenomenal.

“Every day is different. I never get tired of walkingthrough the woods,” says John, noting that, in his mind, he always sees something new. Today it is bear tracks, clearindentations where one had probably crossed Evans RunCreek maybe even earlier in the day. A Black Bear has beenseen in these parts lately, confirmed by his most trusted ofneighbors. John doesn’t flinch at all, instead he is giddyabout the possibility of an encounter. Perhaps he’ll see it infront of the Sycamore Tree whose roots overhang the creekwhere he once painted a resting Red Fox.

John jokes that Black Bear are growing in population,due, he says, to Viagra. If you don’t know, bear have beenpopular kills for years as Far Far East’ers think that theirgall bladders make for great aphrodisiacs.

We walk to a small pool in the creek, a foot or two deep,but clear enough – despite a raging wall of water that camethrough only days before during a torrential downpour thefirst week of October – to spot the critters who live here. Minnows dart hither and thither to avoid capture. And thoughwe don’t see any today, John has seen Madtom Catfish here,

BEST / HISTORICAL HOMES100 HISTORICAL HOMES / BEST 101

particularly in the riffles. While only up to 5” long, they caninflict a painful puncture wound – similar to a bee sting –with the spines of their pectoral and dorsal fins.

Deer linger where the woods meet the fields, share-cropped with farmer friends of the Ruthvens. Turkey areregulars as well, though they can be hard to find when former Congressman Rob Portman visits with his shotgun.

Up a short hill, the trail that John brushhogs twice a yearwith his 1995 Ford farm tractor, a farm pond comes into view. Itis nearly covered with plain pond water Lilies, but sprinkled be-tween them are Lotus Flower Lilies. Three or four Blue-wingedTeal ducks scatter quickly when they see us. Even though it is acloudy day, the scene appears perfect for any one of dozens ofbackdrops you might find in a Ruthven painting.

John often escorts school groups on his walks, usually

HISTORICAL HOMES / BEST 103

John Ruthven should probably be a spokesperson for theL.L.Bean company; his brand of choice for the 4-mile hikes hehas taken daily around his property since he and Judy boughtit more than 40 years ago. More than 35 retired pairs of shoesare tacked to a back wall in the barn.

While kids would see the puffball mushroom found this day byJohn Ruthven as a prime stomping material, John sees it as goodeating. Prepared like a pancake, John says it’s very tasty. If youhave never stomped on a Puffball, the idea is to wait until it turnsbrown, jump on it, and watch the estimated “trillion” spores ex-plode in unison. This one weighed over three pounds.


elementary age when outdoor discovery is more importantthan hormones. They ask lots of questions, but one sticksparticularly well with John. A blind girl asked John to helprun her hands across the bark of a gnarly old Honey Locusttree. “Now I see it,” she said. John can easily relate: he toosees things others can’t.

Interestingly, the banks along Evans Run appear toframe a near-level valley through the woods. John explainsit was part glacier, part man who did this. A railroad spuronce ran through here, connecting Higginsport with Sar-dinia. The tracks, owned by the Ohio River & ColumbusRailroad, were pulled and recycled during World War IIdue to a shortage of steel.

Black Walnut trees, Shagbark Hickories, Tulip Poplars,Buckeye, and Pawpaws are most popular in “J...A...W...N...S”woods. He often draws out his own name to simulate howneighbors call him, as if to start a long-drawn out conversationabout nothing in particular, yet important in this portion ofBrown County where news still travels largely by word ofmouth. There is also a plethora of Ash trees, many of them ondeathwatch due to the Emerald Ash Borer that will lay barrenmuch of Ohio’s forests in the immediate years ahead.

John flashes his trademark “Mr. Nice Guy” smile oftenduring the walk. No doubt he’s walked this route with many

comrades before, but he makes it like it’s his first time love.“All of these little areas I just communicate with,” he says,waxing philosophic eloquently, yet so simply.

Judy awaits us the door, a bit rankled that the planned 30-minute walk lasts double that. She is there with the phoneman who was supposed to have fixed their landline months before. The phone man, a guy perhaps in his mid 20s, seemsamused seeing John carrying in what appears to be a brain –the giant Puffball mushroom John found at the beginning ofour hike. John pulls out his pocketknife and shows how themushroom can be cut, much like a fresh loaf of bread.

Another day, another walk in the woods, another satisfied John Ruthven that he is alive, well, and still able to chalk-up another memory in his mind of those things hecommits to oils.

I am happy with the vivid color photos I’ve taken thisday. But when I walk in the house a few minutes later andsee John’s paintings and the smile on Judy’s face, my im-ages quickly fade to grey.

