There were several community houses (some people might call these "communes") in Cincinnati in the early 1970s, and I was connected to three of them. One loose community was the 225 Orchard Street apartment building in the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, near Liberty Street and Sycamore. People who lived in that building included me, Chris Cotter, briefly Dan Wenstrup, Clare Weinkam, Annie Weinkam, Peggy Scherer, Jack Shereda, and others who don't immediately come to mind.
About 100 feet across Sycamore Street was the Mansfield House, which was a genuine community or commune. When I moved to Cincinnati from Euclid in late January of 1971, the people in the Mansfield House included Greg Haas, John Luginbill, Joan Levy, Bonnie Tompkins, Andy Meyer, and a handful of other folks. I was never sure if there was an official roster of House residents. Certainly Carolyn Bromley and her brother Dan lived there much of the time, as did Jack Shereda, and, from time to time, Kenny Przybylski. When you add in the frequent visitors, you get a sense of how dynamic and exciting this place was: Denny Ryan, Henry Scott, Mary Alice Shepherd, Chuck Matthei, Peggy Scherer, Anne Weinkam (and her sister Clare and brother Paul), Dick Crowley, Richard Gale, Chris Cotter, Joel Stevens--and so many other wonderful, talented, and committed people.
A third community house, of sorts, developed about a quarter of a mile away, just up the Sycamore Street hill, then down Boal Street, a beautiful hillside street that ran above the Over-the-Rhine basin. I think that somehow Jim Tarbell got hold of the house--for very little money. And Jim let his friends live in the house. The address, if I remember correctly, was 324 Boal St. The house, built in the late 1890s, was a three-story brick house, a style common in Cincinnati's older neighborhoods. This house had a wonderful view, a back yard that was a hillside, and a side yard--something lacking in most of Over-the-Rhine.
For a very short time, when I was between apartments, I stayed in the Boal Street house. Regulars there were Henry Scott and Dan Bromley. A fellow named Jack lived in the first-floor front room; I'm sure many other people lived in that house or stayed temporarily in that house from time to time. I remember that Chris Cotter's dad, Larry Cotter (a prominent architect in Cincinnati), looked over the house to give an opinion on its structural soundness. If I remember correctly, Mr. Cotter was not particularly sanguine about the house's long-term prospects (guess he was wrong!).
I have many fond memories of the Boal Street house. I remember a wonderful party we had on one of the upper floors--must have been around 1975 or so. Lots of people packed in, music and dancing and beer--lots of fun! I remember another time when we took the old Peacemaker Ross Anderson up on the roof. Now Ross was about 75-years-old and blind, so this appeared to be a dangerous stunt. But Ross was so happy to sit under the stars on the roof of that old house. So many wonderful friends, meals, parties. I remember one day playing Scrabble with friends, including Ken Przybylski and Mary Alice Shepherd (now Mary Alice Milnes). Mary Alice took some pictures and when she later showed me a photo she took, I grabbed it and tried to crumple it up. What a dumb, vain move on my part! I wish I had that photo now, with Kenny deceased almost 25 years. Another memory is of Malcolm Dalglish, the great musician, playing his hammer dulcimer in the house--right at the beginning of his folk music career.
One amazing thing I've found about the Internet is that you can type in the address of a house, and then use a function on Google Maps to actually see that house. If you want to try to see the old Boal Street house, type this into Google: 324 Boal Street, Cincinnati, Ohio 45202. Then drag the little yellow icon of a man onto the road and take a look. It's a miracle!
I have also found a photo and property description of this house by going to www.zillow.com, and then typing in the house address.
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17 comments:
Delighted to read this.
Thanks for sparking some memories.
I was recently contacted by Jack Wallace
via FB. I am trying to place you
but I can't find your name
listed anywhere on the blog details.
There was good natured fellow
who stayed on Boal from time to time.
An ex-monk who liked to use
ample curry in most of his cooking
and baking.
Would that be you?
Joe or maybe Jack?
Names are more difficult for me
to conjure than faces.
Dan Bromley's name popped into my head.
That led to your blog.
There are so many more stores
about Boal Street.
Did you know Kim Cole?
Calvert Guthrie
Kansas City
Hi Cal (or Calvert?),
I think I remember you. My name is Bob Coughlin and I lived on Orchard Street from about 1971 to '74. Then I lived on Lang Street for about a year or two. And finally I moved up near the University of Cincinnati circa 1976 and lived on Hollister, a short street between Vine and McMillan. Between apartments I would sometimes stay at the Boal Street house or even in the St. Paul's rectory when Tarbell was in charge of the decommissioned church.
