–by Gayleen Gindy
PUBLICATION DATE: Oct 01, 2020

The next house in our 100 years or older series is a “catalog” home on the north side of Maplewood, west of the railroad tracks. County records say the house was built in 1912, but George Lovewell appeared to be living here already in the 1910 census, so there is a discrepancy. The following are the recorded owners of the property:

• 1907 – George Lovewell
• 1921 – Calista Lovewell
• 1933 – Jessie Reynolds Collins
• 1939 – Florence Zimmerman, Calista Kittle and Alice Collins
• 1939 – Alice Collins
• 1975 – Alice N. Dorcas
• 1995 – Alice N. and Raymond Dorcas
• 2003 – Raymond W. Dorcas, Trustee
• 2010 – Joyce A. Donnelly
• 2020 – Maplewood Art District LLC

In 1907 George Lovewell sold his home at the southeast corner of Main and Maplewood to the Sylvania Savings Bank so they could build a new bank building. That same year he purchased this parcel on Maplewood. I believe it was the same year that this house was constructed, and there has even been an old-time Sylvanian who recalled that a portion of the old Lovewell house that was at Main and Maplewood was moved to this address in 1907. However, this has not been verified yet. George W. Lovewell was a well-known veterinarian in Sylvania at the time.
In the 1910 census George Lovewell and his wife Anna were living in this home. He was listed as 61 years old, married twice, married to his current wife 15 years, employed as a surgeon, working from his home. He owned this home free of mortgage. His wife Anna was listed as 47 years old, married twice.
By the time the 1920 census was taken his wife Anna had passed away and George was listed as widowed, 70 years old, employed in the general practice as a veterinarian. He is listed as owning the home, free of mortgage. Living with him at this time was his sister, Martha Haight, 74 years old, widowed and not employed.

On April 21, 1921, Dr. Lovewell, at the age of 71, was married for a third time to Calista Micham-Reynolds, 69 years old. She was the widow of David Edward Reynolds, a well-known farmer in Adams Township, who had died in 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Reynolds had one child while married and her name was Jessie. The same year that Calista married Dr. Lovewell he died, in November of 1921. She inherited the house at that time. She continued to live here until sometime before the 1930 census was taken, when she is found living with her daughter Jessie Collins and her husband, Sherman Collins, on Reynolds Road in Sylvania Township.
In the 1930 census, this home on Maplewood Avenue was being rented out to David H. Nhare and his wife Zenobia C. Nhare. He was listed as 30 years old and employed as the manager of an implement distributor.
Calista Micham-Reynolds-Lovewell died in 1933 at the age of 83, and at that time the property transferred to her daughter Jessie Reynolds-Collins. In 1939, Jessie transferred the home to her three daughters, and that same year the youngest of the three daughters, Alice Collins, became full owner of the house.
When the 1940 census was taken Alice Collins was listed living here. She was 24 years old, single and a teacher at a public grade school. Living with her was Doris Kathryn LaVigne – 22 years old, single, and employed as a cashier at a life insurance office.
Alice Collins married Raymond Dorcas in August of 1940 and they made their home here until she died in 1997 at the age of 82. He lived here until shortly before he died in 2019 at the age of 101. They had two daughters while living here, Janice and Joyce. On Aug. 31, 1990 they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
Permits that were issued over the years included a 1980 permit for a carport by Colony Builders and, in 1982, a permit to convert a side porch into a bathroom.
Alice Dorcas taught elementary school in Sylvania for 40 years, retiring in 1982, with 34 of those years at Maplewood. I fondly remember her as a teacher at Maplewood. Her classroom was awesome, with a real “home” feel to it. All the kids wanted to be in her class for first grade. If you were lucky enough to get her as your teacher she called you a “Dorcas Dear.” Remember?
Her husband, Raymond Dorcas, lived his entire life in Sylvania, and over the years worked for the United States Army Engineers; Gulf Oil – Toledo Sales Division; Tecumseh Products; Garwood Industries; and finally became self-employed as a sales and financial consultant until he retired in 1987. In retirement they vacationed in their motor home and summers were spent at Deep Lake in the Irish Hills.
Recently this house was sold to Maplewood Art District LLC.