20. H.B. Wilson House, 518 S. 6th St - The Herald

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3. Memorial Hall, 403 Railroad St.
12. First United Methodist,
5th and Center streets
4. James Fraley Staab House,
416 Lawrence St.
13. The Old Post Office,
5th and Center streets
5. Colonel J.H. Moulton House,
304 N. Fifth St.
14. Christ Episcopal Church,
S. 5th Street and Park Avenue
6. The John Campbell House,
305 N. 5th St.
15. First Congregational Church (now
Gateway Baptist), 310 S. 6th St.
7. The Hiram Campbell House,
321 N. 5th St.
16. The Marting Lowry House,
419 S. 5th St.
8. First Presbyterian Church,
201 N. 5th St.
17. Bide-A-Wee, 504 S. 5th St.
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20. H.B. Wilson House, 518 S. 6th St.
21. The Bay House, 620 S. 6th St.
22. J.T. Davis House, 723 S. 4th St.
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25. Samuel Dempsey House,
407 S. 4th St.
26. Ro-Na Theater, 306 S. 3rd St.
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24. The Culbertson-Waldo House,
417 S. 4th St.
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19. Col. George Gray House,
506 S. 6th St.
23. Norton House, 709 S. 4th St.
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18. The Wilson House, 422 6th St.
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11. St. Paul Lutheran Church,
6th and Center streets
9. The Lantem-Horn House,
605 Lawrence St.
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2. The Lawrence County Courthouse,
111 S. 4th St., between Center Street
and Park Avenue
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10. St. Lawrence O’Toole Catholic
Church, 609 6th and Center streets
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“In terms of history, the community of Ironton, Ohio, offers up enough at.
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tractions for just about any level of historical enthusiasm. From railroads,
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rivers, industry and the Underground Railroad, Ironton rates second
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none when it comes to historical artifacts. Most interestingly, however,
Ironton contains some of the most unusual and significant examples of
architecturally unique homes of just about anywhere in the country. Thus,
especially for your enjoyment, we have produced this tour of historical
homes. Come take a journey with us down the streets of history.”
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3. Memorial Hall, 403 Railroad St.
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1. The Depot, Bobby Bare Boulevard
and Park Avenue
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J.T. Davis, influential in the founding of Ironton, built this
French Second Empire home in the 1860s. A dry good store
owner, Davis built this three-story brick home that was one of
two original houses on the block between Monroe and Madison streets. After Davis, the home was occupied by Reuben
Lambert, followed by Mrs. Robert Meehan McCrory. It was
also used as a Fine Young Ladies Boarding School.
Some basic features of the French Second Empire
architecture are a square tower, mansard roof and decorative
brackets, all of which are portrayed in the Davis House. The
square tower on top of the house is said to have been where
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22. J.T. Davis House, 723 S. 4th St.
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21. The Bay House, 620 S. 6th St.
Turn right, or west, on Monroe and walk two blocks to
South 4th Street. Turn right, and walk back north toward
downtown.
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Downtown Ironton Walking Tour
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1. The Depot, Bobby Bare Blvd. and Park Ave.
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Home to the Lawrence County Historical Society and
Museum since 1988, this 1870-built Italian villa is filled with
history. U.S. President, and Point Pleasant, Ohio, native Civil
War general Ulysses S. Grant visited the Gray House to talk
to the Rev. John Rankin, a well-known abolitionist. Rankin’s
granddaughter Elizabeth Gray owned the home with her husband, Col. George Noah Gray. Col. Gray served with the 53rd
regular Ohio Volunteers fighting at Shiloh then re-enlisting
in the Navy, fighting in several Civil War naval battles. Back
home, he managed the Hecla and Vesuvius furnaces. He and
his wife raised four children. The Rev. John Rankin, of Ripley,
Ohio, moved in with the Grays after his wife died. Rankin died
here on March 18, 1886, and his body was laid in state in the
front bay-windowed room. Rankin’s original furniture and belongings are still intact and on display in his room at the museum. On the second floor of the house is an ornately carved
bookcase as tall as the ceiling and as wide as the room.
There are several ghost stories about the Gray House, but
many of the volunteers and docents have not experienced
anything. The Gray House is on the Registry of Historic Homes
of the Rankin District. The Society has carefully restored both
the interior and exterior, completing the work in 2000.
