With butterflies fluttering between rose bushes and birds landing on the branches of an apricot tree, stealing snacks from the gooseberry bushes below, the sound of water trickling through a stone fountain wafts through a garden, mingling with the roar of cars rumbling down Long Street.
For the last five years, RJ Sontag and Benjamin Hirt have created an oasis within the concrete hive of Columbus. Many driving in the Olde Towne East neighborhood would never know about the green expanse that sits on half of a double lot at 1219 E. Long St.
Along with tending to their garden, teeming with over 30 different fruit varieties, Sontag and Hirt have become stewards of their home, protecting its history and bringing back some of its charm.
The red-brick home with a turret at the front was built in 1890 by a local physician, Dr. Chauncey P. Landon. He lived there with his wife and daughter.
Hirt and Sontag bought the house, sight unseen, with only a Zoom tour and Google Earth for reference. Since then, the two have spent five years in the home, transforming it from modern renovation to historic recreation.
Their home will be one of the 10 stops on the Olde Towne East Summer Tour of Homes on July 13. A tradition that started in 1982, the tour showcases the history and beauty within the Olde Towne East neighborhood, one that has had a complex history.
As one of Columbus’ oldest neighborhoods, Olde Towne East rose to prominence in 1863, when horse-drawn streetcars made the area more accessible. Once referred to as the Silk Stocking District, because of the wealthy residences that were there, the neighborhood began to decline with the rise of the automobile, which allowed affluent residents to move further from the city.
Many homes fell into disrepair, until a recent surge of interest in the neighborhood led to the growth visible today.
Nicholas Newnham, marketing director for the Olde Towne East Neighborhood Association (OTENA) Summer Tour Committee, said he believes Olde Towne East has more to offer than beautifully historic homes.
“To me (the tour) is a fantastic way to showcase the homes in our neighborhood,” Newnham said. “Of all the places I have lived in Columbus, this one feels the most community-based.”
The tour is put on by the OTENA. Tickets cost $20 a person, and the group is expecting over 700 attendees.
Profits from this event are the main financial source for the organization yearly. In addition to the home tour, the organization offers events like holiday house decorating contests and free music in the park.
The homes on the tour change each year, but their depth of historic significance remains consistent. This year, the tour will focus north of Broad Street, stopping at the Lincoln Theatre and the Thurber House in addition to the homes and gardens.
The tour will feature Sontag and Hirt’s home, as well as their garden.
The couple’s home has passed through many hands, as it was a scientific palmist’s parlor and a funeral home in the past. Pieces of this evolution still linger, like Victorian window latches and old tiles Hirt found in the backyard. Those tiles, hexagonal and square, were used to inspire the entryway flooring, along with historical references.
Hirt’s extensive research about their home is showcased in the “history bathroom,” where old Columbus Dispatch articles are on display, along with the couple’s archeological finds.
“Ben (Hirt) has researched the history of our home extensively, relying heavily on archives from The Dispatch,” Sontag said. “He’s also guided our restoration, so this is quite a full-circle moment.”
At a glance
When: The neighborhood tour will take place from noon to 5 p.m. on July 13. The tour is self-guided and expected to take two to three hours.
Where: The tour will begin at the Lincoln Theatre, 769 E. Long St.
Tickets: Tickets are $20 and available at eventbrite.com. They can also be purchased in-person on the day of the tour.
For those who do not feel ready to walk the tour, there will be shuttle buses available to help get attendees from stop to stop. There will be restrooms available at the Lincoln Theatre.
Reporter Sarah Sollinger can be reached at ssollinger@dispatch.com.
This story was updated to add a video.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Explore homes and history during the Olde Towne East Summer Tour of Homes
Reporting by Sarah Sollinger, Columbus Dispatch / The Columbus Dispatch
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