HISTORIC NEW BREMEN
by
Karl R. Mesloh
Dec. 2000
Rev. Sept. 2003
Note from the Webmaster:
Karl Mesloh prepared this photo
essay for his children, thus the personal emphasis on his own family
history. The Mesloh and Boesel family
histories are fascinating insights into a young and enterprising town and its
dedicated citizens. He graciously
offered to share it with the world on the NBHA website, and we hope you enjoy
the glimpse into our very special town, and its people. Every effort has been made to be as accurate
as possible, but if you should have a correction or suggestion, please let us
know. Also, for more New Bremen
information, visit the Bookstore for “Then and Now-
1833-2003” a comprehensive photographic comparison of what used to be, and
what is, now.
HISTORICAL HIGHLIGHT
At one time there were two Bremens,
Ober, or upper, Bremen lying East of the Canal and New Bremen lying West of the
Canal. Ober Bremen was known as
“Frogtown” as a result of nightly serenades of the bullfrogs inhabiting Rabe’s
Pond. The Bremen side was known as
“Cheese Quarters” deriving from the White Mountain Creamery located on the
Huenke farm west of town. In 1878 Ober
Bremen was annexed to New Bremen forming the present town of New Bremen, as we
know it today. Three years after the
founding of Bremen, [the town’s original name], it was discovered that another
Bremen, Ohio existed so with the establishment of the first Post Office in
1835, the town’s official name was changed from Bremen to New Bremen.
The photos are prefaced either NBHT
(New Bremen Historical Tour) or OBHT (Ober Bremen Historical Tour) indicating
on which side of the canal they were taken.
Each are numbered, the description of which corresponds to the numbers
as follows:
NBHT001
NEW BREMEN HIGHWAY SIGN Although New Bremen was founded in 1832 it was incorporated in
1833, hence the 1833 date.
NBHT002
& 003 NEW BREMEN PARK SIGNS Looking from New Bremen into Ober Bremen.
NBHT004,
a & b NEW BREMEN TOWN BELL
Purchased in 1859 and sat atop
the City Hall, now the site of the Post Office, Main Street. The bell now sits at the Southeast corner of
the New Bremen Municipal Center.
NBHT005,
a, b & c MIAMI & ERIE
CANAL HISTORICAL SIGNS Signs were installed in Lock One Park, July
2003 commemorating the Miami & Erie Canal..
NBHT~1,
1a & b 10 West Monroe MOVIE THEATER Old movie theater, converted into the Sr. Citizens’ Building and
now owned by Crown Equipment.
1a & b. New Look!
Renovations completed as of July 2003.
NBHT~2 14 West Monroe
Built Circa 1915 by Emil & Frank Laut. New Bremen's 1st basketball
teams played here. A popular night spot
where dances cost a nickel and "Ropes" pulled the dancers to clear
the floor for the next dance. Has a hand hammered metal ceiling. Also served
the village as a "5 & 10" variety store. and a restaurant,
Shanghai Gardens. Now owned by Crown
Equipment, Design Dept.
NBHT~3
& 3a 18 West Monroe Constructed in 1847 the German Canal Warehouse Style residence was
a key building, because of the proximity to the Miami Erie Canal. It housed Taylor Photography Studio where
generations of New Bremen area residents had portraits taken. Later it was also the site for a dry
cleaning operation, the Crown Cleaners.
NBHT~4,
4a & 4b 102 West Monroe
Built in 1897 this Queen Anne design structure features bay windows and
was featured in early photos and post cards of New Bremen. The building
originally served as Henry Schwaberow’s Store, an important general store in
Monroe Street development. The grocery store was on the left side and the
Chinaware & Bric-Brac store on the right.
Later it housed the Western Ohio Hardware store owned by Richard &
Annie Tontrup and later by Stan & Donna Mae Kuenning.
NBHT~5 & 5a 112 West Monroe
This two story canal warehouse rich in German vernacular charm, is
especially unique because of the gable ends that face the street and for its
full sized arched windows. Built in 1873 by Karl (Charles) Boesel (Sr), it was
later purchased by William Finke and Son, who operated a candy store in the
building.
5a This wide angle shot shows the remainder of
Boesel’s Corner: traveling West, the Finke’s Candy Store, Jacob Boesel’s
residence, Boesel’s Bank and Boesel & Kunning Dry Goods & Hardware
Store.
NBHT~6a
& 6b 116 West Monroe
This Italian Villa home, was built in 1876 by State Legislator, Jacob
Boesel; it was purchased in early 1900's by his son-in-law, E. G. Conradi,
owner of New Bremen Sun. Woodman of the World occupied building through the
mid-1980's. (Jacob Boesel was my great,
great uncle, the half brother of Wilhelmina, my great, grandmother.)
