1531-1533
​Mt. Vernon Avenue
Maggie J. Donovan's

This building was constructed about 1892. It was certainly one of the earliest commercial buildings near Woodland Park. Broad Street wasn't platted beyond Alum Creek until 1891. It appears the building was first a saloon, then a pharmacy for the majority of it's inhabited existence.

The owner who subdivided these lots was Maggie J. Jolly. Her lots were originally part of Scott's Subdivision.

Margaret Jane Jolly was born in Zanesville, Ohio on January 20, 1845, daughter of Samuel and Lydia (Weeser/Uphold) Jolly. She married Charles F. Jacobs on May 26, 1866 in Franklin County. They had a son, Charles Mager (March 1865).

The 1870 Census finds Charles and Maggie in Bellaire, Belmont County, Ohio with Charles Mager, age 5.

In the 1880 Census she is on Reed Avenue in Columbus. Maggie is listed as a divorced dressmaker, born about 1847. She is living with her "adopted" son, Charles Jacobs, age 15 (March 1865), who is working as a laborer, and a 22 year old boarder, Stephan Joyce.

The 1881 City Directory shows Mrs. Maggie Jolly residing at the corner of Reed (Taylor) and Mt. Vernon Avenue. In 1890-92 directories, she is listed as running a boarding house at the corner of Reed and Atcheson. On August 24, 1890, in Franklin County, Charles M. Jacobs married Katherine Woodward. Charles' address was Reed and Atcheson. Charles and Katherine had a daughter, Myrtle Lucille Jacobs, born March 26, 1892.

Maggie's sister lived at 1613 Atcheson Street, now 1613 Maryland Avenue. 

Sometime about 1892, Maggie married to Jeremiah C. "Jerry" Donovan. Jerry was born Christmas Day 1844.

The 1893 City Directory lists Jerry C. Donovan as an advance agent for the Sells Brothers Circus. Maggie is running a saloon at Taylor and Mt. Vernon, and they also live in the building. In 1895 Jerry is now a "contracting agent" which is also his title in the 1890 Sells Brothers Circus Route Book.

A circus advance man is the person who would go ahead of the circus to get the site selected and publicity together, including plastering the town with colorful posters. Jerry would have spent a good amount of time on the road. A line in a 1901 New York Clipper newspaper says, "It is the pleasant duty of Jeremiah Donovan to humor the natives for the use of their spacious windows, and the handiwork of the above mentioned indisputable live one, after their departure from the numerous outlying hamlets that are fortunate enough to occupy space on local R. R. schedules, is praiseworthy in the extreme."

Jerry died on May 28, 1898. The 1900 Census lists "Mary" J. Donavin as the head of household. Her occupation is saloon-keeper. Living in the building are six others: Katherine Romine, Maggie's aunt, born in June 1815 in Maryland; two nieces, Mabel (May 1886) and Jessie (December 1889), both born in Wyoming; Charles Huntsman, bartender, born April 1864 in Ohio; Jonan John Joh, a janitor born March 1860 in Germany; and a black lodger, Howard Gibbs, born in North Carolina in May 1865. He was a teamster for a coal company.

In 1909, Asa Billings operated a grocery at 1533 Mt. Vernon Avenue. Billings lived at 283 Woodland Avenue.

On October 3, 1908, Maggie was bankrupt. The trustee sold this building on November 19, 1909 to Arthur J. Guthke for $7,350, two-thirds it's appraised value. 

The 1910 Census finds the widowed Maggie Donovan living with her sister and brother-in-law (Jacob and Mary Swope) at 1613 Atcheson Street. Jacob is a watchman at the city water works.

Maggie died July 16, 1915, at St. Francis Hospital in Columbus at age 70 from "extensive burns over entire body due to gasoline explosion accident." She is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

A 1914 issue of Interstate Druggist, a trade journal, says in the Ohio State College of Pharmacy News column, "O.C. Blum will get his retail experience with A.J. Guthke, Taylor and Mt. Vernon avenues, Columbus."

Arthur Joseph Guthke was born July 4, 1870, son of Frederick Richard Guthke. Arthur is listed in the 1889 City Directory and the 1910 Census as a druggist. He and his wife, Clara P. lived at 1640 Bryden Road in 1910. Clara was Arthur's second wife. His first wife was Elizabeth "Lizzie" Altmaier, born August 5, 1871, daughter of Martin Altmaier. She and Arthur had a child who died at birth on February 16, 1893. Lizzie died on October 6, 1903.

Clara Pauline Kaiser was born December 11, 1872 in Columbus, daughter of Bernhard and Pauline Kaiser. They were married in Columbus on August 5, 1907, and Clara's occupation at that time was schoolteacher.

Arthur and Clara purchased the property about 1909 from Maggie. Guthke is listed in The Era Druggists' Directory in 1913 and 1916 in the building. Arthur and Clara owned the building until August 22, 1956. 