Saving Ulysses S. GrantOdd that the Ruthvens have so many Presidential con-nections. Potential presidential candidate Rob Portman hasvisited here a number of times; John and Judy have been


Some say John is the “most likeable person” they’ve ever known, while others call him a “Big Kid.” Best Magazine photographerRebecca Worple found him to be both. Judy Ruthven says John and Rebecca were kidding around when she suggested this shot betaken. “He just did it. They were having fun, having a magical moment. The photographer and artist doing their work.”

“Mom always said: ‘Don’t sell the Steinway,’” says JudyRuthven. So she didn’t. The Steinway, dated as having beenmanufactured on October 3, 1899, has been in Judy’s familysince. The living room is generally where the Ruthvens greettheir guests and where John likes to light the fire, and “then Iclean it,” laughs Judy. The print above the fireplace is from theRuthven’s good friend, painter John Stobart. The book collec-tion is all “stuff we’ve been interested in one time or another,”and, if you couldn’t guess, is largely historical, architectural,and nature related.

The Ruthven dining room features a “very Democratic table,”says Judy. There are eight legs on the antique table so every-body gets one if eight are seated. The Audubon print over thefireplace is one of three owned by the Ruthvens. But the mostcomfortable part of the room, adds Judy, is the Saruk rug.“How many dogs, cats and kids have enjoyed the Saruk! MyMom liked the style in the 20s. We grew up with them.” TheRuthven’s two Saruks were made in Iran, which were madepopular in the U.S. because of their two primary styles: tradi-tional and American.

The following poem was written and read by Neil Armstrong on the occasionof a roast in honor of John Ruthven. The event, titled John A. Ruthven in theAudubon Tradition, was hosted by the Cincinnati Museum Center in 1994.

Nothing is so rare or quaint as a person who thinks he cannot paint.

We are all talented, every one. Painting wildlife is loads of fun.

To draw a bouquet of forget me knots, just pick up a pencil and connect the dots.

Color and tone will not encumber, lift your palette and paint by number.

A master work is pretty easy, erect an easel where it’s breezy.

Bribe a fox to hold a pose, while you sketch his eyes and nose.

Hummingbirds cooperate you‘ll discover, you need not teach them how to hover.

The blue Herron will pose all day unless a minnow swims his way.

We each have a touch of Walter Mitty, get into the woods out of the city.

Find a pigeon, clover or puffin and pretend we can paint like John Ruthven.

So now at last I propose a toast for a friend of whom we boast.

All round good fellow with talent amply blessed. Here’s to you John,

you are the best.

special guests of the White House three times and toRonald Reagan’s home in California; and they have servedas owners of the boyhood home of Ulysses S. Grant.

And while John may have been helpful in the latterchapter, he admits he is but the “spear carrier” for what isJudy’s passion.

After the walk in the woods, Judy, who was born inToledo, and I visit Grant’s boyhood home, just a thousandfeet or so from State Rte. 125. The two-story red brickhome looks to be in good shape, though not much biggerthan a standard-sized condo. If you stand at the doorwayand look around, the neighborhood looks probably not allthat much different than it did when Grant lived here in1823 from age one to 1839 when he left to attend WestPoint. Georgetown’s population today is about 3,500, upfrom 600 when Grant lived here.

Grant – born Hiram Ulysses S. Grant (the “S” stands forSimpson, his mother’s maiden name), served as Lincoln’s general-in-chief of the Union Army from 1864 to 1869 during

the Civil War and as the 18th President of the United Statesfrom 1869 to 1877. He returned once to Georgetown follow-ing the Civil War. In case you don’t remember, it is Grant’sphoto on the back of a $50 bill, and, yes, he is buried inGrant’s tomb, confirms Judy, not amused and understandablyso as she’s heard that question a thousand times.

The home passed through various hands after Grant left,and in 1977 it was in near fall-down condition. Judy andJohn owned an art gallery next door to the home and wereapproached about buying it. Judy’s first thought was “no,”thinking the state of Ohio should instead be buying such animportant historical site. But “no interest, no money” killedthat idea, says Judy. “We thought about it again and said ‘thisis too important not to buy it.’ Ohio claims him and rightfullyso,” she adds, summing up our question: Why?

They paid $30,000 for the home.“Grant was probably underappreciated in this period

(the Georgetown years) of his life,” says Judy, but it “probably helped form his character and leadership in


Cardinals have always been John’s favorite bird to paint.This one titled Snowbirds, features a background fountainthat was once a feature at the Oakwood Castle in Clifton.(See article about Oakwood in this issue of Best).

By purchasing and maintaining itfor 25 years, Judy Ruthven nearlysingle-handedly saved theGeorgetown boyhood home ofPresident Ulysses S. Grant fromfalling down. Why did she do it?Grant was both “remarkable”and “underappreciated” saysJudy. The home, visited primarily by Civil War buffs or those interested in presidential history, sits just a few blocks from State Rte. 125. In 1982 the home was placed on the National Register and declared a National Historic Landmark. In 2002, the Grant home was gifted by the Ruthvens to the Ohio Historical Society..

the Union Army. He really was a remarkable guy; a manmeant for the job (he was given).”

