The Jones Mansion

08/01/2024

We would love to know who produced this hanging framed glass stained-glass-look that was hanging from the window on the third floor.

07/28/2024

David and Susan Holderman, who rarely missed our signature events, are sorely missed! Jane and I really enjoy our friends of the Mansion and spotlighting this kind and gracious couple.

07/21/2024

A few images from our mixology/tumbling dice event.

07/15/2024

Reminding me of just how far we have traveled in almost 13 years. Looking North from the study/office into the bar area. See the flag, it's still on the door where I found it.

07/05/2024

Call Jane @ 419-722-7037 for your slot in out Mixology Dice Shenanigans contest. Come to the Jone's and try your hand at mixology and a game of chance using the dice to concoct a cocktail. See who can create the "Perfect Cocktail." Judging to see who wins the Cocktail Crown! Check under our EVENTS tab.

06/23/2024

Findlay had a variety of live entertainment businesses. The Turner sounded grand and made people laugh, cry and scratch their heads! No internet required (or batteries). You see the building changes from Broadway and South Main St.

06/20/2024

I missed the month of May Preservation Push, but everyday is a workday trying to preserve our world, Findlay Ohio as well. This poem says it all.

06/20/2024

The deadline for the Summer Solstice Tea is approaching! Call Jane @ 419-722-7037

06/01/2024

Announcing‼️

🌠SUMMER SOLSTICE COCKTAILS & CONVERSATION
Celebrate Summer in all her glory with an evening at our Farm Distillery for this private intimate outdoor event!

FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 21ST
7:00pm until 10:00pm
*under the stars...
*flickering candles...
*sparkling cocktails for your drinking pleasure
*delicious dinner ARTfully created by our friend & favorite local chef Art Chin:
Chicken & Beef kabobs with veggies finished in our wood fired pizza oven, wild rice and fresh veggies, green salad and bourbon brownie with fresh (in-season) fruit and chocolate
and
*easy listening music provided by David Scanlon
$45.00 per person which includes 1 complimentary cocktail
and
an experience like no other.

👉RESERVE TODAY as seating is limited!
Indiancreekdistillery.com
or call the StillHouse 937-846-1443

05/15/2024

We’re highlighting properties included on the 2024 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Sites with additional information from their nomination forms. For the complete list, visit https://preserveohio.com/2024-ohios-most-endangered-historic-sites/

This building was originally built as the First Congregational Church. The church purchased a lot next to the Courthouse, where they built this beautiful building. Eventually the church disorganized in the mid 1880s. In 1909, the building was sold to the Republican Courier newspaper for its printing plant. The newspaper remained in that location until the built a larger, modern building in the early 1970s. The County purchased the building, where it was used for storage, the Sheriff's office in the 1980s, until the Probate and Juvenile Courts moved in in the 1990s. It is believed that this is the oldest still standing religious structure in the county.

The County is currently building a new building to house the Probate and Juvenile Courts due to lack of space in the current building. Demolition of this structurally sound, in-use building may be imminent.

05/15/2024

Those "in charge" haven't a clue what is important. The mayor wants to swap with the commissioners one property for this beloved former church. Why? wants to knock it down so city employes will have parking spaces?! Findlay lacks leadership in preserving our history.

We’re highlighting properties included on the 2024 List of Ohio’s Most Endangered Sites with additional information from their nomination forms. For the complete list, visit https://preserveohio.com/2024-ohios-most-endangered-historic-sites/

This building was originally built as the First Congregational Church. The church purchased a lot next to the Courthouse, where they built this beautiful building. Eventually the church disorganized in the mid 1880s. In 1909, the building was sold to the Republican Courier newspaper for its printing plant. The newspaper remained in that location until the built a larger, modern building in the early 1970s. The County purchased the building, where it was used for storage, the Sheriff's office in the 1980s, until the Probate and Juvenile Courts moved in in the 1990s. It is believed that this is the oldest still standing religious structure in the county.

The County is currently building a new building to house the Probate and Juvenile Courts due to lack of space in the current building. Demolition of this structurally sound, in-use building may be imminent.

04/26/2024

Started on the clouds yesterday but have to wait for a section of sky to dry. Oil paint and chilly upstairs will take time. Painted a burgundy border also. There will be a paper border where the wallpaper meets. I might stencil the border as well with bronze powder. There is an article from 1908 paper boasting of a fund raiser hosted by Millie Jones, stating that 220 women were seated on the third floor for a presentation on the history of the chair!? Well that’s great because I am trying to figure out the configuration of 220 chairs arranged . Thank God the floor joists are 2 x 12 white oak!