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people would watch the boats come in on the Ohio River.
There is a double leaf-paneled door and a porch that fit
the time period in which the house was built.
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19. Col. George Gray House,
506 S. 6th St.
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Keep walking south on South 6th Street down to
Monroe Street.
Originally known as The Bay Mansion, this Second Empire
Victorian style home was built in 1886 by steamboat Capt.
William Bay. Bay, his wife, Lizzie Johnson Bay, and their two
sons, Will and George, lived in this enormous 12-room home
complete with Italian marble fireplaces in each room. William
Bay and his brother Capt. George Bay started a steamboat
business in 1862 and built 40 steamboats in 50 years.
The Bay brothers, who had a store on the Ohio River,
survived a Civil War skirmish in July 1864 when a band of
Confederate guerillas battered down the door, robbed them
and opened fire on the brothers. William Bay was struck by
two bullets and left for dead. His brother, then only a young
man, appeared at the top of the stairs during the shooting and
opened fire on the men in the room below. One of the soldiers
was killed, and another was so badly wounded that he was
unable to escape. He was captured and served five years
in the penitentiary for his part in the raid. Two others were
wounded but managed to escape.
William Bay, whose name is etched into the window on the
second floor, survived. When he did die, his funeral was held
in his spacious home. After Mr. and Mrs. Bay passed away,
the house was used for several businesses, such as a beauty
parlor and a doctor’s office. Today, it is owned and lived in by
Mr. Neil Dufore and his wife. Dufore is a chiropractor whose
office is at 1726 S. 3rd St. in Ironton. He purchased the Bay
house in 1985. While restoring the house, three different
ceilings and a hidden archway were found.
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Did you know President Woodrow Wilson once watched the
annual Memorial Day Parade at this elegant Queen Anne style
home? Peering over the balcony railings, Woodrow Wilson had
front row seats because of the view overlooking all of 6th Street.
The Wilson House was built in the 1880s. Dr. Dewitt C.
Wilson was the architect of this home. Dr. Wilson ran the
Ball-Warfield Drug Company. He developed friendships with
many artisans and builders who were able to add uniqueness
to this home. Pat and Tarry Barron now live at this location.
Mr. Barron has a farm in Africa and hunts big game on his
reserve with his brother. Some of these animals include the
cape buffalo, zebra and wild boar, which are mounted on the
inside walls of this home. Mrs. Barron’s uncle, David Payne,
previously lived in this home for approximately 20 years.
Payne is a well known judge in Ironton.
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18. The Wilson House, 422 6th St.
Has the President of the United States of America ever
given a speech at your house? The H.B. Wilson House at
518 S. 6th St., now known as the Tracy Brammer Funeral
Home, can honestly say yes. President William McKinley once
gave a speech at the home, which dates back to the 1870s.
H.B. Wilson, the first cashier at First National Bank who also
owned a lumberyard, was the architect who designed this
sprawling Italian villa. The roof is made from gable or slate,
which is offset by a boxed cornice with a decorated frieze,
brackets and panels. The home was used as a residence until
Tracy Brammer bought it in 1938 and turned it into a funeral
home. Brammer’s son took over the funeral home before
eventually selling it to David Philips.
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Stop at the corner of 6th and Adams streets. Across
the street is the Wilson House, and on the corner is the
massive Col. Gray House, home to the Lawrence County
Historical Society.
20. H.B. Wilson House, 518 S. 6th St.
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Daniel Wright, from 1906 to 1919. In 1918, Wright purchased
Bide-A-Wee, remodeling the inside with things accumulated
during her world travels. Among the things collected were two
Italian fireplace mantels that are made of marble and handcarved wood. Wright ended up building another historic Ironton
home, The Mearan House (917 S. 6th St.). On Dec. 12, 1946,
at the age of 90, Nannie Kelley Wright died in Ironton at the
Marting Hotel.
The present owners of Bide-A-Wee are Judge Richard
Walton and his wife. Walton was a judge of the Lawrence
County Common Pleas Court and retired in 2006. Walton’s
grandparents, Brook and Elizabeth, purchased Bide-A-Wee in
1945 and sold it to Walton’s parents, Norman and Editha Walton, in 1947. In 1978, Judge Walton and his wife purchased
the house from his parents.