NBHT~7
& 7a 120 West Monroe
The first bank building and now the Crown Store. The Honorable Karl
(Charles) Boesel established the first bank in New Bremen at this site in 1866.
Located in Central New Bremen, it was built in the Boesel's front yard, a
popular German custom. (Karl [Charles]
Boesel was my great, great, grandfather)
NBHT~8,
8a, 8b & 8c 124 West Monroe
One of New Bremen's buildings constructed during the Civil War.
Originally this was the location of Boesel and Kuenning's Dry Goods Store. At
the turn of the century Mueller Brother's Clothing Store began operations
selling standard size and ready made clothes, which was a revolutionary idea
during these days. The corner shown was
known as Boesel’s Corner.
The
brick house to the left in 8a and 8c was the first home of J. H. Mesloh, my
great grandfather. In the 1860’s, J. H.
Mesloh established an hardware business which was located in the west (left
hand side) of the Boesel & Künning Bldg which he sold in 1869 to Karl
(Charles) Boesel (Jr); a grocery-dry goods store occupied the east or right
hand side of the building.
NBHT~9
& 9a 5 West Monroe The freight warehouse for the Western Ohio Interurban Railway was
remodeled and converted into a Law Office for Henkener & Miller (1953), now
owned by Crown Equipment.
NBHT~10
7 West Monroe The Bicycle Museum of America exhibiting 200+ bicycles was
established in 1997; it is largest such Museum in America. The museum is located in the original
Schulenberg Building, site of Schulenberg’s Store which sold a variety of
merchandise (candy, tobacco, magazines, books, wallpaper, cameras etc) as well
as being a drug store for patent medicines, soda fountain, ticket office and
freight & express office for the Western Ohio Interurban Railway. Later housed Gilberg’s Furniture Store,
1959.
NBHT~11 17 West Monroe This photo of the Schulenberg & Laut Building also shows the
East side currently being occupied by the Bicycle Museum; however when built in
1891, the building housed two businesses, Laut’s Hotel on the West and Laut’s
Bar on the East. Laut’s Hotel was sold
to Franklin Hollingsworth ~ 1906-07 while Emil & Frank Laut continued to
operate Laut’s Bar; pool tables were upstairs on the main floor, a barber shop
was located in the basement of the Bar as well as a bowling alley. Originally one of the community's 1st lumber
yards located on this site.
NBHT~12
& 12a 17 West Monroe (Hotel continued) In 1891 Laut’s Hotel or Hotel Central was
constructed. Salesman from all over
would travel the Interurban, spend a night or longer and display their wares in
the "sample room" of Hotel Hollingsworth (1906-07). As late as
1930's, rooms were $1.50 and the deluxe suite was $5.00; the hotel portion was
closed in 1965. In 1972 the building
was remodeled and later sold in 1977 to Duane Hartwig & son, who operated
the business as the Hotel Bar & Restaurant until 1990. It next became known as Oh Baloney and now
as The Grille.
The open space to the right of the
Hotel was once a tin and stove shop.
NBHT~13,
a & b 101 West Monroe
Initially the Boesel Millinery Shop, later the Gast Hat Shop; later,
Lyons Electric on the East side and Ehrhardt’s Dress and Millinery Shop on the
West side.
NBHT~14,
14a & 14b 107 West Monroe
Coffee & Book shop (1999) was formerly Schelper’s Old Reliable
Market on the East side and the Louis Poppe Shoe Store on the West now occupied
by the Chamber of Commerce.
NBHT~15
& 15a 115 West Monroe Boesel Opera House 1895. The
building was designed by Kremer and Hart, architects from Columbus. June 11,
1895; the contract for the new Charles Boesel (Jr) building went to Wm.
Brinkmeyer for $6,925. excluding brick, hardware and paint. July 17, 1899
Charles Schneider, electrician, and his helper Herman Hirschfeld wired the
Opera House for electric light. The
Boesel Opera Hall also housed the Harry Schroeder Hardware Store on the East
side, now occupied by the Fireside Pub and the First City Bank on the West
side, now Legacy Gifts. On April 18,
1948, the building was purchased by the American Legion Post 241 which later
traded the building to Crown Equipment for the old White Mountain Restaurant,
Rt. 66 North.
NBHT~16
& 16a 117 West Monroe
The Crown Equipment Bldg. west of the Opera House was the former site of
Mueller Clothing but was initially a part of Karl Boesel’s (Sr) gardens.
NBHT~17,
17a & 17b West Monroe &
South Main On this corner, Karl (Charles) Boesel (Sr)
built his house with beautiful gardens and statues extending to the East. After Karl’s death, his son, Karl Jr, built
the Boesel Opera House where the gardens once reposed. Karl’s house once housed Andy Albert’s
Funeral Home on the first floor with the Mayor’s office and Council’s Chambers
upstairs, West side. On the East side,
the Post Office was downstairs while the Telephone Office was upstairs. The bicyclist in 17a is John Gilberg
(Gilberg Furniture & Funeral Home), my second cousin.
