1715 Clifton Avenue - Guitner House

1715 Clifton Avenue, March 2010

Lot 11 Clifton Park

Harold Guitner and Irene Thrailkill bought this lot on February 12, 1917 from Esther Fearn, Horace H. and Mary Tremaine. This trio bought lots 1-5 and 7-12 in Clifton Park along with some other properties on April 22, 1913 for $7,984.91 from the estate of Edward Denmead. The Denmeads lived in several homes on Woodland Avenue. Denmead had bought the lots (along with some other property) for $10,000 on May 12, 1899 from Cotton H. Allen, Vice President of The Hayden National Bank and The P. Hayden Saddlery Hardware Co. Allen had purchased some of the lots in 1891 and in 1892 from John G. Calender.

Harold Guitner

Harold transferred his interest in the property to Irene on March 3, 1918 while he was at Camp Sherman in Ross County, Ohio.

Harold Westwater Guitner was born May 5, 1892 in Dayton, Ohio, son of William Owen and Ella Westwater Guitner. He married Irene Thrailkill in Franklin County on January 26, 1918 . Irene was born April 24, 1894 in Columbus, daughter of M.E. and Laura Haughn Thrailkill. They had a daughter, Constance.

This house was probably completed in late 1918/early 1919. In 1919, Harold was a partner in Bates & Guitner, surety bonds and general insurance and the 1919 City directory shows the Guitners living in their new home.

1901 ad for the Goodhair Remedy

On January 23, 1923, The Newark (Ohio) Advocate reported, "Goodhair Interests Locate in Columbus - The Goodhair Remedy company of Newark, manufacturers and distributors of Goodhair soap, has been purchased from the estate of Edward S. Miller by two Columbus men, Merwyn R. Hatch of the Independent Tire company, and Harold W. Guitner of Bates & Guitner. The new company will be known as the Goodhair company and will locate in Columbus. Hatch is president of the new organization and Guitner, secretary and treasurer. The new owners plan to inaugurate an extensive advertising and sales campaign in the immediate future." The Goodhair Co.  is last listed in the 1925 City Directory. It does not seem that this venture met with success.

Harold's death on September 30, 1962 made front page news in the Columbus Dispatch on October 1, 1962. The headline read "Harold Westwater Guitner, 70, 76 Ashbourne Rd., President of The H.W. Guitner Insurance Agency, 150 Broad St., for 45 years, dies." The article contines with a biography of Guitner.

Irene died on December 6, 1970. She and Harold are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

On October 31, 1933, Marion T. Johnson bought the house assuming an unspecified balance on an original $7,500 mortgage.

Derrol Johnson, circa 1924

George Derrol Resh Johnson was born March 21, 1904 in Ira, Ohio, son of Arthur Charles and Grace Resh Johnson. He married Marion M. Tracy in Franklin County on May 18, 1929. Marion was born June 22, 1907 in Columbus, daughter of Uri, Jr. and Elta Moore Tracy. They had two daughters: Nancy (1933) and Sarah (1936).

Uri Tracy, Jr. was vice president of The Tracy-Wells Co. and lived at 43 Woodland Avenue in 1907. An engagement announcement that appeared in the Milwaukee Journal on December 24, 1928 mentions that, "Miss Tracy is a member of the Columbus Junior league and a graduate of Miss Baird's school in Orange, N.J. where she was a roommate of Miss Elizabeth Houghton. She has often been here as Miss Houghton's guest at her country estate at Nashotah."

In 1930 the Johnsons lived at 879 Sunbury Road. Derrol was a bank auditor. In 1940 the Johnsons lived at 2618 Berntwood Road and Derrol was a cashier and assistant vice president for a bank. They had a live-in maid, Effie Freeman.

Derrol died in Sanibel, Florida on February 11, 1983.

Helena C Swickard bought the house June 10, 1941

Charles Robert Swickard

Charles Robert Swickard was born April 14, 1864 in Westerville, Ohio, son of Henry and Ann Langham Swickard. He married Helena Gertrude Cohan about 1902. Helena was born July 24, 1869 in Portsmouth, Ohio, daughter of Jeremiah and Ellen Sullivan Cohan. They had two children Marion (April 12, 1903) and Charles Robert, Jr. (1906-1927).

Charles had his own business listed in the 1939 City Directory, C.R. Swickard, Real Estate, Rents, Property Management, 20 East Broad Street. In 1939 the Swickards lived at 24 South Monroe Avenue.

According to The Ohio Genealogical Quarterly, Charles was "was a trustee of the Columbus Genealogical Society, and served on the committee of Publication for the Ohio Genealogical Quarterly. He was interested in genealogy, not for himself, but as a matter of public interest and civic concern. He was a member of the class of 1893, Ohio State University, the Columbus Gallery of Fine Arts, The Virginia Historical Society, The Historical Society of Pennsylvania, The German Society of Pennsylvania, a life member of the Ohio State Archeological and Historical Society, a member of the Sons of the American Revolution and of the Society of Colonial Wars." The Quarterly published a history of the Swickard family as a memorial to Charles after his death.

Charles Jr. and Charles Sr. both died at the family home at 30 South Monroe Avenue. Charles Jr. died of tuberculosis on August 9, 1927. Charles Sr., died on May 12, 1940.

Helena died May 15, 1949 at St. Anthony's Hospital of an intestinal obstruction, strangulated hernia. She is buried at St. Joseph's Cemetery in Lockbourne, Ohio.

Marion Swickard, circa 1925

On December 16, 1949 the house was transferred to the Swickard's daughter, Marion.

In 1939 Marion was Assistant Manager of her father's business.

In the early 1950s Marion was president of the Columbus Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and served on that organization's board.

Marion is listed in the 1954 City Directory living at 1715 and is self-employed, the Swickard Rental Agency. In 1957 she is listed at 999 Chelsea Avenue. The business is listed as Swickard Rental Agency (Marion Swickard), real estate, rents, property management, 208 Rowlands Building, 12 North Third.

Marion died in Columbus on December 16, 1998.

On May 14, 1956 The Smiths bought the house from Marion.

Joreece V. Smith, 2011

Harold Lloyd Smith was born May 5, 1922 in Georgia. He married Joreece V. Sweeney who was born May 19, 1925, daughter of Glenn L. and Mattie Haynes Sweeney.

In 1947 they lived at 531 Trevitt Street. In 1948 they lived at 194 North Monroe Avenue. In the 1953 and 1954 City Directory Harold is a salesman for Central Realty Company and their home address is listed as 86 Jefferson.

Harold died December 25, 1993. Joreece sold the house the the Fraziers in 2004.