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701-1 Wooster Pike

PhotosLegacy Version

General Information

No:   701-1  
Street:    Wooster   
House Name:     
Historic Plaque:     
Owner Info:   N  
Built:    1870c   
Sec:   29  
Subdivision:   Columbia  
Lot:     
Architect:     
Cont/build:     

Description:    2 story brick & frame Tavern with additions. (Thought to have been built c 1870.    
Original Use:   Iuen Tavern or Iuen's Hotel  
Current Use:   Commercial  

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

Description Of Changes:    See 701-2 Wooster Pike  
Deeds
Shows earliest property ownership records

Stories:

Story 1: The 2 story tavern (addition to original frame tavern/inn) of hand fired bricks was built by Virginia Iuen Marquett's great grandfather, Joseph Iuen. His son, James Iuen, farmed a large area of what is now Terrace Park. James Iuen built barns (used until 1916c) where Ashland Gas is standing (Hinner's at Wooster & Indian Hill). Farmers would spend the night at the inn and lodge their animals in the big barns; the next morning they would transport their livestock to downtown markets and slaughter houses. (see Village Views article May 1998 in file). Caroline Fruh had 4 children (a fifth had died) with her when she married Joseph Iuen who had 7 children. They had one together: Rosa. Caroline later lived in the frame building just to the east of the 2 story Tavern. The frame part to the west was built as a restaurant addition to the Tavern. To the west of that was a gas station (Story 7).
Story 2: The tavern was probably owned by Joseph J. Kuntz or at least was manager. The one story part on the right was a lunch-counter/delicatessen. It may have started as a candy store. The two story part was a restaurant/saloon. Anna Agnes Ollberding Kuntz (1897- September 30, 1977), wife of son, Joseph A. Kuntz, was a cook there for many years as was their daughter Claire M. Sis Kuntz Miller (1920-1992). Joseph A. Kuntz and family lived on the second floor of the restaurant building. Two patrons of the Kuntz Tavern era were Eppa Rixey of baseball fame and Fritz Huber carpenter, builder of many homes in Terrace Park (see information in file of 702 Indian Hill Road).
Story 3: No date or source for this Sidelight. Joe Kuntz, now living in Fairfield, ran the village grocery from 1918-28, most of the time in the old tavern building on the site of the present Terrace Park Building & Loan structure. Nearly every day, he recalls their trainer would walk the four elephants up to the grocery from the Robinson farm on Wooster Pike and buy each of them a loaf of bread. And seeing an elephant pulling a plow on the Robinson place in spring was so commonplace that apparently nobody thought of taking a picture of it.
Story 4: Autos Collide on Wooster Pike. Drivers Fail To Understand Direction Each Intended to Take. Failure to understand the directions which each driver intended to take at a cross road on Wooster Pike near the Miami Grove caused considerable damage to two machines Wednesday morning.
Story 5: Vilardo's Tavern followed that of Joseph J. Kuntz (see file). Vilardos first came to the Fresh Air Farm in 1944. Albert Vilardo collected $900 to buy the tavern business (see more in the archives.) Albert and Mary Vilardo lived at 415 Washington in Terrace Park (after living above and then in an apartment adjoining the tavern).Mary Vilardo co-founded Vilardo's Tavern with her husband, Albert. She was a proud American who was born in Sicily and came to the United States with her family at age 3. She left school in the 8th grade to work in a local tailoring shop to subsidize the family's income. That experience led to a seamstress position in women's apparel for Gidding Jenny's on 4th Street downtown, H&S Pogue, the Colonial Shops in Mariemont and Hyde Park, and Lillian's in Hyde Park.... (she) also had worked as a dietitian at the Fresh Air Farm. She was a member of the American Business Women's Association....The bar and restaurant (at Vilardo's Tavern) specialized in Italian cooking. Information from her obituary. Much more information in the TPHS archives.
Story 6: November 1969 Village Views - Hospitality House (in back of old Terrace Tavern) is closing after3 1/2 years. New building is to open in early 1970.
Story 7: Just west of Iuen Tavern was a Service Station once run by Sanford and then Jack Busch.