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23. Norton House, 709 S. 4th St.
This colorful three-story frame house features a carved side
tower that was built in 1849 (before the founding of Ironton).
Keep walking north on South 4th Street past the new
Ironton Fire Department building and toward the Briggs
Lawrence County Public Library.
24. The Culbertson-Waldo House,
417 S. 4th St.
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Built by the Culbertson family in the 1850s, this Greek
Revival home is one of the two original houses located along
4th Street between Washington and Adams streets and is
believed to have been one of the houses on the Underground Railroad.
While doing restorations, the Waldo family, who has
owned the home since 1955, discovered a hidden passageway starting in the attic and traveling all the way down to the
basement. Slaves would be transported from the top of the
house to bottom for an easier getaway.
The gardens of this home at one time extended all the
way to 5th Street. They have since been sold for the construction of other homes.
25. Samuel Dempsey House,
407 S. 4th St.
Built by Samuel Dempsey in 1855, the Greek Revival
home has also been known as the Ralph Massie House, the
Davidson House and the Thomas House.
Born in Logan, Va., Dempsey was an associate of Ironton
founder John Campbell and succeeded his father as the
owner of the Etna and Vesuvius Furnaces. He also had an
interest in the Iron Railroad, established by John Campbell,
and the Etna Iron Works. The house was later purchased by
Dr. Ralph Massie in 1931 and was used as his home as well
as his office.
One of two original houses on 4th Street, the home is
a square, two-story structure, shaped with a low-hip roof
supported by decorated brackets and pendants, common
features of the Greek revival style. It has a stone foundation,
which is complete with brick walls that have a running bond.
The original cast iron porch remains, which leads to the main
entrance door with beveled lights. The original basement
remains in excellent condition as well.
When you get to Vernon Street, take a left on Vernon
walking west back into the heart of downtown. Don’t
miss checking out such downtown buildings as the
1884-built J.C. Penney building , which is now the Ironton City Center and home to several businesses. Also,
check out the post-World War II building that houses
Unger Shoes, 304 S. 3rd. St., which celebrated its 75th
anniversary in 2012.
— Dave Lucas, Ohio University Southern professor of communication studies
26. Ro-Na Theater, 306 S. 3rd St.
Built in 1949 and closed in 1973, the Ro-Na Theater has
been undergoing renovation efforts in the past few years.
First used for Rally on the River in 2011, the Ro-Na had a
grand reopening in May 2014 after five years of volunteer
efforts and about $1 million. Lit with a new marquee, the RoNa Arts & Activity Center is back to being a usable building
for the first time in some 40 years. In July 2014, it hosted
a premiere party for Ironton native Mickey Fisher’s CBS
show “Extant,” and in December it held a premiere party
for “Suave Says,” a VH1 show starring Ironton native Kathy
Eicher Mejia. The Ro-Na will continue to host special events,
concerts and films and TV such as Ohio State games.
10. St. Lawrence O’Toole Catholic Church,
609 6th and Center streets
19. Col. George Gray House, 506 S. 6th St.
26. Ro-Na Theater, 306 S. 3rd St.
Keep walking on Vernon Street until you reach the
Depot. If you’d like to see more history, check out the
colorful murals located on the Ohio River side of the
Ironton floodwall.
Start at The Norfolk and
Western Depot ...
The walk is 1.8 miles long and takes approximately 45 minutes.
1. The Depot, Bobby Bare
Boulevard and Park Avenue
Designed by Edward G. Frye of Virginia,
the Norfolk and Western Depot was known to
be the center of area stations. The richness of
classical detailing makes it one of Southern
Ohio’s finest examples of the Neoclassical
Revival architecture. A freight and passenger
station during the 1900s, the Depot hosted
many famous people, including Presidents
Woodrow Wilson and Dwight D. Eisenhower.
Projecting from the central block is a threebay pediment portico with four fluted columns
resting on stone pedestals. The entrances,
protected by the portico, have cosseted stone
architraves adorned with bead and reel molding. The double doors are plain with a single
vertical glass pane in each door.
