1654 Granville Street

1654 Granville Street
Havens House

Lot 8 Ryland's Woodland Place Addition

One of the earlier homes in Woodland Park, William V. Havens lived in this house as early as 1898. About 1912 the house was renumbered 1654 from its original number of 1584.

The house was transferred several times between William and his brother Walter, but this was William's house.

William Virgil Havens was born August 8, 1857 in Havens Corners, Ohio, son of William Fancher and Mary J. Wolcott Havens. He married Flora L. Ziegler on February 8, 1893 in Franklin County. Flora was born about September 25, 1866 in Columbus, daughter of Dr. Albert F. and Loretta Shearer Ziegler. They had a son, William F. (1894).

Dr. Walter V. Havens was born about August 1866 in Havens Corners. He married Alberta Mix Dilley on September 23, 1896 in Franklin County. Alberta was born August 28, 1870 in Ohio, daughter of James C. and Ada Mix Dilley. Walter attended Starling Medical College in Columbus, graduating in 1886. In the 1890s he lived at 599 Oak Street. Walter remarried after the death of Alberta in 1923. Walter died December 18, 1932 of heart disease.

Judging by the number of real estate transfers between 1889 and 1892, William V. Havens was a big wheeler-dealer in real estate and must have really made his fortunes during that time.

In 1895, the Havens lived at 99 South Ohio Avenue. The next City Directory listing is 1898 and gives the Granville Street address. William is working for A.N. Fox & Co. Shortly thereafter, William is in business for himself working as a banker, real estate broker, investment advisor, mortgage broker, etc.

William V. Havens died December 13, 1933; Flora died July 14, 1935 both in Columbus and they are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

In February 1933 William F. Havens was made trustee for his father. William V.'s death certificate indicates that he was senile, so this is probably the reason his son took over his affairs. The Granville Street property was made part of a trust to satisfy creditors, with a clause that the dower rights of Flora would be protected.

William F. Havens, as trustee, sold the property February 27, 1935 to Charles M. Walton for $4,000.

Charles M. Walton was born in Franklin County, Ohio in November 27, 1868, son of Adin H. and Catherine "Kate" Walton. He and his siblings, Oliver H. and Martha May, never married, living together their entire lives. Walton was a lifelong farmer, and he managed this property as an investment.

Charles died January 18, 1945. The Waltons are buried at Greenlawn Cemetery.

In 1936, the recently divorced Cecile Erwin rented the house. Cecile was born about 1899 in Ohio. She and her husband (Lewis N.) had five children: Lewis Laten (1918), Elizabeth Jane "Betty" (1920), Ruth A. (1922), Donald R. (1924), and Rex E. (1929).

Betty and Lewis lived with Cecile here. Lewis was a baker for the Omar Bakery, 1068 Mount Vernon Avenue.

In 1938, William and Stella Edwards rented the house. Ida Edwards also lived with them. William was a laborer, and Ida worked as a waiter at the White Spot Lunch at 1243 Grandview Avenue in Grandview Heights.

On April 5, 1938, Walton sold the house to real estate dealer Gordon K. Bolon.

Two months later, on June 9, 1938, George W. Farley bought the house from Bolon with an outstanding mortgage of $2,100. George had been a bricklayer, but in 1930 he was dealing in real estate.

Farley sold the house on August 21, 1939 to Edward S. Trott.

Edward S. Trott was born September 11, 1904 in Ohio, son of William and Cordelia Trott. He married Gladys A. Page about 1926. Gladys was born about 1902 in Ohio. They had a daughter, Martha J. (1930).

In 1930, Edward was a restaurant chef, working for the Bokay Dining Room at 971 East Main Street. The Trotts lived at 1000 McAllister Avenue.

In 1938 and 1940 the Trotts are listed as living at and as managers of the Cambridge Arms at 926 East Broad Street (Apt. 104). In 1941 they are listed in the Columbus City Directory at 70 S. Remington Road in Bexley. Trott is president of Edward S. Trott, Inc.

In 1945, the Trotts rented this house to Braddie H. and Betty Thompson. Braddie was the manager of the Mills Buffet at 19 South High Street. Gladys Havilly, a defense worker also lived with them.

An obituary in the Lancaster Eagle Gazette, February 12, 1948, "Ben M. Page - Funeral services are arranged for Friday, 2 p.m., in the Dorris L. Baker funeral home, Thornville for Ben M. Page, 85 retired Fairfield Co. school teacher, whose death ocurred Wednesday at the home of his daughter, Mrs. Edward S. Trott, 1654 Granville st., Columbus. The Rev. Quincy Leckcone, Thornville, a former schoolmate of Mr. Page, will read the service and burial is to be made in West Rushville Cemetery. Friends are being received at the Carroll Weir funeral home in Columbus. Mr Page taught in this county 40 years, serving as superintendent of the schools at Baltimore, Millersport and New Salem. He also was head of the Fairfield, O. schools before he retired. A native of this county, he maintained a country home on Pleasantville Pike before moving to Reynoldsburg. He and his wife later went to Columbus to live with their daughter. Survivng are the widow, Emma, the daughter, Mrs. Trott, and a grandaughter, Martha J. Trott, all of the home. Two sisters, Mrs. Mildred Neer, Russells Point, O. and Mrs. Margaret Miller, Rushville."

The Trotts are listed in the 1949 City Directory at 1654 Granville Street, Trott is listed under "painters and decorators." In 1951 they lived at 277 East Weisheimer Road and Trott is Assistant Building Manager for the Ohio Fuel Gas Company. In 1960 he was Superintendent at the gas company and they lived at 195 Pinney Drive in Worthington. The Trotts seem to have kept the house as a rental, selling it to their last renter, John F. Turner who had moved in in 1951.

In 1950, Harry Freeman lived at the house. He worked for Alexander Rent-A-Car.

Edward died October 7, 1974 in Columbus. He is buried at Forest Rose Cemetery in Lancaster, Ohio.

The Trotts sold the house on May 7, 1952 to John F. Turner.

John Frank Turner was born May 21, 1885 in Annapolis, Maryland, son of John and Susanna Soil Turner. He married the widowed Carrie B. Carr Redman in Franklin County on April 25, 1950. Carrie was born September 8, 1886 in Richmond, Indiana, daughter of Ruben and Mary E. Stewart Carr. Her first husband had been William H. Redman.

In 1918, Turner was working as a janitor for S.P. Bush, and lived at 455 Collins Avenue. In 1942 he lived at 694 1/2 Mt. Vernon Avenue and he was working as a janitor for the post office. In 1951 the Turners lived at 1654 Granville Street and Turner was working as a laborer for Public Buildings Service.

Turner died about March 7, 1956.

On December 7, 1955 Turner transferred the house to James A. Hawkins. The auditor's website shows this as being a life estate for John Turner.

James A. Hawkins, Sr. was born February 28, 1915 in Columbus, son of Lee and Sadie Hall De Loach Hawkins. He married Genanie Loving. Genanie was born October 8, 1919 in Virginia. The Hawkins had 11 children including James, Jr. (1940) and Paul.

In 1930, Hawkins lived with his mother and two step-brothers at 775 1/2 Pennsylvania Avenue. His mother worked as a laundress.

Genanie died December 5, 1980 in Columbus, she is buried at Greenlawn Cemetery. James died September 6, 2001.

On February 6, 1998 the house was transferred to Wesley J. Hawkins.