The Adobe Flash Player is required to view this multimedia interactive. Get it here.

Home has pieces of history on its walls

These plaster casts are on several ceilings, designed to appear as if floating in free air. Current owners, The Grogans' daughter painted this cast.

Justin McClelland/Staff Reporter These plaster casts are on several ceilings, designed to appear as if floating in free air. Current owners, The Grogans' daughter painted this cast.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Justin McClelland/Staff Reporter A majestic three story staircase is in the west end of the Gothic.

ENLARGE PHOTO

The Gothic, on Cincinnati Avenue in Lebanon, was built in 1850 by Ezra Craver. Today, it is owned by Jon and Christine Grogan.

Justin McClelland/Staff Reporter The Gothic, on Cincinnati Avenue in Lebanon, was built in 1850 by Ezra Craver. Today, it is owned by Jon and Christine Grogan.

ENLARGE PHOTO

Photos: Lebanon's 1850s Gothic mansion

United Way leaders say merger talk is ‘over with’
9/4/10
Warren County homebuilders case could affect all Ohio townships
9/4/10
Homeowners in shock after explosion, fire destroys house
9/4/10
Do you know a soldier coming home?
9/3/10
Are you retired and need to work?
9/3/10
> More headlines

E-mail this page

By Staff Writer Updated 12:57 PM Friday, August 7, 2009

Editor’s note: This story is part of a series about Lebanon’s historical homes.

Jon and Christine Grogan say the secret to happily living in a historic mansion, like the one they’ve resided in for the past 22 years, is to not be overwhelmed.

“It’s a home, we live in it,” Christine Grogan said. “We have some antiques, but that’s because we like them, not because we feel obligated to keep them as part of a historic house.”

“Comfort is important,” Jon Grogan said. “We don’t think you need antiques in a home like this.”

The Grogans live in a three-story salmon colored house on Cincinnati Avenue in Lebanon ominously named “The Gothic.” Built around 1850 for Jacob Egbert, a wealthy merchant, the house is considered an example of the Gothic Revival style with a mix of Italianate architecture.

The Grogans moved to the house in 1987 from Chicago with their three children. They had always loved historic architecture and were excited to live in a home with a lot of history.

“These old homes have a feeling about them,” Christine Grogan said before she knocked on an interior wall and listened to the thud of brick. “It’s a feeling of solidity. No hollow sound. It feels really secure, and I think that’s comforting to a family.”

Jon’s daughter, Caitlin, was so inspired by living in The Gothic that she later worked as an intern on “This Old House,” a television show about refurbishing and caring for older homes.

The Grogans have worked to keep some aspects of the house’s origin. Light fixtures in the house were created by an artisan in upstate New York to resemble mid-19th century gas lights.

“We’ve tried to incorporate modern living and period pieces where we could,” John said. “But the most important thing was having a comfortable home.”

Unique features include a winding staircase that circles through each story.

Living in The Gothic, an 1850 mansion in Lebanon for the past 22 years, Jon and Christine Grogan have developed an appreciation for the history and unique designs of their majestic home.

The home was designed by Ezra Craver for Jacob Egbert, a wealthy merchant who moved to Lebanon from Philadelphia. Although classified as Gothic Revival, the house on Cincinnati Avenue was the first in the area to also feature the burgeoning Italianate design. The three-story home has five rooms on each of its first two stories and an open garret and attic on the top floor.

“It’s really a unique house,” Christine said. “Even among older houses there are a lot of features you don’t see often.”

The Lebanon couple are history buffs. John collects U.S. presidential memorabilia.

One fascinating aspect of The Gothic’s construction is an interior winding staircase which circles through each story, occasionally creating the odd curved imposition in some of the house’s western rooms. Several ceilings are decorated with plaster centerpieces designed to appear to be floating in midair. In the first floor parlor, the Grogan’s daughter Shannon painted the centerpiece to spruce up its appearance.

One of the trickiest aspects the Grogans found with their large home was how to deal with wallpapering walls that were more than 12 feet tall. John, a retired attorney, papered the walls himself, standing precariously on a stepladder to line up the lengthy sheets that now adorn the Grogans dining room.

The Grogans also have uncovered a lot of personal history while living in their home.

For example, while repapering the dining room, Jon also found a marking from a previous owner.

“Howard Jones left a note in pencil that said ‘I repaired this wall, July 14, 1907,’” Jon said.

“I found it just tearing off wallpaper. It’s still there under the paper.”

Contact this reporter at (513) 696-4544 or jmcclelland@coxohio.com.

Share this article