In the middle of Monroe Street at
the intersection of Monroe & Main, there used to be a Flag Pole: The Interurban RR turned here from Main St
onto Monroe and one can still see traces of the tracks. An Interurban Rail Car overturned at this
corner in 1909 killing two; a telephone pole stopped the overturned car from
hitting great, great, grandfather Karl Boesel’s house.
NBHT~18
North Main & Monroe The Home Printing Company Print Shop formerly occupied the site of
the current Howell’s IGA.
5 North
Main The open space to the right of
Howell’s IGA once housed the Don Hout Restaurant and later the Gilberg &
Hegemier, Appliance & Furniture Store.
The South side of Gilberg & Hegemier Furniture Store housed Louie’s
Hamburger Shop where hamburgers were 5 cents each or 6 for a quarter! This was the hamburger shop where Paul Lietz
got his him name, “Pickle” Lietz, for Paul would always order a pickle sandwich
with a hamburger on it!
NBHT~19
9 North Main Building to South was originally a Saloon, a Grocery Store, a
Restaurant and later a Ceramic Shop. 11
North Main Brick Bldg to the North was
Fark’s Bakery.
NBHT~20 19 North Main Typical “4 square” architecture.
NBHT~21,
21a & 21b 8 North Main
New Bremen Historical Society Preservation Award. Year - 1854. Style - German Vernacular.
Significant because of its early construction date from 1850 and its
suspected alterations about 1875 and 1895.
Also it was the home of a prominent local businessman and State
Representative. J.H. Mesloh owned the
house from 1862 to at least 1880 while he was a two-term (1873-74 &
1875-76) State Representative. Mesloh
married Minnie (Wilhelmina) Boesel, daughter of the town’s founder. Mesloh was in the hardware business and sold
agriculture equipment; was also the owner and proprietor of the “Mesloh House
Hotel” (First & Main). (J. H.
Mesloh was my great grandfather).
Dr.
Rotterman had his office in the SW Front room.
The summer kitchen is reported at one time to have contained ovens for
the bakery. Now owned by Crown
Equipment.
NBHT~22
28 North Main & First
On the site of the former Homan-Stucke Shop Building now owned by Crown
Equipment, the SE corner of Main & First, stood a two-story block house,
the home of Behrend Henry Mohrmann and in which worship services of St. Paul
Church were conducted at least once a month; this was the first of 3 sites for
St. Paul Church. Later, J.H. Mesloh
owned and operated the Mesloh House Hotel on this site.
24 North Main
The vacant lot immediately south of the Homan-Stucke building (to the
right) was the site of Speckman’s Equity Ice Cream which sold 4 and 5 cent ice
cream cones.
NBHT~23 101 North Main
Zion Church In 1865 several
members of St. Peters Church withdrew, formed and built the brick Zion Church .
NBHT~24
& 24a 109 North Main
The Laut Hotel was built around 1853 with an addition to the rear
constructed around the Civil War.
Notice the stone step at the north door--it was the entrance to a former
Saloon and apparently well used!
Style-Vernacular. Capt. Laut
bought the property in 1857 for $1325.
While he was away in the Civil War, Mrs. Laut (quite pregnant) wheeled
the barrow full of bricks to help build the addition. Also, notice the curb has been replaced (2000), having been cut
back to the edge of the sidewalk when a tire shop was put in during the 1930’s.
NBHT~25 111 North Main
The current Post Office & Bank was once the Fire Dept & Town
House for New Bremen prior to 1910. The
Bell now resides at the Southeast corner of the New Bremen Municipal
Center. see, NBHT004.
NBHT~26
123 North Main Currently the German Township Hall. Originally the location of William Bruns’ marble cutting business
in the 1880’s. Bruns, a former mayor of
NB, was a dealer in monuments,
tombstone marble mantles, statuary and marble furniture tops. A German Style home. In 1852 Frederick Langhorst owned this
property which had a tax value of $307.
Langhorst owned the lot in 1880 but in that year, William Bruns owned
the building. When William Bruns was
young, Langhorst sent him to Cincinnati for training in a school of marble
cutting. Later it was a Bicycle Shop
(Fischbach) and after that a mechanic shop owned by Bill Campbell, nicknamed,
“two thumbs” who was also known for working all night on race cars and drinking
an ample supply of coffee.
NBHT~27
& 27a 104 N. Main Site of first Post Office in New Bremen (1835). Front of house once used as a harness shop.
NBHT~28 112 North Main Residence of Anne Schwepe who was a
correspondent for the “Evening Leader”; she wrote the news from the New Bremen
area for many years.
NBHT~29
& 29a 120 North Main
Known as the Luelleman House.