In the 1930 Census Arthur and Clara are listed in both Columbus and in Windermere, Orange County, Florida. They may have been early "snowbirds," or may have moved during 1929-1930. They were certainly residents of Windermere by 1945 when they appear on the 1945 Florida Census. Arthur and Clara both died in Florida, Arthur on March 10, 1957 and Clara on September 7, 1959. Arthur, Lizzie, the child and Clara are all buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

In the Columbus Underground post, a contributor, Alison did some research in old Columbus City Directories. I'll paraphrase some of her findings and expand on them.

Between 1926 and 1932 the address 1533 Mt. Vernon was for Ben Golden, barber. At 1537, (Hubert) Kanmacher Drugs. In the 1930 Census there are four familes listed living at 1537 and one at 1537-1/2 Mount Vernon Avenue.

Benjamin Golden was born October 24, 1902 in Pennsylvania to Polish immigrants, William and Antonina Golden. In 1910 the Goldens were in Smithfield Township, Jefferson County, Ohio. In 1920 the family lived in Green Township, Harrison County, Ohio. 

Ben married Jeanette Marie Evans about 1923. Jeanette was born about 1902 in Ohio. They had at least two children, Louise (1925) and Bennie (1927). In 1930 the Goldens lived at 1521 Mt. Vernon Avenue. Bennie E. Golden married Mary Ann Reed, and they had a daughter Marie K. (Golden) Arnholt. Ben died in Columbus on August 29, 1968.

Hubert Kanmacher was born July 26, 1892 in Columbus, son of Grant and Louise (Born) Kanmacher. 

In 1917, Hubert resgistered for the draft. His address was with his parents and siblings at 1634 Greenway Avenue. His occupation is listed as pharmacist for F. A. Ingram in Detroit, Michigan. He was drafted June 2, 1918 and served with the A.E.F. in France. He was honorably discharged April 12, 1919. In 1920 the family lived at 1638 Greenway Avenue. Hubert's occupation was drug store manager. 

Hubert married the widowed Glenna M. Lewis Cunningham on October 3, 1923 in Columbus. Glenna was born about 1895 in Athens, Ohio, daughter of Corbin and Minerva (Richardson) Lewis . Hubert and Glenna are listed in the 1941 City Directory at 811 Miller Avenue. Hubert is manager of Cunningham Drugs at 1350 East Livingston Avenue.

Hubert died of heart disease at home, 970 Yearling Road, on March 17, 1946. He is buried at Glen Rest Cemetery.

In 1933, the drugstore became (Clifton E.) Workman Drugs, then changed again in 1938 to (Howard E.) Lemmon Drugs, later Lemmon's Pharmacy, all that time with Ben Golden still cropping mops next door.

Clifton Earl Workman was born December 29, 1879 in Knox County, Ohio, son of George B. and Sarah Agnes (Severn) Workman. Clifton and Agnes were married January 24, 1915. Agnes L. Inskeep was born about 1889 in Columbus, daughter of William A. and Virginia (Hoffman) Inskeep. Before her marriage Agnes was a music teacher. They had a daughter, Carol V. (1923). 

In 1930 the Workmans lived at 1156 Jaeger Street. Living with them at that time was a 16 year old housekeeper, Lucille Busenburg. Clifton died in Columbus on September 13, 1941.

Howard E. Lemmon was born September 15, 1906, son of George W. and Effie L. Lemmon. In 1920 he was living with his parents at 633 East Fifth Avenue. He graduated in pharmacy from OSU.

Lemmon died in Columbus on May 23, 1968.

Skip forward to 1947, Lemmon's persists and Ben Golden (as early as 1945) was now "barber and billiards" through 1951. Golden and his wife Jeanette lived across the street at 332 Taylor Avenue.

In the 1950 directory, Mary Dean is listed as a waitress at "Ben Golden" and she lives at 359 Lexington Avenue.

The Guthkes sold their home at 1568 Clifton Avenue on August 22, 1956 to Sanford Roan and Verdell Rhyne. They sold this building to them on September 20, 1956. 

In 1958 the building tenants were barber George L. Jameson (Jameson's Barber Shop), and the James Pharmacy.

In 1962 Speedy's Laundromat was in until 1969 except in 1964 when when it was billed as Speedy's Janitorial Service. In 1974 and 1975 Gentry's Laundry was at 1533 and Lucy's Restaurant occupied 1537, indeed, Lucy's is listed in the 1973 phone book. 

The addresses were vacant 1981-1985, with the Pheoris West Art Service as a tenant in 1537 from 1986 to 1988. Pheoris West is a local artist and OSU professor since 1976. The building has been vacant since. The interior of the first floor of the building is largely gutted.

In July 2016, East PACT organized a group of youths for a summer project. Misguidedly, they decided that painting some unsightly colors and inspirational words with poor lettering on the front of the building was an improvement. PACT calls this eyesore a "mural." 

1531-1533 Mt Vernon Avenue, circa 2011

1895 Columbus City Directory

1901 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map

1907 Columbus City Directory

In 1881, Mt. Vernon Avenue followed the path of present day Atcheson Street. The brick building circled in green would have been Maggie's boarding house. It was razed by 1899.

Howard Lemmon, circa 1926

Pheoris West