The interior has wooden wainscoting.
Plasters and decorative pediments have been
removed for anticipated remodeling. It has a
classically ornate cove ceiling with egg and
dart molding. Along the sides of the main room
are the original light fixtures, initially gas-fueled. In the past, there was a walkout porch
area in the back where passengers would walk
out to board their train. Trains quit running in
1965. A new restaurant, The Depot, opened in
2014 featuring a combination of Asian, American, Italian and Thai cuisine.
A recent $2.1 million improvement included
the Transit Center, the multi-use shelter for the
Farmer’s Market and events such as Rally on
the River, which draws about 30,000 bikers.
The Depot Square is again the hub of activity
in downtown. Check out the Friends of Ironton
Sprayground in season.
From the Depot, walk east on Park
Avenue. Notice many historic businesses
down South 2nd Street, including Iron City
Hardware and Central Hardware and Furniture. Continue east on Park Avenue past
the First National Bank building (the tallest
in downtown Ironton), and turn left (North)
at 4th Street to walk past the Courthouse.
Walk on the Courthouse side of the street.
2. The Lawrence County
Courthouse, 111 S. 4th St.
Lawrence County’s first courthouse was
built in Burlington in 1818 before moving to
Ironton. The current courthouse, a sprawling
Greek Revival style federal building, was
started in 1906 and finished in 1907.
History seeps out into the lawn. An 8-foot
replica of an iron furnace stands beside a
1973 Ohio Historical Society plaque filled with
furnace history. Next to World War II artillery
pieces guarding the lawn is another interesting
replica, an 8-foot Statue of Liberty, dedicated
in 1951 by local Boy Scouts.
American Legion Post 433 built a Vietnam
War Memorial on the lawn corner.
The only known hanging in Ironton occurred
at the Courthouse at 11:05 a.m. April 6, 1869.
Andrew Price, a citizen of Ironton, was hanged
for the murder of Louis Hilgenburg, a wealthy
Jackson man. It took 20 minutes hanging from
the noose for Price to be pronounced dead.
Keep walking up north 4th Street. Cross
Railroad Street.
3. Memorial Hall,
403 Railroad St.
6. The John Campbell
House, 305 N. 5th St.
Civil War history is found here as this
building was built in 1892 as a memorial to the
G.A.R. (The Grand Army of the Republic), the
Union veterans of the Civil War. The building
was partially destroyed by a fire in 1905 and
survived the floods of 1913 and 1937. It was
boarded up more than a dozen years ago
when city offices were moved to the J.C.
Penney Building. In the summer of 2014, the
building was deconstructed with the original
arches, pillars and foundation to be saved and
incorporated into the veterans memorial park,
slated to be built in its place.
This extravagant 22-room home was built
in 1850 and owned by Ironton’s founder, John
Campbell. Built with bricks dried from the
clay that the house sits on, the house (whose
bricks are now painted a vibrant yellow) covers
one-fourth of a city block with the original
Puddle Iron fence that is still standing.
Once Baker Funeral Home and today the
Bicentennial Commission and the Lawrence
County Community Action Agency, the home is
long steeped in social justice.
Campbell was a staunch abolitionist and
used the cavernous home as a main stop on
the Underground Railroad, helping slaves
cross the Ohio River to freedom. Fugitives
were placed in two semi-concealed rooms
under the house’s hip roof and in the carriage
home nearby. Furnace wagons transported
escapees north by way of Campbell’s furnaces
in Lawrence and Jackson counties.
A Georgetown, Ohio, native, Campbell
first helped run a steamboat business before
meeting pioneer iron man Robert Hamilton on
a trip to Pittsburgh. In 1832, Campbell started
as a clerk at Pinegrove Furnace. In 1833, he
built the Hanging Rock Forge with Hamilton
and assisted building Lawrence Furnace. He
would build dozens more, including Greenup
Furnace and the Olive and Gallia Furnaces. In
1849, John organized the Ohio Iron and Coal
Co., and felt there needed to be a town.
By 1851, he had established Ironton — “iron
by the ton.” June 20 was the first land sale. He
would go on to build half a dozen more furnaces.
Campbell and Elizabeth raised six children at
the home. The home still has a few cherry and
marble fireplaces, and leading up to the second
and third floor is a solid black, walnut staircase.