04/19/2024

I am not finished since some of the paint has different layers/depth. I repainted the entire border,but only had to repair/touch-up the Deco band. I figured that 35-40% of the ceiling had complete paint/pigment loss. My apologize to the Jones family and the real artists.

04/19/2024

Yikes! We decided to restore/repair the third floor landing about two weeks ago. If you remember the ceiling had clouds and stars with a Deco style border around it. I could see some of the sky under a few thin spots on the border do I am guessing Caroline’s mom may have done this? She bought the house in 1921 so the time frame is correct, but then after we removed 2-3 layers of paper we found a sample of the border on the raw plaster?

The ceiling had lots of scaling due to water leaks and huge areas of complete pigment loss. So I brushed off the damaged paint and decided to “do my best” to retouch the ceiling. It appears to be mostly oil paints with a layer of shellac? Ashley Donaldson Budke came by last week and we tested the paint with turpentine.

It turns out that I am going to have to repaint about 85% of the ceiling. It is literally “a pain in the neck” doing this (think Michangelo) . So I am an itinerant painter painting over what’s left of another incinerates painting. It is sad and my version is different but that’s the way it goes. And yes they was/is hundreds of alligator cracks in the plaster so I repaired the largest ones thinking the paint can fill in the smallest.

Trying to match the colors is difficult but I got close enough!

04/17/2024

If you look in the distance you see our third courthouse. The second one was located directly in front of this, right on South Main and it wasn’t as tall as our present one. The Mansion is apx. 42 feet tall and it would have been one of the tallest after it was completed sometime after 1867. You see Gage’s stand seam roof (probably wood shingle/slate originally) and nothing else visible was there in 1860’s.

04/17/2024

Working on the third floor getting a nice breeze from the south this afternoon. Recently overheard someone looking from the second floor porch referring to today’s images-who would want to look at a parking lot? No appreciation for history and lacking a skill set for looking at it with imagination/knowledge.
Jones owned two lots for the Mansion on Sandusky, two more East Sandusky lots to the east, plus the three lots behind it on East Hardin. He eventually purchased the lot between the Mansion and Hanks P Gage home on the corner of East St. Gage owned it but his heirs had to sell it in 1879 after Gage’s death. So looking out this window you see our original carriage house and the beige home in front of this also owned and occupied by E.P and his nephew and sister Hannah plus the housekeeper Miss Suber. To the left, a gray Victorian circa 1889 owned by a glass company Vice President. The big yellow home owned by the Fassett’s (they also built two others that the Y demolished). Take out the Y in front and you would see perhaps 20 other victorians and older homes before they too, were demolished.

04/14/2024

Posting the few pictures I took this afternoon at the Alice Tea. It appeared that everyone had a great time,lots of conversation and laughing! Thank you to our volunteers, Dave,Casey,Diana,Dee and our Alice foodie and organizer -Jane.

04/13/2024

Long day (and night) because We are All Mad Here! The Mad HaTTeR TeA will be extraordinary with all the sweets and savories that Jane has prepared from scratch. We looking forward for tomorrow! So don’t be late for it’s a very important date!🥳

03/24/2024

Thank you to my good friend Rob Tong who gave a fabulous Findlay glass session tonight. Lots of great images and glass making tools, not to mention the cases of glass shards! We just wish that history was important to the younger generation. Without all of these hard working immigrants who came through Ellis Island, Findlay wouldn’t have grown and prospered .

03/23/2024

A video that echos the previous post!

03/23/2024

Working with Dave on the third floor landing these past few days. We will repair the walls and repaint to what we deem “original” plus restore original border decorations. The ceiling will be a different approach. We will try and keep has much of the original sky and border and just repair/touch up areas- “arrested decay” is a different approach by preservationists . Allowing visitors to see and accept age related “defects”. The “stained glass” panel occupied the middle interior dormer for many years(60?). We removed it and realized it is a panel of framed glass in which someone painted to look like real stained glass. Not sure if the leafy green resembles ma*****na or not. The house had a few party peeps in the 60’s live in it. Not sure if we will rehang it or not.

03/17/2024

Our Franklin to Findlay event sold out quickly, but thinking of another event by Chef Blake. Without our core of volunteers none of this would be possible. Think of 250 dishes,230 silverware,46 glasses and other misc. kitchen items to be washed! Dave and Ellen came back on Saturday to help me finish up! Thanks to the volunteers and attendees! The Mansion hosts many one-of-a-kind events plus private events. Call if you are interested in having your next event here at our Mansion.

02/26/2024

I am trying to organize my 100's of images and came across this one. On Aug.06, 2004 I finally laid up the first log for Jane's cabin we had taken apart in 2003 and transported from Smithfield Oh in two flatbed trucks. Little did we know that the Jones Mansion would "happen" a few years later. To be 21 years younger would be grand!