1560 Richmond Avenue - Styron House

1560 Richmond Avenue

Woodland Park, Columbus, Ohio
Lots 32 and 33 Smith's Woodland Park Addition.

On August 4, 1904, lot 33 was sold by the Smiths to Marion Meikle for $800.

On March 24, 1908 the Styrons bought lot 33 from George H. Bulford for $850. This house may have been designed by architect Bulford for the Styrons.

This house was probably built between 1908 and 1911.

Newark Advocate, October 29, 1906

Edwin S. Styron was born January 20, 1874 in Utica, New York, son of John L. and Ann B. Eddy Styron. He married Georgia Roberts in Newark, Ohio on October 27, 1906. Georgia was born about 1877 in Worthington, Ohio, daughter of William and Viola Case Roberts. They had three children: Martha R. (1909), Marion Elizabeth (May 13, 1913-February 19, 1914) and Edwin, Jr. (August 10, 1915).

Georgia's father died December 4, 1879. Her mother married Horace Chambers on December 15, 1887 in Franklin County. They were divorced before 1910. Viola Chambers lived with the Styrons. Viola was born May 12, 1846 in Linworth, Ohio, daughter of Alvin O. and Milan Case. Viola was a school teacher in 1870 before she married William Roberts.

In 1900 Edwin lived with his parents in Newark, Ohio. Frank L. Beggs and John L. Styron started the Styron Beggs Company in Newark in 1893. Frank married Edwin's sister Cora in May 1893.

Edwin was Vice President of the Styron-Beggs Company. They were a manufacturing chemists. They manufactured flavorings and extracts, sewing machine oil, toothpaste, aspirin, cough syrup, veterinary insect powder, saccharin and other products they marketed under the "Great Seal" trade name. They packaged turpentine and some other products in "coffin" shaped shaped bottles embossed with the company name that many now misidentify as whiskey flasks. The 1909 Centennial History of the City of Newark and Licking County, Ohio, says, "Styron, Beggs & Company, manufacturers of the Great Seal brands of grocers' drugs, flavoring extracts, ammonia, bluing and home remedies, have, from a small beginning in 1895, built up a business with a monthly payroll of from $1,800 to $2,000, and a force of sixty or seventy people, besides a dozen traveling salesmen." The 1911 City Directory and the 1920 Census list Edwin as a commercial traveler, so he must have been one of the company salesmen as well as Vice President.

On February 25, 1913 Georgia bought the adjoining lot 32 from Charles A. and Margaret P. Workman assuming a mortgage balance of $219.86.

Viola died at 1560 Richmond Avenue on November 19, 1929. Edwin died of pneumonia at 1560 on November 14, 1943. Georgia died April 27, 1948 in St. Augustine, Florida. They are all buried in the Styron plot at Walnut Grove Cemetery in Worthington.

Corner card from Styron-Beggs envelope, circa 1935

Edwin Jr. and his wife, Jayne, lived at 1560 at the time of Georgia's death in 1948.

Duvall A. and Mary E. Granger of 299 Taylor Avenue purchased the house on February 4, 1950 from Edwin Jr. for $10,750 at 5% interest payable in monthly installments of $80.

Duvall Ashby Granger was born in 1911 in Roanoke, Virginia, probably the son of William and Phoebe Granger. He married Mary E. in Virginia before 1939. They had a daughter, Jennifer born about 1952.

In 1936 Duvall lived in Roanoke, Virginia and he was a trucker for the N&W Railway Freight Station. In 1939 they lived with Duvall's older brother John W. and his wife, Lillian, at 1141 Medill Street. Duvall and Mary probably came from Virginia to join John here in Columbus in 1939. John and Lillian are listed in the 1930 Census rooming at 226 Smith Street. John was a laborer on a steam railroad and Lillian was an elevator operator at a bookstore.

Duvall was a paper handler/warehouseman for the Columbus Dispatch in the late 40s and through the 50s. Duvall died in Columbus on November 4, 1964.

Mary remarried and divorced between 1964 and 1978. Jennifer married Jerry E. Walker. Mary E. Taylor and Jennifer A. Walker sold the house on September 25, 1978 to Paul E. and Vivian D. Moorman. The Moormans were living at 1295 East 25th Street before they bought the house.

125 Parkwood Avenue - Bulford House

125 Parkwood Avenue, March 2010

George H. Bulford, circa 1915

Lot 10 and part of lot 9 of McCarty's Subdivision.

George H. Bulford was born January 19, 1870 in Worcester, England, son of Thomas E. and Anne Pritchard Bulford. He married Florence A. Browning September 19, 1893 in Marion County, Ohio. Florence was born about 1873 in Ohio, daughter of John H. and Augusta C. Browning. They had two children: George E. (1896) and Helen (May 4, 1901).

George came to Columbus in 1886. He studied architecture under J.W. Yost until 1898 when he became a member of the firm Richards, McCarty and Bulford.

George designed and built a 14 room pressed brick house in 1903 at 159 South Monroe Avenue (Columbus Dispatch, May 3, 1903, Section 2, page 3). This house is currently a duplex numbered 157 and 159. The Bulfords only lived there a few years. In 1908 they lived at 1536 East Long Street and by 1909 they were in their new home on Parkwood Avenue. 

They only lived here a few years as well, moving next in about 1916 to a house named "Beechwold" at 4765 North High Street (also known as 130 West Beechwold Boulevard). Beechwold was the former country house of Joseph Jeffrey, President of the Jeffrey Manufacturing Company. It is claimed that this house originally started it's life circa 1902-1906 as the gatekeepers cottage for the zoo. Clintonville was the original home of the Columbus Zoo. Jeffrey hired architects Marriott and Allen to make significant changes and additions in 1908. George called this house home the rest of his life and Florence lived here until her death on November 4, 1961.