Turn right, or east, on Lawrence Street.
4. James Fraley Staab
House, 416 Lawrence St.
Ironton’s oldest home was built by John
Glidden in 1840, nine years before Ironton
was organized. A furnace operator, Glidden
purchased the land from the Ohio Coal and
Iron Company and built what was considered a
mansion. This gray house showcases original
cast-iron railed balconies featuring a grape
design and that evoke a feeling of walking the
narrow streets of New Orleans’ French Quarter. The Greek Revival or national style home
has a gable or hipped, low-sloped roof with a
wide band of trim, bold, simple moldings and
columns. In the 1890s, Glidden sold the house
to James Fraley. In 1905, Henry L. Staab
purchased it. A butcher, Staab worked at his
slaughterhouse on the same block. After the
death of Staab and his wife, their daughters,
Verona and Katharine, continued to live in
the house and owned it until 1968. In 1979,
Katharine, the last living Staab, passed away
at age 90. The house has been maintained by
Nancy Meyers, who has kept it authentic to the
1840s, and who remembers visits by Katharine
Staab, a schoolteacher.
On Lawrence, stop at the corner of North
5th Street in front of the yellow bricked
John Campbell House. From here, you can
see across the street the red-bricked Moulton House and halfway up the block, the
blue-gray bricked Hiram Campbell House.
5. Colonel J.H. Moulton
House, 304 N. 5th St.
Located directly across from the John
Campbell House and diagonally across
from the Hiram Campbell House, the Col.
J.H. Moulton Home, which is made of red
brick, is known today as the Cottingham-Day
Apartments. Built sometime in the 1850s, it
was a residence of J.H. Moulton and his wife,
Elizabeth, a daughter of Hiram Campbell.
Moulton and his father-in-law formed Campbell
and Sons Company, which constructed iron
furnaces. Moulton was a pioneer ironmaster
and started Sarah Furnace, which was not
completed until after Campbell’s death in 1876.
John Moulton, 67, passed away in 1910.
The four-chimney house is a Gothic Revival
or High Victorian Gothic Style. Borrowing details from medieval architecture, this irregular
shaped home is 2 1/2 stories tall. The roof is
gable or metal, and dormers are protruding
from it. The frieze under the roof is set off by a
scalloped design. A boxed turret can be found
toward the back of the building along with a
double-leafed paneled main entrance in front.
7. The Hiram Campbell
House, 321 N. 5th St.
Painted now in a grayish-blue brick, this home
was built in the 1850s. Its first owner was Hiram
Campbell, the brother of Ironton founder John
Campbell. He and his wife, Sarah, who had five
children, entertained many special guests, including the 19th president, Rutherford B. Hayes.
He worked as a clerk at the Mt. Vernon Furnace for 17 years before becoming the owner.
He then created Sarah Furnace, named after
his wife. Hiram was one of the first trustees
of Woodland Cemetery, where he is buried.
He was also director of the Old Iron Bank, the
Ohio Iron and Coal Company and the Iron
Railroad Company. Having contacts in North
Carolina, Campbell introduced persimmon
trees to Ironton, sent here from the North
Carolina Gold Mine of John Peebles.
The house, now apartments, represents
a French 2nd Empire Style architecture. The
style, named for Napoleon, spread through the
U.S. during the late 1700s and early 1800s and
was known for the mansard roof and asymmetrical facades.
Walk back south on North 5th Street to the
intersection with Lawrence. Gaze south down
the block to see the Campbells’ church, First
Presbyterian. Feel free to walk halfway down
the block for a closer inspection.
8. First Presbyterian
Church, 201 N. 5th St.
The high brick walls and the tall tower of the
First Presbyterian Church of Ironton are a landmark in Ironton. The oldest part of the church
building is on land that was donated to the
church by the Ohio Iron and Coal Company.
Organized on July 27, 1850, with 14 members,
the church was dedicated on Thanksgiving
Day 1852. In 1873, a new church building was
begun. The new construction was finished in
1882. The old building was converted into the
Sunday School.