Constructed in 1837 and appears since 1846 as it does today. It is the NB Historical Association’s Museum
and has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The summer kitchen behind the Museum was
built in 1869.
The
“Outhouse” formerly sat on the Mesloh
Farm 1 mile North of NB and in use until 1965 was donated to the museum by my
Father and Mother, 1965.
NBHT~30 126 North Main
Date 1869, Style Vernacular.
Built by Lewis Wellman, a road contractor, after the Civil War. Two families lived in it for years, the basement
was used for beer storage since the brewery was two doors south. Around the early 1900’s, the south side
first floor was used as a leather shop with a tannery in the barns on the back
of the lot.
NBHT~31
& 31a 202 North Main
Bolly’s Restaurant used to be a garage.
Huenke who built the first original New Bremen race car named it B-4,
but the locals called it “Behind” as it always came in last!
NBHT~32 202+ North Main The empty lot immediately North of Bolly’s
was once the site of Aue’s Blacksmith’s Shop.
The next lot North used to be a Grocery Store called the Little Store
(Milton & Mabel Gieseke--Virgil & Fern Hirschfeld).
NBHT~32a
214 North Main Site of John Brown’s Barber Shop
NBHT~33 & 33a 222-224 North Main Egg
Packing Building (Shipped eggs to New York City). Originally was the Adam Brueggemen Store. At one time this building was a Pork Packing
Plant--New Bremen ranked as the 4th Porkopolis in Ohio after Cincinnati,
Toledo, and Dayton before 1900. About
1919, the building was converted into an Egg Packing Plant Prior to the egg packing plant conversion,
the building was the private residence of Stan Kuenning’s Great Grandfather
Ruese.
NBHT~34
& 34a 236 North Main Typical Canal House
NBHT~35
& 35a 22 Knoxville Ave
Dr. John Jacob Frye House, now the residence of Craig Hoffman. Dr. Frye married Dorothea Boesel, sister of
Wilhelmina, my g, GM
NBHT~36 Rt. 66 & (old) Knoxville Ave Originally the Rev. William & Anna (Schmidt) Dieckman
& House, now owned by James & Anna
Mae Hudson
NBHT~37,
37a, 37b & 37c 201 North Main
Precision Reflex: The site upon
which Precision Reflex now sits was the site of the second Roman Catholic
Church in New Bremen (1948-1969) In
1948, a RC Church was reestablished at this site and remained until the present
Holy Redeemer Church was built in 1969.
This second RC Church was moved to a new location across from Speedway
Lanes; used for several years by another denomination, and has now been converted
into a private residence; see 37 b & c.
NBHT~38
213 North Main
Plumbing Shop now converted into a private residence.
NBHT~39 215 North Main
Cigar Mfg. Shop now converted into a private residence.
NBHT~40 219 North Main Hoffman’s Decorating--for 5 generations!
Since 1875
NBHT~41 235 North Main Old, old House--Once the home of Adolph Boesel (first cousin,
twice removed) before he built the Queen Anne Home on Franklin St., moved to
the Crown Farm in 1986.
NBHT~42,
42a & 42b 315-317 North
Main & 403 N Main Henry & William Schmidt, sons of
Christian Schmidt both married Boesel sisters who were sisters of my great
grandmother, Wilhelmine. Henry Schmidt
married Rosina Boesel and lived on the NW corner of N. Main & Pearl (which
is now known as the former Lone Pine Nursing Home); William C. Schmidt married
Emma Boesel and lived on the SW corner of N. Main & Pearl Originally the building on the SW corner
housed Christian Schmidt’s General Store (1848) and the Adam Brueggemann
General Store; later remodeled solely for residential purposes. This corner, N. Main & Pearl was known
as Schmidt’s Corner.
NBHT~43,
43a & 43b 303 North
Franklin St. Peters Church: St. Peters Church was established in 1845
when several families desiring to maintain the German language in worship (the
St. Paul Congregation preferred English) withdrew to form St. Peters. Also involved in the withdrawal was the
decision of St. Paul’s Congregation “to be free” of any synods as well as
differences in the interpretation of several scriptures. (The log cabin home of Phillip Jacob Maurer,
my great, great, great grandfather, stood on the corner where St. Peter’s
Church now stands.)
The
large white building in 42 a and 42b is the parsonage of St. Peter’s Church
NBHT~43c,
43d, 43e, & 43f 223-231
North Herman St. Peters Church Cemetery: Looking westward and behind St. Peters lay
the Barn & Horse Stalls where worshipers stabled their horses while
attending services. Further west and to
the south, lay the Church Cemetery between Herman St and the Railroad Tracks;
no houses built in this area are permitted to have basements as burials during
the Cholera Epidemic of 1849 were not recorded or specifically marked as to
location. Some partial records are on
file in the NB Library.
