History of "Edgar" House
This house was built by Samuel Dick Edgar. Samuel was born in Dayton in 1806, his father was Robert Edgar, who was one of the first 4 settlers to arrive in Dayton in 1796. Robert Edgar died in 1838, his wife died in 1844.
In 1845, S.D. Edgar as he was also known, along with four other local businessmen, founded the Dayton Hydraulic company adjacent to the canal near First Street in Dayton. He married Minerva Jones who was 23 years younger than him, in 1845. Since it is apparent that he inherited some money in 1844/45, we are concluding that the house was built about that time. S.D. Edgar inherited some 100 plus acres of land in southeast Dayton. The area is now known as Walnut Hills. This house sat on that plot with nothing but trees and farmland around it. The official address from the city directories at the time was Edgar Settlement east side Wayne Ave near lunatic asylum.The original structure was a Greek Revival mansion. This would have consisted of a large block shaped house with an adjacent small block attached. Plans are drawn below. It appears that a one story brick addition was added to the small block soon after the rest of the house was built. It was certainly added before 1875. I think it was a log cabin before 1845. The basement structure is different and the floors are older.
We found a picture of the property dated 1874
Plans of the original house
First Floor Original floor plan circa 1850
Second floor Original floor plan circa 1850
The picture of the house shows that it had a lower roof and it appears that the original color of the house was beige. There was wallpaper in most of the rooms.The molding around the windows is simple and designed to look like square columns.
There was a stone based structure behind the house. We know this was a summer kitchen and a laundry. There was a well next to it. There were also at least two large cisterns behind the house to supply water to the residents.
Sometime later,between 1888 and 1890, a two story bay window section was added to form a parlor and enlarge a second floor bedroom. At the same time a Mansard roof was added to create a third floor out of the attic.
A 2nd story was put on the one story addition on the northeast side of the house before 1875. We know that the house was painted beige originally. It was then painted brick red before 1875. In 1875, morter lines were painted grey over the brick red so that it looked like brick from a distance! When Herman Volkenand bought the house, he had it painted pale green. There are still some uncertainties about color of the trim and molding. Dark green shows up on the exterior door to the basement and brown shows up on the door and window frames that would have opened onto the rear porch. The window sashes were red. The parlor porch door frame reveals that a drab green was used as an accent color. Leonard Volkenand must have painted the house brick red again after 1905 and before 1917. We know it was red after that date and that the front porch was added because we have a picture.
Samuel Edgar was quite famous locally. He made a major effort to help families with men fighting for the Union during the Civil War. He organized collections of wood and food for these families. It would appear that he was quite a local celebrity and respected businessman although the census records indicate that he was a farmer by trade.
Mr. Edgar had four children. Kate died at age 4. Margaret, the eldest, born about 1847, married Ezra Herrman and had a son in 1867. Marianna, born about 1849, married into the Gebhart family at about the same time. Mr. Edgar built houses for his daughters on Wayne Ave nearer to the city of Dayton. They sit side by side and are now, very large mansions. Both are currently funeral homes. They were completed before 1874 because Samuel died on October 1st, 1874. He died 4 days after suffering a paralyzing stroke. The house was then occupied by his son Charles, born in 1851 who died in 1877 leaving a widow,Caroline (Biddleman) and three small children, Margaret, Emma and Robert. The youngest was born in June,1877. These people remained here until 1881, they then moved to 2nd St. nearer to town and other family members.
In 1887 the house was sold to Herman and Elizabeth Volkenand. It appears from the deed that this was done to settle the estate of Charles Edgar for his children. Herman was a farmer who owned land in nearby Beavercreek. He retired to Dayton and in 1890, the city directory lists the residents of this house being Herman Sr, his wife Elizabeth, sons Herman Jr, John, Leonard and his wife Susan as well as a Martha Volkenand. In 1904 when Herman died, Leonard and Susan Volkenand bought the property from the estate.
Herman was member of the horticultural society and in the Masons since he has left an inscription in a stone that makes up part of the walkway behind the house. It is dated 1890. There is another, less visible one near the back door to the cottage kitchen dated 1890. Herman Jr. appears to have had several job descriptions including policeman, carpenter as well as bicycle maker. Both he and Leonard were probably responsible for the roof and bay window additions made to the property.The property address was listed as 2006 S. Wayne around this time. It was still a small farm encompassing several street blocks. It was platted after 1904 and sold off as lots periodically until the last plot was developed around 1923 on Utah Court, located behind the property.
Leonard Volkenand died in 1937, his widow, Susan Volkenand lived in the house until 1954. She deeded it to Marguerette Hirschman along with some other property in 1939 after Leonard died. Marguerette is listed as her daughter on one of the deeds.. In 1954 the house was bought by Herschel Weills who turned it into a three, then a four unit (1962) apartment. He lived there until 1988 when it was sold to the last owner prior to us.
The addition, which we have come to call the "Cottage" has been rented to people since 1916. At this time the address of the property was 14 Volkenand. Soon afterward it got it's current address as 114 and 114 1/2 Volkenand.