I certainly remember Jack Wallace (played the piano, right?), Jon Sprunger (lived further up the street), Henry Scott (I still hear from him and visit him from time to time--lives in Baltimore), Dan Bromley (I think Dan had serious mental health problems and lives somewhere north of Cincinnati in a group home). A lot of my other Cincinnati friends lived on Orchard St., Mansfield St., and Clay St. (Clare and Anne Weinkam, Greg Haas, Chris Cotter, Jack Shereda, Andy Meyer, Peggy Scherer, Caroline Bromley, John Luginbill, Richard Gale, and others).
2 guys were ex monks who stayed at Boal St from time to time: Jack Shereda, and Kenny Przybylski. Jack died about 15 years ago (lymphoma, I think). Kenny died in 1986 or 87. He was one of the most remarkable people I ever met.
I can't picture Kim Cole, but I remember the name. She isn't the one Jim Tarbell sold Arnold's to, is she?
Boal Street house was a remarkable place. Cincinnati felt like the center of the world back then!
What do you do in Kansas City?
Take Care,
Bob Coughlin
Orchard street, of course. I know who you are. I attended some of the potlucks down there across from St. Gabriel's.
I lived on Boal till '74 when I moved down to Lexington to work at UK. Melanie Cougarstar moved in at that point. Peter Fuchs, too.... maybe.
Shortly after Jim acquired 324 Boal, (72?) copper raiders stripped the place and someone snagged the stained glass windows from both the front door transom & the living room. Jim replaced the windows and the plumbing and did considerable work to the foundation to keep the structure from sliding down Mt Auburn. After that he had some guys crash there off and on to keep and eye on it.
Kim Cole was the first actual tenant. Jim soon after delivered her son, Light, on the first floor while the house was still rather rough. I was already committed to move in but with Kim in the Hospital it became more of a priority to get the 3rd floor habitable. After returning to Boal, Kim continued to live there for several more months before moving to Norwood. I had an antique shop / graphic design studio down on 4th Street with Ray Schmidt. Over at the Pendleton Court (St. Paul's) School I had a room for my printing press. Both easy bicycle commutes. Jack Wallace moved in shortly thereafter. Then Henry Scott. Dan and his brother, a little later.
One thing I liked about the house was the array of interesting folks who would show up and stay for a time. Sometimes announced, sometimes not. Trotskyites, IWW types, friends of Henry's who worked at Dorothy Day's kitchen, Peacemakers, and that order of East Coast nuns who'd moved to a farm in Athens[?], Ohio.
At that time the conversation was caught up in Watergate, The residual War in SE Asia and Nixon's paranoia--we did not yet know that Dan's dad was at the top of one of those enemies lists.
Greg Seigel built a kiln up on Boal but then moved to Owen County, Kentucky and all those fire bricks were hauled back down to street level.
For at least a half dozen issues, the Queen's Jester was laid-out on the third floor in the studio.
I remember in April of '73 watching from the Boal Street roof as tornados hopped the river south of Price Hill. The big one that did so much damage was clearly visible as it made its way north along the hills on the west side of the valley.
Kim Cole worked for Jim at Arnold's and Grammer's and later she opened Mulane's on Race Street. We kept in touch off and on till she died in the late '80's. Her Memorial was held at St Gabriel's and her wake at Arnold's. Last time I was in town I noticed that along with a number of Jim's OTR friends, I'm still in a couple of the photos that hang on the wall in Arnold's.
Greg Haas's name rings a bell but I can't nail it down. Andy Meyer, who'd had me do hitch hiking signs from time to time, got in touch w/me years later to do his wedding invites.
Anne's Country Garden was where I would frequently see the Orchard Street crew. I remember Claire, Caroline... was Chris Cotter a carpenter learning to do timber frame work?
I moved to KC from Lexington in '78 to do hand lettering and design fonts for Hallmark. I retired from greeting card work in '07 and currently direct a community collective printmakers/book-arts studio.
70's Bohemian Cincinnati was certainly a rich place to be for a guy in his early twenties.
Regards,
Calvert
(Cal's OK, too. Down in KY "Cal" can sound like "Cow" so I began using the full name.)
Wow, you guys. Thanks for reviving these memories of what, from this distance, certainly seem like the "good old days." Sometimes it seems like all this happened in my mind, and hearing both of you talk helps confirm it wasn't just a dream.
I remember you, Bob. Henry and I stay loosely in touch, too, and he told me you were among his few remaining contacts from that era.
I had a brief fling with Peter Fuchs, and then a falling out, and then I heard much later that he had died.