First Pres is known for its magnificent stained
glass window in the center of the church’s south
gable. It is an eloquent witness to the relationship of this church with the founding fathers
of the city. It was given by Hiram Campbell in
memory of his brother, John Milton Campbell, a
missionary who served in Africa and died there.
Hiram was an Elder, and John was a Trustee.
sunlight to illuminate the sanctuary.
One is awed by the beauty of the dome,
and newly installed floodlights reveal its full
artistic treatment. Oil paintings, completed on
canvas, decorate the ceiling. One was done by
Obediah J. Kover when he was 81.
A Mexican onyx altar lies in the sanctuary, and the wall construction is brick set
in stretcher bonding. This also displays the
corbeling treatment. Renovations to the church
took place in 1918, 1946 and 1969. In 2001,
a donation was made to the restoration of the
St. Patrick window, the giant circular window
above the main entrance. Restoration to the
church, including the St. Patrick window,
began in 2011 and is ongoing.
Continue walking east on Lawrence,
check out the amazing gardens at 510 Lawrence St. Stop at the corner of Lawrence
and North 6th Street or continue just a
bit into this block to see more of the Horn
House, which is shrouded in trees.
11. St. Paul Lutheran Church,
6th and Center streets
9. The Lantem-Horn House,
605 Lawrence St.
This small but sturdy Federal-Greek Revival
house was built by bricks from Lawrence
Street by a Mr. Lantem, whose wife was one
of the original schoolteachers in Ironton. The
home’s second owner, Henry Horn, moved into
the home in 1891 and lived there for 85 years,
maintaining its original condition. A jack of all
trades, he was a butcher, a machine shop
worker who organized a shop union and a
roofer. In fact, he applied shingles to the roof of
Nannie Kelley Wright’s home. Wright was the
first woman ironmaster in the world.
The home has the original doors and locks.
In 1924, a garage was added to store Henry
Horn’s first automobile. Extending across the
entire front of this home is a portico porch that
is supported by two separate columns. Resting
behind the porch are three bay openings,
where you can peer across Lawrence Street.
There are also two bay openings located on
the sides of this home.
Turn right, and start walking south down
North 6th Street until you reach Center,
where three historic churches are within
sight.
10. St. Lawrence O’Toole
Catholic Church, 609
6th and Center streets
John Campbell’s Ohio Iron and Coal
Company gave the property for a new church
building requested by Irish settlers. In 1887,
the foundation to the new church was laid for
about $5,000. The cornerstone was officially
laid during a ceremony July 4, 1891. The entire
church was built in 1892. The new church had
a seating capacity of 950 and cost $35,000.
The gigantic Catholic church’s architecture
is Gothic with some ties to Gothic Romanesque. This style of architecture presents the
feel of medieval buildings. Gothic style shows
statues and large stained glass windows, with
Gothic Romanesque having thick walls and
large towers. The idea of the building is to
appear as a fortress and, indeed, it seems that
way as the church is 118 feet tall.
Through these main doors is one of the
most beautiful buildings in Southern Ohio.
Throughout the church, there are many
circular and tracery stained glass windows
imported from Rome that allow the natural
This one-story brick carpenter Gothic was
built in 1903 by the German Lutherans, who
first organized in Hanging Rock in 1844.
Turn right, or west, on Center Street and
walk to South 5th Street.
12. First United Methodist,
5th and Center streets
During the 1850s and 1860s a Spencer
Chapel was on this site with attendance of about
90 people. But church attendance skyrocketed,
and in 1893 the First United Methodist Church
was constructed. On May 7, 1893, after just being
built, it held around 1,500 people for the Feast
of Dedication. According to Dr. Wayne Young,
pastor of the church, the Feast of Dedication
was a “big party for the church beginning.” The
architecture of the church is called High Victorian
Gothic and favors heavy, structural detailing.
The First United Methodist Church has
some interesting architectural features
including three large stained glass windows in
the sanctuary called Rose Windows that were
dedicated to folks who had passed away.
The church also has a curved chancel
rail, also known as the altar rail. The rail was
soaked nearly one year to obtain the perfect
curve for its installation. The rail is still present
in the church today. A third interesting feature
is the rear sanctuary and balcony seats from
the original Spencer Chapel, built in 1852.
Turn left and start walking south on
South 5th Street past the other side of the
courthouse and the current jail.