NBHT~44
Ash & North Franklin The Heinfeld Saw Mill used to stand between Ash, Franklin and the
alley A furniture factory (also made
jigsaw puzzles) stood on the south side of the alley
NBHT~45 231 North Franklin St One of the oldest homes in New Bremen. The old Dietrich Log House is partially disguised with an added
second story Dutch gambrel roof.
NBHT~46 & 46a
216 North Franklin The owner, John Hoffman, has done an
excellent job of restoring his home to its original design, year 1913. Plans for this house were obtained from
Sears, Roebuck & Co.; the lumber was obtained from the Heinfeld Saw Mill up
the street. The Hoffmans have a private
painting company encompassing 5 generations of Hoffmans.
NBHT~47
& 47a 201 2nd & Franklin
The little brick house sitting on the NW corner of Franklin & 2nd is
typical of old German Architecture of the Canal period.
NBHT~48,
a, b & 49i 119 North Franklin
St. Paul Church, second site.
The second Church of clapboard construction was built (1847-48) on the
SW corner of the Church’s property where the dining hall now sits. J.B. Mesloh (my great, great, great
grandfather) served on the Building Committee of the second Church.
NBHT~49,
a, b, c, & d 119 North Franklin St. Paul Church: This
brick edifice was built in 1890, the third Church Building. A fire occurred after a New Year’s service
Jan. 1, 1897 with only the tower and parts of the exterior walls remaining. By December 1897 however, the Church had
been rebuilt and dedicated. (St. Paul
was established in 1833 as a Lutheran Church and held their services in the
home of Behrend Mohrmann located on the SE corner of Main & First.
NBHT~49b,
c & d 119 North Franklin St. Paul Church. Der
Heilige Geist Fenster 1998
Symbolism
of the stained glass windows
NBHT~49e,
f, g & h Herman
The St. Paul Church Cemetery, a 5 acre plot lying between Herman Street
and the railroad tracks, was used until the German Protestant Cemetery was
established in 1865. During the cholera
epidemic of 1849, 115 of the 150 who died (pop. of NB 700) were buried there;
however, as a result of the high death rate and the need to get the bodies
buried, records either were not kept or have since become lost, so no one
actually knows who is buried where (Some partial records are on file in the NB
Library).. Upon the opening of German
Protestant Cemetery in 1865, survivors were given the options of moving the
bodies, or just the tombstones (where existing) or leaving the the graves
untouched. Even yet today, after a
rain, it is still possible to see the outline of tombstones, which were laid
flat upon abandoning the cemetery, in the infield of the ball diamond
NBHT~50
117 North Franklin The second and present St Paul Parsonage,
located immediately to the south of the Church, was a Sears, Roebuck & Co.
House; the lumber was precut, shipped in, and assembled on-site (Sears, Roebuck
and Co. had 5 such house plans and a number of their “catalogue” house are
located throughout this area)
NBHT~51
& 51a 106-108 North Franklin
The former St. Paul parsonage (built 1852) now sits diagonally across
the street--it is a brick house but now covered with vinyl siding. A contractor was hired (1907) to move it from
Church land but mid-way through the move, the contractor went broke and left
the house partially on the street.
Donations and labor from the community completed the move; however, the
house never got properly rotated and so the front of the house now faces East
and the back of the house fronts the street!
A porch has since been added to the “back” of the house.
NBHT~52, 52a North Franklin Across the street from the St. Paul Parsonage lies the old City Park which at
one time featured a Civil War Cannon. A
young boy by the name of “Porky” Moots climbed onto the Cannon in the late
1930’s, fell and broke his left arm.
When asked a few days later as to how he broke his arm, he replied, “All
I was doing was climbing onto the Cannon like this” and falling again, broke
his other arm!
NBHT~53
& 53a 107 North Franklin
The Ivy-covered brick house with Hollyhocks was built 1860-1870 according
to tax records; it is a Cape Cod Style house.
Was the home of Louis Huenke who in 1884 founded the White Mountain
Creamery which was the First Creamery in North West Ohio. A brick summer kitchen sits behind the
house. Now owned by Larry and Ann Kuhn
of Lee’s Printing.
NBHT~54 9 North Franklin This grey brick house used to be the New
Bremen School House (1846-1878). In
1878, Ober Bremen and New Bremen schools were combined into the Central (Union)
School, North Franklin St.
NBHT~55
304 West Monroe
The brick house on the NW corner of Franklin & Monroe was built out
of paving bricks by Howard Huenke who paid school boys a penny a brick to
“scallop” the exterior surface of each brick.
NBHT~56 West Monroe & North Franklin Dr. Rabe’s Office and the Purpus Jewelry Store were located on
what is now the IGA parking lot. Dr.
Rabe’s office was on the corner of Monroe and Franklin Streets; Purpus’s
Jewelry Store was adjacent on Monroe Street.