I wonder what became of Jack Ferguson. I thought I remember hearing he had to have his legs amputated or something. Do either of you know?
Tim Barhorst is on Facebook.
I don't suppose either of you know what became of Bevo Ruzsa.
Blessings and thanks! Jack
Hi! It's Mary Shaw..I lived there too!!! with Tim Barhorst and Jan Weinkan and little Aaron. Really great memories..of restoring Jim Tarbells fireplaces. I'm in Colorado the last 4 years, 3 grown kids of my own. Occupy Everywhere.
HiJack! It's Mary Shaw..I lived there too!!! with Tim Barhorst, Jan Weinkam and little Aaron. Beautiful memories of you playing piano and restoring Jim Tarbell"s Fireplaces. Now in Colorado 4 years ,3 grown kids out in the world. adopted "Miriam" after spending a year in Israel..gosh, so much history! PEACE,
OCCUPY EVERYWHERE.
Bevo is alive and well still in cincinnati
Wow such fine memories. Now there is a casino so 'nuff said. And I just saw Bevo today at PLCH.
This has been a nice post- nice to hear about everybody- I haven't heard from Cal since Cincinnati. (I still remember how to spell it). I moved there afterhearing the people from Orchard Street and Mansfield house sing the song "Cincinnati, Oh-hio" - I was totally charmed. I do stay in touch with Bob C and some with Jack. I see Jonathan fairly often- he lived at the top of Boal Street and Jack erguson who lost his legs lived with him for a few years. I remember the 324 house vividly. The 1st time I saw it, Greg Haas and Joanie Levy were living there. It was very dark and gloomy. Tarbell offered me a place thinking that I was an artist (don't blame me) after he bought it. The 1st night I was there I was awakened by Cal and Jack W. having a shouting match with some physical contact. The view from my window was spectacular- all of downtown Cincinnati spread out and in the distance, the Ohio river flowing westward. There was a memorable New Years Eve where a woman named Melanie who lived there for awhile, handed out some sort of substance to the rest of us and that view from my window was transformed. Anyway, I remember Jack getting that piano up the steps, Cal writing on everything, Dan clearing his sinuses, Jim T connecting the toilet to the hot water and lots of other things. I treasue all of these memories, good and bad and medium.
Henry Scott
shadberry23@hotmail.com
Just wanted to say that I belatedly enjoyed this blog post as someone who is currently living at 225 Orchard St. Amazing the things google can find for you!
Glad you got to see the blog entry! I wstill dream about 225 Orchard, after all these years!
Very interesting read! I currently live on Mansfield and would love to know more about that house, do you remember the address?
I don't know the address. We just called it the Mansfield House. I think it was the last house on the street (possibly second last) and on the west side of the street. It might be the 2-story gray house. Try 1463 Mansfield. https://www.google.com/maps/place/Mansfield+St,+Cincinnati,+OH+45202/@39.112015,-84.509823,3a,75y,270h,90t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1soHnOzSN9C-5cuLL3SsNn-w!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x8841b3e36ca37c4d:0x2982b20ee4e8e2ec
Wow, I am so happy to have stumbled across this blog! I briefly lived at 324 Boal St. around 1977/1978, with Steve Frost. On the second floor, front bedroom. I remember the rent was super cheap, and it was referred to as a "foundation house". There was a fellow named Jack on the 1st floor, and Tim, Jan and little Aaron on the 3rd floor. Glad to see the house is still standing and looking beautiful.
I don remember the name Steve Frost. And I never heard the term "foundation house."As far as I know, Jim Tarbell owned the house back in the 1970ś and I think got it practically free. An architect, Larry Cotter, inspected it and thought it wouldn't hold up very long (he was wrong). By 1977-78 I had moved up to Hollister Street, just off Vine, near the University of Cincinnati. My rent was dirt cheap, $40/month. I still had lots of contact with friends in Over-the-Rhine. The Jack you mention was probably Jack Wallace. Some of my friends would know the names Tim, Jan, and Aaron. Glad you found this blog entry!
Hi,
Thanks for the response. I was only there a few months I think. We had met at UC, and then both went up to Hocking Tech. I was just in town for a wedding at the Netherlands Hilton, and I was curious about the house I once lived in. So, I was delighted to find it online and then find your blog. Small world, I am your neighbor, in Kirtland :)
I was in a dance troupe called “Nataraja” with Darla Rowe, Jan Weinkan, Bevo and others. The troupe attended a few parties at Boal street - I remember good food, music, and dancing. I’m trying to find photos of the dances we performed at Union Terminal, UC and the Serpentine Wall. Jan was the lead dancer. Nice to read and learn more about the Boal street community
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