"Beechwold", circa 1912

Bulford died April 25, 1942. George and Florence are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

The Bulfords sold the house to John and Hortense Connors in October 1915.

The Connors first house in the neighborhood was at 1536 Menlo Place. More information about the Connors is in that blog entry.

John Connors was born in Evansville as was Albert Cook. Perhaps they knew each other before September 6, 1921 when the Connors sold the house to Elise E. Cook.

Albert L. Cook, circa 1923

Elise and Albert L. Cook, Jr.,
circa 1923

Albert Leon Cook was born September 30, 1884 in Evansville, Indiana, son of Frederick Washington and Jennie Himmelein Cook. He married Elise Picard Ebeling on June 5,  1913 in Franklin County. Elise was born October 12, 1893 in Columbus, daughter of Herman and Grace D. Jones Ebeling. They had a son, Albert Jr., born in Evansville, Indiana on December 27, 1914.

Albert Leon Cook was the son of Frederick W. Cook, founder of the F.W. Cook Brewing Company in Evansville, Indiana. Albert was a brewer until Prohibition when he became a manufacturer of auto accessories. In 1920 the Cooks lived in Evansville, Indiana.

Advertising tray for Cook's Beer and Ale

The Cooks divorced about 1931. Elise married Howard I. Fullerton on February 16, 1932 in Franklin County. 


Albert Jr, is listed in the City Directory as a student, residing at 1589 Clifton Avenue in 1934 and 1935. By 1940 Albert, Jr. was married and had moved to California where he lived until his death in 2009.

In 1942, Albert was living in Evansville, Indiana and working as Cashier at the F.W. Cook Brewing Company. The brewery, an Evansville landmark for over 100 years was demolished in 1965. Cook was also President of the Cook Realty Company. 


On April 14, 1932, Alice G. Busey bought he house.

Harry Frey Busey was born August 20, 1883 in Baltimore, Maryland, son of Thomas Henry and Nancy F. Reeves Busey. He married Alice Lucile Guthrie on June 28, 1910 in Union County, Ohio. Alice was born about 1883 in Marysville, Ohio, daughter of John E. and Effie B. Price Guthrie. They had a daughter, Betty, born about 1913.

Harry Busey, circa 1918

Harry was a reporter in Europe for the Columbus Citizen during WWI. In 1937 he was a collector for the Internal Revenue Service.

A biography of Busey appears in the History of Franklin County, Ohio by Opha Moore published in 1930. "Harry F. Busey, managing editor of "The Columbus Citizen," has been identified with that newspaper in various capacities for nearly twenty five years. He was born at Baltimore, Maryland, August 20, 1883, the son of Thomas H. and Nancy (Reeves) Busey.

"Thomas H. Busey was born in Maryland and his wife was a native of West Virginia. Both are buried at Urbana, Ohio, where they spent the greater part of their lives. Their children were: Harry F., the subject of this sketch; Mary, lives at Crystal City, Texas; Charles, lives at Crystal City, Texas; and Annie, married Frank Kennedy, lives at Dayton, Ohio.

"Harry F. Busey was educated at Urbana, Ohio, in its grammar and high schools, graduating in 1901. He entered newspaper work as a reporter for "The Press Republic" at Springfield, Ohio. He came to Columbus in 1906 as a reporter for "The Columbus Citizen," and served in that capacity for two years, when he was appointed city editor. In 1918 he represented "The Citizen" in the War Chest Campaign and in November, 1918, was sent to Europe as war correspondent for his newspaper. In June, 1919, Mr. Busey became editor of "The Springfield Sun," and three years later was appointed state editor of "The Cleveland Press." He has held his present position as managing editor of "The Columbus Citizen" since 1923. He is the author of a Saturday editorial feature of the Citizen called "Looking Back Through the Week."

"Mr. Busey was married on June 28, 1910, to Miss Alice Guthrie, of Marysville, Ohio, the daughter of John C. and Effie (Price) Guthrie, residents of Columbus. Mr. and Mrs. Busey have a daughter, Betty.

Mr. Busey is a member of the Presbyterian Church, is a director of the Columbus Automobile Club and belongs to the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Torch Club and Sigma Delta Chi fraternity. His family residence is at 1670 Bryden Road."

Busey died February 8, 1970.

On December 11, 1948 the Buseys sold the house to A.J. and Lillian R. Worsham, and Clifton D. Ross of 323 Lexington Avenue.

Alfred J. Worsham

Alfred James "Alf" Worsham was born March 9, 1892 at Camp Dennison, Ohio son of Charles and Silvera Worsham. He married Lillian M. Ross
Lillian was born in 1897, daughter of Isaac D. and Lucy Copeland Ross.
They had a son, Darius M. (1922).

In 1917, Worsham was a messenger at the statehouse. Worsham was an attorney. He was enrolling clerk of the Ohio House of Representatives from 1939-1952. Worsham was also active in the Masons.

Clifton D. Ross was Lillian's brother. He was born about 1900 in Ohio. In 1940 he was living with the Worshams at 323 Lexington Avenue. The hosue on Lexington Avenue was originally that of Lillian and Clifton'd father, Isaac Ross.

Lillian died on July 8, 1959 and Alfred died in Dayton on December 8, 1963. Darius, as administrator of the estate of Alfred, sold the house for $12,000 on November 6, 1965 to Grover and Clara Shepherd.

In 1954 Grover was a maintenance man for the Howell Furniture Company. The Shepherds lived at 236 North Monroe Avenue in the early 1950s. Clara worked as a seamstress.

The Shepherds sold the house on June 9, 1988 to William A., Jr., and Bernice M. Caldwell.