Sylvania–Then and Now

by Gayleen Gindy
PUBLICATION DATE: Mar 03, 2020

6823 Erie Street

Henry and Celestia Burnham platted Burnham’s Addition in 1901. At that time they cut in a street from Maplewood Avenue north to Erie Street, and they named their new street Phillips Avenue, which was Celestia’s maiden name. There were a total of 37 lots in their subdivision, with lot 37 being a large lot that they reserved for themselves along Maplewood Avenue. Their subdivision consisted of parcels along the north and south side of Maplewood Avenue, both sides of Phillips Avenue and the south side of Erie Street. Our subject home on Erie Street was on Lot No. 19 of this subdivision. In 1911 Celestia Phillips-Pomroy-Burnham donated all the land where Burnham Park and Plummer Pool are located to the Village of Sylvania for park purposes.

The list of owners over the years for this home is:

1917 – William S. and Mary A. Reed
1925 – Frank and Margaret Romaker
1934 – Margaret Romaker
1945 – John C. and Marcella Fisher
1974 – Sharon Lee Schafer, et al.
1974 – Harvey L. and Ernestine Cadaret
1983 – Patrick P. III and Claire E. McHugh
1986 – Peter J. and Catherine A. Miller
1989 – James S. and Shelley A. Glover
1992 – Robert H. Crandall, et al.
1996 – David G. and Cynthia M. Schlaudecker
2000 – Gregory D. and Julianne K. Haselhuhn
2003 – Gregory D. Haselhuhn
2006 – Gary A. and Andrea Szymanski

It wasn’t until 1917 that this lot, and the lot to the east, were sold to William and Mary Reed and they built this catalog home on Lot No. 19. (see photo of Reed family). In the 1920 census they are listed living here as follows: William S. Reed – 60 years old – owned home free of mortgage – married – occupation – retired; Mary A. Reed – wife – 56 years old – married; Alma Reed – daughter – 21 years old – single – occupation – stenographer in real estate; Julia V. Reed – daughter – 17 years old – single – attending school.
According to Reed family histories, William and Mary Reed had previously been living and farming on the Reed family farm in Waterville, Ohio, which belonged to his father. In 1905 they purchased an 80 acre farm of their own in Riga Township, Michigan and built a home there. By 1917 they were ready to retire and let their children run the farm. They purchased the two lots on Erie Street in Sylvania and built this home. By 1922, however, Mr. Reed wanted to return to farm life, and he moved back to the farm in Riga, renting out this home on Erie Street until 1925.
The Reeds sold the home in 1925 to Frank and Margaret Romaker, and in the 1930 census they were listed living here as follows: Frank Romaker – head – 75 years old – owned home valued at $6,000 – occupation – none; Margaret Romaker – wife – 66 years old – occupation – none.
Frank died shortly after the 1930 census was taken while still owning the home. In 1934 Margaret Romaker sold the home to John and Marcella Fisher, but records show that Margaret Romaker was still living in the home when the 1940 census was taken, now listed as 76 years old and widowed, and the Fishers were renting a home on Holland-Sylvania Road in Sylvania Township. Sometime after this, John and Marcella Fisher moved into this home that they had purchased.
This house made the news on Oct. 17, 1946 when an issue of the Sylvania Sentinel reported that thieves had committed acts throughout Sylvania and one of the homes that they hit was the home of John Fisher, 6823 Erie Street, where a car parked in the rear of the home was robbed of three new tires on Friday morning.
A building permit was issued to J.C. Fisher on Jan. 16, 1950 by the Village of Sylvania allowing him to have G.B. Miller of Maumee, Ohio remodel the kitchen at 6823 Erie Street.
The first available Suburban Directory, published in 1957, listed John C. Fisher living and owning this home through 1966. In the 1967 directory Jerome Bartek was listed renting the home through 1968 and in the 1969 directory John B. Elden was renting the home. The 1970, 1971 and 1972 directories listed Lionel McIlwain renting here. The 1973 directory shows Clyde E. Schafer as a new resident at this address.
John C. Fisher died in 1973, and the home transferred into his family’s name in 1974. They sold the home that same year to the Cadarets, and the 1974 directory listed Harvey Cadaret living and owning the home. An announcement in the Sylvania Herald dated Oct. 16, 1974 noted that Cathy Lu Caderet and Gregory Stephen Vasko were married in Toledo. The bride was listed as the daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Harvey Cadaret of 6823 Erie St. She had graduated from Evergreen High School in Metamora. The Cadarets lived here until 1983, then moved to Georgia.
The list of owners after the McHughs purchased the home shows that about every three to four years the house was sold to a new owner.

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