NBHT~57&
57a 225 West Monroe
Gilberg Funeral Home. John is my
second cousin.
NBHT~58 223 West Monroe
Formerly the Otto Heinfeld Plumbing Shop.
NBHT~59
& 59a 1 S Main & West
Monroe Crown Education Center now sits on the site
formerly occupied by Rump’s Gas Station and Friemering’s Furniture Store.
NBHT~60 9 South Main Residence of Paul Ritter Sr. Originally occupied by Dr. Ferdinand
Fledderjohann until the late 50's when he retired. Stories have that when you
were there as a child he'd ask you what color you wanted your medicine, red or
green! Swimming pool physicals
consisted of jumping in place on your left foot and then the right.
NBHT~61,
61a & 61b 17 South Main Residence of Joe Ritter
Fred Vogelsang built the home in the mid 1800's. August "Peanut" Dierker, the
tinner, purchased the house from Mr. Vogelsang. He then put the big porch
across the entire east side of the house. He also made the house into two
apartments. Mr. Dierker did not live in the house only rented it out. The next owner was Minnie Witte. According
to Mrs. Alvin (Annabel) Wagner, Mrs. Witte, in order to support herself and her
children, turned the house into a boarding house. She served breakfast every morning for the boarders, packed
lunches for those who went to work and then made and served the evening
meal. Paul & Ruth Ritter purchased
the apartments from a Mrs. Meyer. The walls of the house inside and outside are
three bricks deep. The first electric
lights could only be turned on with a string located in the center of each room
hanging from the light bulb fixture.
NBHT~62 31 South Main Residence of John Knost A Kuenzel House, Owners of the Kuenzel
Flour & Feed Mills and Kuenzel Woolen Mill.
NBHT~63 101 South Main Residence of Dan Condon A Kuenzel House (Owners of the Kuenzel
Flour & Feed Mills and Kuenzel Woolen Mill)
NBHT~64
107 South Main Fledderjohann 1st
House built on Main St.
NBHT~65
& 65a 123 South Main
Professor Elmer Ende's house
Professor Ende was a music professor. Currently being restored by Bob
& Lisa Moeller. (Prof. Ende married
Grace Boesel, my second cousin, once removed.)
NBHT~66 124 South Main Site of the former Kuck Oil Co.
NBHT~67,
a, b & c Harris Junk Yard (Bessel Iron & Steel
Works) - Purchased by the Lions Club
& developed into a park.
NBHT~68 15 South Franklin Original owner was George Klanke, year 1901;
style is Victorian Queen Anne. This
house has two double story bay areas, a full porch with triangular pediment
entrance and 3 pair of Roman Doric Columns.
George Klanke, owner of the Klanke Furniture Factory, built the house
for his family. He sold it to Lillian
Rairdon in 1915. She and her husband
lived there until their deaths in 1963.
Few alterations are apparent.
NBHT~69 16 South Franklin Residence of Dr. Ron Riebel. Style-Victorian Electric; year 1890. Round stained glass windows on north side
with leaded portions and 2 gold leaded glass areas in transoms above sash
windows in facade are intact. To get
from front of house to back, route is through closets or up and down to a half
landing. This elaborate brick house was
built by Theodore Purpus (Grandfather of Minster’s Mayor, Ted Purpus) and lived
in by the same family until 1974. This
house is on the First Residential street in New Bremen.
NBHT~70,
a, b & c 27 South Franklin
Style-Italianate; year 1864.
Charles (Karl) Boesel, (Jr) a prominent businessman, a State
Representative 1862-1866 and State Senator 1870-1874, built this house and
owned the 3 lots northward in which he kept a garden with statues and walkways
until the turn of the century. Behind
the house to the west was the summer kitchen which is now a garage. The yard to the south has a limestone
retaining wall about 4 feet high. The
old summer kitchen was also later used as a Broom Factory operated by Clifford
Barth. (Charles Boesel (Jr) was our
maternal Great, Great Uncle, step brother of Wilhelmina Boesel.)
NBHT~71,
a, b & c 34 South Herman
Residence of Paul & Marjorie Lietz.
Typical 4 sqare architecture.
Workshop was the site of Lietz’ Furniture Shop, 1939.
NBHT~72 38 South Herman The 1908 School was built on the NW corner
of Poplar & So. Herman Streets to relieve crowded conditions in the Central
School Building and was first used by the 7th and 8th grades. Later it was used for the 1st and 2nd
grades. Around 1918-1920, it was
remodeled so that the South half contained 6 modern residence styled rooms used
by the superintendent and the North half was one large room used as a Community
room. The 1908 School building is now a
residence.