So it was for 25 years that the Ruthvens owned thispart of history. During those years they maintained thestructure, bought and sold quilts to sell in the gift shop foroperating income, and became active in the U.S. GrantHomestead Association.

The Grant home, and the nearby 2-room schoolhouse he attended, is open limited hours Memorial Day throughOctober. Georgetown has its own Grant look-alike-actor, andhosts the fourth Saturday in April a Civil War re-enactment.

Judy and John have visited both Appomattox CourtHouse, where Lee surrendered to Grant, and Mt. McGregorin New York where Grant is buried in his tomb.

Together they have Fun“You gotta’ have fun,” says Judy, and you have to “be support-ive. On a small farm you are interested in what your mate isdoing. We are very involved in each other’s interests.”

They were married in 1969 after more than three yearsof courtship. For nearly 20 of those years together, theyalso owned a condo next to the Celestial in Mt. Adams sothat they could have a “social life” in the big city whereJohn was born. They sold the condo in 2006.

When I tell John how many people call him the “nicestman they’ve ever met,” he blushes, but doesn’t back awayfrom the compliment as others might do. “I had a wonder-ful childhood,” he says. “I had nothing but a lot of love andI always had a good feeling about people. I look for the

good in them. I like what I do and I feel very honored thatmy work is so accepted by so many people.”

John has no thoughts of retiring. On the day of ourwalk in the woods, he took a phone call from someone ordering a painting. I listened as his voice sounded like hejust landed his first sale.

There remains one bird John wants to paint – again. TheIvory-billed Woodpecker. Considered extinct since 1967, John was asked years ago to paint the bird his first time based on a skinloaned to him by the Natural History Museum. But because hecouldn’t open the wings, he relied on descriptions and other paint-ings to complete the task showing two birds in flight. The resultwas published in more than 100 newspapers and is posted on theweb. The Ivory-bill has a 30” wingspan and is similar in many waysto the Pileated Woodpecker, commonly seen in southwest Ohio.

He will paint the bird again after he sees one – with hisown eyes. John is listed on The Nature Conservancy websiteas a member of the Part-time Ivory-bill Search Crew. He andJudy spent much of November 2004 searching the swamps ofArkansas. Just to say the name of the bird nearly makes John‘you know what’ in his pants. Alleged sightings of the bird areeither national news or national spite from those who call it abunch of malarkey (similar in many ways to Bigfoot stories).“It’s the holy grail of birdwatchers,” says John.

Judy is amuse d by John’s storytelling; she has heard itas often as “Who is buried in Grant’s tomb?” Yet she travelswith him still to far-away places just in case.

They still get excited about each other. And who canask for anything more.


The story of Grump, Cora, Little Sister, and Jimmy

It was 1968. John and Judy Ruthven had decided they needed some elbowroom to live their new lives together and began a search in George-town for a farm.

Dr. William Faul, who delivered nearly every baby in Brown County during his time, owned plenty of acres and suggested the Ruthvens viewan old farmhouse at the end of the road that would eventually be named after the doctor. The following is the story of that visit, as told by Judy.

“John would not get out of the car because he was not the least bit interested, it looked so bad. I went in with my stepson Kevin where wemet Grump (a tenant farmer), Cora (his wife), Cora (his sister by the same name as his wife) and son Jimmy. They called (sister) Cora ‘Little Sis-ter’ as she was very diminutive, very short. They had in the kitchen a freestanding metal sink, an oil stove that had covered up the fireplace andthe walls were all flyspecked, painted institutional green. The other rooms on the lower level were turned into bedrooms. There was a tarp hang-ing over the entry to the second floor where Jimmy lived. We noticed that they had placed in the windows wine bottles and put rubbery-typegrapes in each and filled them with water. I then felt it was time to leave. I didn’t understand it. A three-hole outhouse was out back.

The upshot is that when we told Grump that we had just purchased the property his comment was: ‘Just when we get the place fixed up, wehave to move.’ This was a Ma and Pa Kettle place in great distress. There was no running water, just a hand pump with a 60-foot deep well.”

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Outside in the car, John told Judy: “How did you ever find this place, and how are you gonna’ get rid of it (when it’s time to sell)?” But the houseaside, John couldn’t take his eyes off the farm’s multitude of trees so he put $100 down.

Judy says Grump told John: “If you want to make a lot of money, take off the second floor and put in a pay lake.”The Ruthvens decided to keep the second floor and instead of charging for fishing, they charged for John’s paintings, most of which are now

painted in a backroom studio. They moved in in June of 1970 after about a year of restoration.

historical homes of greater cincinnati...

Documents