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609 Miami Avenue

PhotosLegacy Version

General Information

No:   609  
Street:   Miami  
House Name:   R. K. LeBlond Cottage  
Historic Plaque:   Y 2008  
Owner Info:   N  
Built:   N  
Sec:   23  
Subdivision:   Sibley  
Lot:   19-26, pt 18  
Architect:   Walter L. Rapp?  
Cont/build:   not known  

Description:    2 story Dutch, siding, gambrel roof with long dormer in the front.    
Owners:   12  
Original Use:   Summer home  
Current Use:   Residential  

CHANGES:
As Built:   N  
Added To:   Y  
Subtracted From:   N  
Replaced:   N  

Description Of Changes:   1983 - extended and remodeled the garage (drawing in permit file - Village?). 2006 - Grever permit - interior alterations - relocate kitchen, powder room & stairs to basement; renovation of master bath; relocate laundry to 2nd floor (Michaelson Homes, Laura Deal-Stankorb, designer).  

Stories:

Story 1: At least by 1913 this became the LeBlond family summer home with property extending down the block and with an outdoor dance floor on the south side of the house. Friends came out from the city to swim in the river and to attend gala outdoor parties. Kindergarten classes were once held in the present garage (Ann and Peggy Gatch attended). River stone fireplace, beamed living room ceiling and screen porch.
Story 2: Miller scrapbooks (copy in house notebook) - 11/10/1956 - home of Mr. and Mrs. Fred Dowd. Article by Polly Cramer with interior photos. Middle aged white frame house was the summer home of a Cincinnati industrialist back in the days when Terrace Park was a riverside resort..
Story 3: We've been told it was the summer clubhouse of the Cincinnati Woman's Club. This may or may not be true. However, in 1921 owner Richard LeBlond sold it to the Cincinnati Business Woman Club. They owned it until 1924.

Story 4: Re owner 4 to owner 5: Real estate clipping says Acquired by Walter and Julia Vail from Roma B. Flint. Description at the time reads, Frame four-bedroom-and-two-bath dwelling... lot measurement is 150 by 300 feet. Sale by Robert Flandreau, an associate of the Robert J. Kramer Realty Co. Picture attached.(Roma B. Flint & Albert D. Flint listed this address as their residence in July 1940 when they signed the Initiative Petition for Terrace Park Recreation Club.)


Story 5: The Starks home was on the 1992 Sunday December 6 An Historic Walk Through Terrace Park TP Garden Club House Tour . Homes were open from 1-5 PM. Proceeds were used for village beautification.
Story 6: The Grever garden was on the TP Garden Club's 3 August 2010 Garden Walk.

609 Miami was built by Richard K. LeBlond 1864-1953. In 1887 he started LeBlond Machine Tools. In 1895 he married Loretto Heekin. In 1918 RK expanded LeBlond Tools to the location at Madison & Edwards (currently Rookwood Pavillion). They had 4 children Harold (Hop) LeBlond married Mary Stephenson, Rita Fuller-(Maug Lillards mother and Rita Pictons grandmother who used to live in Terrace Park), Elizabeth Balch, Richard LeBlond. After the children were fully grown Loretto and RK built the Manor House (St Ursula Villa) in 1925 traveling all over the world to find items. Later in 1936 the LeBlonds built Cottage #19 at Harbor Point, Michigan, and traveled there by train. This information is from Rita Picton. The Ryans sold the next door lot in 1975 which originally held the badminton court. This A frame house built in 1976 was renovated and is currently 615 Miami Avenue This information from Ellen Miller. Changes by the Rodger Millers Ellen Miller. In the 1970s Ellen and Rodger Miller air-conditioned the Cottage by sacrificing closet space for flexible ductwork. They updated the kitchen- these cabinets were relocated to the basement by the Grevers for Joes workbench. They added 3 feet to the front of the garage, added the dormer to the garage roof and updated the garage apartment. Driveway pavers were used to control the drainage as the street had risen almost a foot. They also updated the current master bath replacing the tub with a shower. They also painted the house white. (Before that it had been cream or green, as the Grevers found evidence of in their reconstruction..) The Scott Starks enclosed the porch and replaced the windows at the ends of the house. Major Players in the Grevers renovation of 609 Miami Avenue in 2006-2007 Laura Deal-Stankorb Historical House Architect Michaelson Homes - Marc Michaelson General Contractor Energytite Spray Foam Insulation Vince Bick Lowes Kitchen of Norwood Steve Smith Kitchen Designer Bromwells Fireplace Store, Kemper Design Tile Cincinnati Urban Landscaping- Rick Eckbert Tree removal Shawnee Tree Jeff Schoeny Tree Removal Smiths Camargo Landscape Steve Smith Renaissance Garden Ornament Gabe Rice