NBHT~73
102 South Franklin Style-Carpenter Gothic; year 1868. This is an outstanding example of Carpenter Gothic which is very
prevalent in town. Its Central Peak is
overpowering and dominates the otherwise plain facade. This house is one of the First Residential
homes in the Vogelsang Addition which was platted in 1856.
NBHT~74
114 South Franklin Residence of The Rev. & Dr. Lawrence & Pat Holmer. This Queen Anne style house, built by
Fridolin & Alma (Boesel) Purpus is essentially Identical to the one moved
to the Crown Farm in 1986. (Alma Boesel
was my first cousin, twice removed.)
NBHT~75,
a & b South Franklin
All that remains of the old Central Grade School are the concrete steps
as seen. School was built in 1878 when
New Bremen and Ober Bremen schools were consolidated as a result of the union
of Ober Bremen and New Bremen into one entity.
Central Grade School was torn down in late 1957-58 having been condemned
as a fire hazard as the classrooms contained wooden floors; however, each
classroom had its own individual fire escape door. Incidentally, the old Central Grade School bell was relocated to
the present High School. My great Uncle
Harvey Henning, husband of Emma Mesloh Henning and Great Uncle Ben Vornholt,
brother of my grandmother, Karoline Vornholt Mesloh were the custodians of
Central Grade School. Harvey had a
tremendous sense of humor, was well known, respected and well liked by
all. Harvey was the bell ringer!
Former
Central Grade School Bell now residing at the new NB High School location on
East Monroe Street.
The New
Bremen Broom Factory sat between the old Central School house and the RR
tracks. The Broom Company was a stock
company with stockholders being Wilbur & Lillian Rairdon, Beata Isern, F.
T. Purpus, John Boeke (Coldwater) plus several others. Reuben Dickman was the General Manager.
NBHT~76
Plum & Herman
On the SE corner of Plum & Herman once stood the Auglaize Furniture
Co. established in 1912 replacing the Klanke Furniture Co. (1888-1911) which
was destroyed by a disastrous fire in 1911.
NBHT~77 124 South Franklin
Residence of Vic Maurer was formerly the residence of Otto Boesel (Otto Boesel was my first cousin, twice
removed.)
NBHT~78 3 West Plum Residence of Bob Minnich was formerly Bill Comb's ice house. Bill Combs was the Captain of the last canal
boat, the DeCamp Statler
NBHT~79,
a, b, c & d West Plum/Comb’s Hill Children used Comb’s Hill for sled riding. Ice Ponds lay to the South (right) of Comb’s
Hill.
NBHT~80
& 80a 2 West Plum New Bremen Municipal Swimming Pool. Built in 1938 by the WPA.
Water shows were very popular during the 50's and 60's. It was one of the 1st swimming pools in the
area; was shut down in 1998 and a new one (80a)
was opened in Bremenfest Park (East of Canal) 1999.
OBHT~1,
a, b, c, d, e, f, & g 1, 1a
& 1b
Canal Looking South from Plum St--Rabe’s Pond
was located on the East side (left) and Ice Ponds were located on the West.
1c,
& 1d Canal Looking North
toward Plum St.
1e Canal Looking North from Plum St; 1f Canal
looking North from Monroe;
1g Canal Looking North from Rt 66N
OBHT~2 W Plum St. Adolph Steinberg & F. J. Steinberg - 1880 operated a wholesale egg, poultry, provision
& pelt business in a frame structure.
In 1902 J. A. Long purchased the building and operated an oil mill and
planing mill operation until it burned to the ground. The current brick
building was built in 1912 which at that time was operated by J. A. Long as a
poultry house.
OBHT~3
& 3a W Plum St Pioneer Cabin This home
is an example of a shelter built by the settlers used in the 1830's. (This cabin has been erected upon the former
site of the residence of Ralph May, famous New Bremen author.) New Bremen was a unique choice to settle,
since it is the southern most point in the continental U.S. where water still
flows north, making it a water shed area (also see OBHT~28-28d).
OBHT~4 206 South Washington Two Story Brick diagonally
across from ReMax Realty was the site of the New Bremen Cancer Clinic
(1869-1890), operated in the early 1880’s by Dr. Schroeder.
OBHT~5 120 South Washington Dr. E. C. Eckermeyer saw a similar house at
the 1893 Chicago World's Fair. Built this Queen Anne style. Construction
materials were shipped by rail. The building remains the only one of its kind
in New Bremen. In 1924 son Dr. Karl Eckermeyer began his practice here.
OBHT~6
& 6a 102 South Washington Currently Crown's Legal Building.
"Captain John Wiemeyer Store & Residence" built in Ober Bremen 1853 with its open porch
added to the south side.
OBHT~7
& 7a 109 South Washington Currently Lee's Printing Building owned by
Larry Kuhn; Was built in 1871 by Jacob Schneider and used originally by a
stable for the horses of customers who stayed at a hotel next door (hotel no
longer exists).
