263 Woodland Avenue - Mary Denmead House

263 Woodland Avenue, March 2010

Lot 10 of Watson and Ryan's subdivision and part of lots 16 and part of 17 of Nelson's Heirs subdivision.

Mary S. Denmead purchased this property on January 21, 1905 from a relative on the maternal side of her family, William Franklin.

Edward Denmead was born April 24, 1840 in Baltimore, Maryland, son of Thomas and Caroline Brown Denmead. He married Mary Scott Dun on November 18, 1880. Mary was born December 1, 1852 in Ohio, daughter of Robert George and Ann Love Franklin Dun. They had two sons, Edward Graham born August 6, 1881 and Walter Angus (November 23, 1887-April 4, 1917). Another son was stillborn on April 11, 1896.

From Brick (a trade magazine), September 1901

Edward Denmead was a director for the Columbus Evening Post, Democratic which began December 4, 1888. He also was one of the first people to buy tracts of land and lay out the area that would become Grandview Heights in the Columbus area. Denmead was also President and Treasurer of the American Art Tile Company and Director of Accounts for the City of Columbus. About 1889-90, Denmead was Manager of the Columbus Transfer Company.

Edward Denmead House, 153 Woodland Avenue, circa 1898.
Built 1890, Frank Packard, Architect.

The Denmeads first home on Woodland Avenue was at 153, then they moved to 253 and lastly 263. Other members of the family lived at 115 Woodland Avenue. 253 Woodland Avenue was later owned by Louis Phillip Hoster and the original house on the property was demolished in 1921 and replaced with a Tudor style residence.

In the 1903 City Directory, Mary and her son, Edward G. "Graham" are listed at 253 Woodland Avenue. Graham's WWI Draft Registration card from September 1918 lists his address as West Liberty, Logan County, Ohio and his next of kin is his mother Mary, living at 263 Woodland Avenue.

An obituary in the May 1917, Ohio State University Monthly, "Walter Angus Denmead, Eng., '10, died Easter Sunday, April 8th, in Schenectady, N.Y., from pernicious anaemia, after an illness of one month. He leaves behind a wife and one child, a son about a year old. He was connected with the General Electric Company at Schenectady.

Mr. Denmead was a descendant of two prominent old Columbus families, the Duns and Denmeads, and his funeral was held from the family residence, 115 Woodland Ave., Columbus, April 11th. Interment at Greenlawn Cemetery. He was a brother of Graham Denmead and a member of Phi Delta Theta."

Robert Graham
Denmead, 
circa 1930

On Graham's WWII Draft Registration card his next of kin is listed as R.G. Denmead, 115 Woodland Avenue. Robert Graham Denmead (1908) was Graham's son. He graduated from the Ohio State University with a degree in Engineering/Architecture. Robert later went on to be a Realtor, owned his own firm, R.G. Denmead & Company and served as President of the Columbus Board of Realtors in 1953.

The Denmeads are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery. Edward died on July 20, 1901, Mary died March 22, 1944, Graham died on November 27, 1951.

Graham sold the house on October 13, 1944 to Clarence and Ruth A. Caplinger.

Clarence A. Caplinger was born March 14, 1898 in Adams County, Ohio, son of Landon and Sarah Hughey Caplinger. He married Ruth A. Courtney in Adams County on April 10, 1917. Ruth was born November 13, 1899 in Adams County, daughter of Simon and Addie Shoemaker Courtney. They had five children: Berlin A. (1919), Arlan L. (1921), Virginia A. (1922), Kathleen L. (1924) and Carlson (1925).

In 1930 the Caplingers lived in Seaman, Adams County. Clarence was working as a laborer on the steam railroad. As early as 1938 the Caplingers lived at 522 Woodland Avenue. In Columbus Clarence worked as a bricklayer and railroad timekeeper. In 1940 Ruth was a clerk in a grocery store.

A little over a year after buying the house, the Caplingers sold it on December 13, 1945 to Myrtle J. Clark.

William Luther Clark was born about 1890 in Indiana. He married Myrtle Johnson on September 1, 1918. Myrtle was born October 8, 1895 in Georgia, daughter of Elisha Edward and Malissa Stephens Johnson. They had two children, Charles Kermit (April 17, 1919-December 25, 1943) and Mary Virginia (1922).

In 1940, William Clark worked as a cook at the Goodale Hotel. This postcard shows the northwest corner of High  and Goodale Streets, showing the Northern Hotel on the corner and down the street on Goodale is the U.C.T. or the United Commercial Travelers building. The Northern Hotel opened December 1, 1878 as the Great Park Hotel and was demolished on January 1, 1957. A section of this facility was also known as the Goodale Hotel.

In 1930 the Clarks lived at 607 Oak Street, which they rented for $50/month. William was working as a chef in a restaurant. They had two boarders and Myrtle's younger sister lived with them.

Mary Virginia Clark married Frank Louis Neuhauser in Washington, DC on February 3, 1945.

On October 13, 1950 Lawrence and Ruth L. Mulligan purchased the house and were it's first African-American owners.

Laurence Mulligan was born about 1913 in Georgia, son of Alfred Edgar and Lena Mulligan. He married Ruth. Ruth was born about 1913.

1417 East Long Street

Lawrence appears in the 1920 and 1930 Census in Fort Gaines, Clay County, Georgia. By 1940 he is living in Columbus at 1417 East Long Street with his uncle, Berry McDonald. Lawrence is working as a bartender at a private club.

The Mulligans lived for a short time at 175 N. 20th Avenue before purchasing the house on Woodland Avenue. They sold their house at 1563 Clifton Avenue on October 4, 1950.

December 19, 1980 Lawrence Mulligan

Ruth died in Columbus on December 18, 1978 and Lawrence died on April 6, 1985.

On February 7, 1986, the property was transferred to Lawrence's heir, Alfred Mulligan of Newark, New Jersey. I believe this was his brother, Alfred Edgar Mulligan, Jr. On April 23, 1987 Alfred transferred the property to his son, Marcine Mulligan.

On July 6, 1993 the property was acquired by Working Capital, Inc.