1582 Richmond Avenue - Babb House

Lot 35 Smith's Woodland Park Addition

1582 Richmond Avenue, March 2010

Odos Miller Blose bought this lot from the Smiths about 1904. He built other houses in the the neighborhood and probably built this one. There are stylistic similarities to 1559 Granville Street, another house built by Blose at the same time.

Agnes B. Babb bought the house from Blose on May 13, 1905 for $6,000.

Robert Leroy Babb was born October 3, 1869 in Clark County, Ohio, son of John Henry and Mary B. Kills Babb. He married Agnes Braley in Springfield, Ohio on October 14, 1897. Agnes was born May 9, 1867 in Clifton, Ohio, daughter of George and Margaret Anderson Braley. They had a daughter, Beatrice Margaret (April 6, 1899-May 26, 1985).

Message on the right of this postcard for Rally Day at the Nelson Memorial Presbyterian Church (which was located on the corner of Parkwood and Clifton Avenues) is signed, "Your friend and superintendent, R.L. Babb."
The postcard probably dates from 1912, as September 29 would have been a Sunday in that year.

In 1912, Babb was manager of the local office of the Dodd-Mead Company, publishers. In 1917 he was General Manager of the Columbus office of The R.L. Dollings Company, dealers in bonds and securities. Dollings was bankrupt by 1923.

The January 1922 issue of The Ohio Teacher reported, "Mr. Robt. L. Babb has been appointed by G. & C. Merriam Co. as their general agent for western and southern Ohio and Kentucky. Mr. Babb has been state agent for Dodd, Mead & Co., Inc., for the past 20 years and is well known to the teachers and school officials in the sale of The New International Encyclopedia. He will sell Websters New International Dictionary. Mr. W.J. Fitz-Henry has gone to Florida on account of Mrs. Fitz-Henry's ill health and has disposed of his business to Mr. Babb, whose address is 303 Schultz Bldg., Columbus, Ohio."

Agnes died May 4, 1937 and Robert died February 5, 1941. The Babbs are buried in Clifton-Union Cemetery in Greene County, Ohio.

The Babbs sold the house on June 3, 1918 to Bertha H. Blagg. Robert Blagg was an officer of the Dollings Company, so he worked with Babb at the time of the sale of the house.

Robert Ledford Blagg was born in October 23, 1869 in West Virginia, son of John Anderson and Louisa Isabel Persinger Blagg. He married Bertha "Birdie" Hoffman in Hamilton County, Ohio on September 16, 1896. Birdie was born in February 1877 in Ohio. They had a daughter, Mabel Virginia (April 1899)

In 1900 the Blaggs lived in Springfield, Ohio and Robert was the circulation manager for a publishing house. In 1910 he was a magazine publisher. Blagg was Secretary and Treasurer of The R.L. Dollings Company, investment firm in 1918. The 1920 Census lists his occupation as real estate broker.

Robert Blagg died in Bellevue, Kentucky on August 7, 1929. Birdie died in Indian River, Florida in January 1960.

The Blaggs sold the house to Clara Jones on January 8, 1920.

Lewis H. Jones was born March 6, 1869 in Greenfield, Ohio, son of Amos and Jennie Taylor Jones.
He married Clara Rauch on June 21, 1889 in Franklin County. Clara was born about 1869 in Ohio, daughter of Peter and Hannah Kimble Rauch.

In 1920, the Jones lived at 1603 Greenway Avenue. Lewis was a railroad conductor on the Hocking Valley Railway. In 1930, Lewis was not working, but Clara was manager of a delicatessen stand, Jones and Pinkerton. The deli was located at 41 East Market and was a partnership with James R. Pinkerton. Her younger sister, Minnie was the bookkeeper. In 1940 Clara was proprietor of the deli and Minnie was working as a clerk there.

Lewis died February 21, 1933. Clara died July 14, 1959. The Jones are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

Clara sold the house on April 15, 1942 to Alice M. Harbeson.

Walter R. Harbeson was born June 2, 1889 in Mansfield, Ohio, son of W.A. and Ida Rissler Harbeson.
He married Alice Margaret Knoderer in Franklin County on June 2, 1917. Alice was born May 24, 1884 in Columbus, daughter of John F. and Amelia Hartman Knoderer. They had a son, Willis, born about 1922.

In 1940 the Harbesons lived at 710 East Deshler Avenue. Walter's occupation was unemployed licensed embalmer. In 1941 they were at the same address and Walter was working as a salesman. In 1946 they were on Richmond and Walter was a lab technician for the State of Ohio.

Alice died February 15, 1950. Walter died in Columbus January 11, 1982. They are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

On December 22, 1965, the DeColas purchased the house.

Joseph J. DeCola was born in 1911. He married Avanelle McComas (about 1958). Avanelle was born August 30, 1923 in Huntington, West Virginia, daughter of Robert E. and Rosa Lee McComas. They had two children, Robin and Bill.

The DeColas were divorced June 24, 1975. Joseph married Angela M. Filichia Dipietro (November 11, 1914-November 16, 2004) on June 12, 1976.

Avanelle's obituary in the March 23, 2012, Columbus Dispatch said, "She was devoted to education and its power to change lives. A lifelong teacher from an early age, she earned her BA in Education from Marshall University and took her Masters and Doctoral work at OSU. She taught for 35 years, primarily with Columbus Public Schools, and valued her time at Gettysburg; she also enjoyed and continued to be involved with the Wonderful Women of Winterset. She was a student of history and how personalities affected the course of change and traveled the world to experience it firsthand. She loved beautiful things, both in art and nature. She also was active with several volunteer activities, including the Trading Post. Her family was of primary importance to her and she patricularly loved knowing her great-grandchildren."

Joseph died April 13, 1977 in Columbus. Avanelle died March 17, 2012.

On April 11, 1967, Edward L. Littlejohn, Sr. bought the house from the DeColas. He received a mortgage in the amount of $13,500 at the time.

Edward Loyce Littlejohn, Sr. was born February 24, 1918 in Columbus, son of Elgie L. and Mary Lauder Littlejohn. He married Margaret Eleanora Brown. Margaret was born February 26, 1925, daughter of (mother nee Austin). They had eight children: Cheryl, Florence, Margaret E., Trevilla J., Patricia, William H., Lepairion and Edward, Jr. (October 24, 1945).

In 1940, Edward lived with his mother and siblings 936 East Gay Street. He was working in a barber shop doing shoe shines. Edward served in the Army dring WWII and later worked for the post office.

Edward died in Columbus on January 9, 1996. Margaret died March 23, 2004.

Margaret was the administrator of Edward's estate and sold the house to Patricia for $35,000 on
August 26, 1997.

Particia sold the house on October 27, 1998 Keeng Jan Enterprises Co., Inc.