1896 Frederick Wehmeyer purchased it, but later lost the building to
the Boesel Banking Company.
1909
the New Bremen Gas Company purchased the building and refurbished it,
putting in a tin ceiling which still exists today.
1920
building sold to Wyen & Grieshop of Minster and became a tin shop.
1937
John Stueve bought out Grieshop's 1/2 interest and operated it through
1963 when he retired after selling
to his son, Roman Stueve. Roman Stueve
operated it as a plumbing shop & laundromat until his retirement in 1985.
OBHT~8 40-44 South Washington
Crown Equipment Corporation World Headquarters. Site formerly was the Arcade Department
Store.
OBHT~9 34-38 South Washington
Crown Equipment Formerly
American Budget and Sun Printing Co
OBHT~10 24-30 South Washington
Carl Dicke Bldg built in 1992.
Replaced Wint’s Restaurant and Ernie’s Barber Shop.
OBHT~11 20 South Washington Fire Department The fire station was built in 1897 for use by The New Bremen
Cataract Fire Company (cataract - to dash down). The building was used by the
New Bremen-German Township Fire Department until the new municipal building was
constructed in 1982. On display inside the old fire department is a circa-1870
Ramsey & Company hand pumper and accompanying hose cart that is thought to
have been built around the Turn-of the Century. Crown Equipment Corporation have
had these restored. 16 South
Washington Building to the left was
formerly the second location of American Budget Co. now owned by Crown
Equipment. Originally housed Heinfeld”s
Grocery and Wissman Barber Shop.
OBHT~12
& 12a 45 South Washington
New Bremen Library. Formerly the
site of Kuenzel Woolen Mills.
OBHT~13 South Washington
Lock One Park Formerly the site
of Kuenzel Woolen Mills.
OBHT~14
& 14a South Washington Lock One
14 looking South & 14a looking North
OBHT~15
& 15a W Monroe Miami & Erie Canal North
OBHT~16 2 North Washington
Schwieterman’s Drug Store Drug
Store was originally built by J L Hoffman in 1893 and sold to UJ Schwieterman
in 1917. The soda fountain closed after
70 years of furnishing many happy moments for the Mesloh family.
OBHT~17,
a & b 101 East Front
Originally Ober Bremen Town Hall
OBHT~18
& 18a 23 South Walnut
Former Speckman House built prior to 1870; moved from 40 South
Washington to present location in 1893
OBHT~19
& 19a 212 South Walnut
Formerly Faith Alliance Church.
The first Roman Catholic Church was built in 1872 upon this site of the now
Faith Alliance Church--services were held at this location until 1907 at which
time the several families attending switched their worship to the Minster RC
Church. The early German settlements in
this area were either Protestant or Roman Catholic and it is very interesting
to note that although New Bremen was a Protestant settlement, over 2/3 of the
funds collected to build the first Roman Catholic Church were contributed by
non-catholic families of New Bremen (Both great grandfathers, JH Mesloh and Karl
Boesel [Sr] donated to the building of this Church). The original Roman Catholic Church was not demolished when the
Faith Alliance Church was built 1907 (then Christ Church) it was “encased” by
Faith Alliance! The second RC Church
was built in 1948, on the site now occupied by Precision Reflex, see NBHT~37.
OBHT~19b Faith Alliance merged with Zion Church in 1995 with the
combined congregations occupying the Zion Church, but now Faith Alliance on
Knoxville Avenue.
OBHT~20
& 20a Cherry St Formerly the site of the Ober Bremen School;
now the New Bremen School Bus Garage.
OBHT~21 East Haven Crown Farm--Covered Bridge In
OBHT~22,
a, b, & c East Haven
Crown Farm--Old Railroad Depot and former site on South Herman and West
Monroe
OBHT~25
& 25a East Haven
Crown Farm--Queen Anne House built by Adolf Boesel at 110 South Franklin
St in 1875. The house was moved to the
Crown Farm in 1986. (Adolph Boesel was
my first cousin, twice removed.)
OBHT~27 East Haven Crown Farm--Covered Bridge Out
OBHT~28 AMSTERDAM ROAD About 1/2 mile East of Rt. 66 looking South into Ziegenbusch’s
woods. About 1/2 mile South of
Amsterdam Road, the headwaters of the St. Mary’s River originates and is the furthermost
point South in Ohio where the water still flows Northward!
28a Looking South once more into
Ziegenbusch’s woods.
28b Water continues under Amsterdam Road
flowing Northward.
28c Amsterdam Road looking West.
28d Amsterdam Road looking East
OBHT~29 The Angelic A’s! In keeping with the premise that only that which is beautiful
is photographed, the photographer could not pass up the opportunity to
photograph two lovelies (Andrea & Angelina) who were beautifying a New
Bremen flower bed!
December 2000
Rev. September 2003