A summer kitchen, carriage house and barn were also part of the property. Henry Long made money running a quarry on the property and from a toll house down Dayton and Lebanon Pike, which is now Far Hills Avenue.
“The old part is called a Victorian Wing Gable,” said historian Debra Edwards. “That just means it’s a basic American farmhouse meaning there was no architect. They just built it.”
The Longs died in 1896 within six months of each other and the land they owned was divided up among their four children. Laura Romspert, one of the daughters who was a widow, remained in the homestead with her two children. Laura became savvy in real estate and had rental homes in the Dayton and Oakwood areas. One oral history claims that she was on her way to becoming a millionaire before the Depression.
Different boarders lived in the home with Laura throughout the years. This was very common at the time due to the world wars, housing shortage and Great Depression. Throughout the years, additions were added like additional rooms, indoor kitchens, plumbing and electricity.
Harry Romspert, Laura’s son, and his wife Ethel moved into the home with Laura in 1910. In 1923, they built an addition onto the home adding a front porch and stucco around the entire home to keep it all looking uniform.
“Laura loved to cook,” said Karen Bartley, secretary and assistant treasurer for the Oakwood Historical Society. “So even though Harry and Ethel lived on that half, they ate here [Laura’s side of the house] a lot. Laura used a wood burning stove. Plumbing came in the ‘20s, so it’s pretty amazing. They just slowly kept expanding it and making it bigger.”
In 1943, Laura died after living in the homestead for 80 years. Harry and Ethel continued to live in the home. Harry died in 1969 leaving Ethel by herself in the home. She lived until 1985 dying at the age of 95. Before Ethel’s death, she deeded the property to the Oakwood Historical Society.
Ethel resided in the home for 75 years.
“I think it’s amazing what Laura accomplished,” Bartley said. “I love to sit out on the front porch, and it never fails, I see a hawk and it just zooms off. It’s peaceful, even on the front porch.”
Currently the home is full of random historical artifacts, antiques and portraits. The Oakwood Historical Society has some plans for the homestead. The group is currently rehabbing some areas and trying to turn it into a museum with various rooms dedicated to Oakwood’s history.
Bartley said they hope to have specific displays about John Patterson, the 1913 Dayton flood and various vintage artifacts.
“We have wonderful artifacts that we would like to share with the community,” Edwards said. “And I think that’s important. Part of our mission is to educate the community. It’s to preserve our history, but also to share our history. And by opening this house, we’ll be doing a better job in that.”
Edwards said they hope to have the home ready for events and visitors in May. The goal is to have new events and revolving exhibits in addition to the third-grade tours it conducts, and the summer garden program. The historical society said it will definitely need volunteers in the future to help staff events, research and coordinate events.
“The summer kitchen is really wonderful,” Edwards said. “You feel like you’re out in the country. You don’t even think you’re sitting here on this busy road. And that’s what I really like about it. But I like the history and the story the house tells.”
MORE DETAILS
To contact the Oakwood Historical Society, visit www.oakwoodhistory.org. The website has links to different events, how to volunteer and where to go for more history on Oakwood including a 55-minute video with more details about the Long-Romspert Homestead.
TIMELESS DAYTON
Are you a local home or business owner who has an historical property to feature? Email jessica.graue@coxinc.com and tell us about it.
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