13. The Old Post Office,
5th and Center streets
Built in 1913, this second Renaissance
Revival stone structure was handed over to the
Ironton Board of Education in 1969 when a new
post office was built at 4th and Railroad streets.
14. Christ Episcopal Church,
S. 5th Street and Park Avenue
Built in 1896, this Gothic Revival stone
church features exposed beams in the chapel
and has multiple circular and tracery stained
glass windows, which you get an up-close
view of walking by on the 5th Street.
Cross Park Avenue (the busy main artery
into Ironton) and keep walking south on
South 5th Street. Stop at the intersection
with Vernon Street to check out the massive
Gateway Baptist Church.
15. First Congregational
Church (Gateway Baptist
Church), 310 S. 6th St.
From 5th Street you can look down the block
and see this massive American Gothic church
built in 1873 and dubbed the “church of the
Ironmaster,” since John Campbell attended here.
The building is built in the shape of a cross and
originally had 80-foot bell towers, which were
taken down when the one of the towers was hit
by lightning in 1976. In 1975, Gateway Baptist
bought the building, whose walls are two-feetthick in some places It’s had some famous
visitors, including the Rev. Jerry Falwell.
Downtown
Ironton
Keep walking up South 5th Street.
16. The Marting Lowry
House, 419 S. 5th St.
The Greek Revival home was built in the
early 1900s by Colonel H.A. Marting. Sadly,
Colonel Marting died before the house was
completed. His widow, Margaret Duis Marting,
occupied the house. Their daughter, Nellie
Marting, managed the estate.
An Ironton High School graduate, Nellie
married Andrew Clark Lowry, successful doctor
and businessman. They formed the Ironton Hotel Company and constructed the Marting Hotel.
Many of his other accomplishments included
being president and director of the Marting
Hotel, Foster Stove Company, Marting Iron and
Steel Company, Citizens National Bank and
First National Bank. Lowry was a large supporter of Ironton and campaigned to raise money
for the Ironton-Russell Bridge. Passing away on
March 1, 1924, Andrew left his businesses to
Nellie, who continued to manage and run them
very well. She passed on May 12, 1937.
The Marting Lowry home has a Greek Revival Architecture to it, not strictly sticking to just
this style, but having enough qualities that you
can see this architecture. In the home, there is
a low-pitch roof and a classical entablature on
the porches. This style of home was first used
by Thomas Jefferson to design Monticello. He
believed that the architecture was a symbol,
and it represented colonial exploitation.
When you reach Adams Street, stop and
take a long look at Bide-A-Wee, the massive
stone house across the street. Then take
a left walking east one block to South
6th Street, which is the parade route for
Ironton’s Memorial Day parade, the nation’s
longest continuous Memorial Day Parade.
It draws about 2,000 participants and more
than 30,000 visitors.
17. Bide-A-Wee, 504 S. 5th St.
Bide-A-Wee, which means “Stay a while”
in Ireland, is an English style Queen Anne
designed house that was once home to the
world’s only known female ironmaster.
The home was built by Edward James Bird
Sr., who passed away before it was completed.
His widow sold it to Edwin Bixby, president of
First National Bank. After he passed away, Mrs.
Bixby sold the home in 1918 to one of Ironton’s
most famous women, Nannie Kelley Wright.
Wright moved to Ironton, where she married
Lindsey Kelly, an Ohio state representative.
They had one son, Lindsey Kelley Jr., but
father and son died in 1902 and 1903.
She bought Centre Furnace and 12,000
acres surrounding it for $19,500 in 1899. She
owned and ran the furnace from 1899 to 1906.
She was married to her second husband,
Ironton is packed with some of the region’s most storied
homes, imposing turn-of-the-century-built cathedrals and an
iron furnace blast of living history. Lawrence County was
the epicenter of the boom with 23 iron furnaces that ran from
1826-1909. The research for this tour was done by students in
Chesapeake High School teacher Colleen Sexton’s class with
help from Dave Lucas and Steve Call, professors at Ohio University Southern, the Lawrence County Historical Society and
Ironton aLIVE. Herald-Dispatch reporter Dave Lavender and
former H-D artist Thom Marsh collaborated on the project.