SYLVANIA­ THEN & NOW

5943 Summit St.

GAYLEEN GINDY

Howard Hine and Elsie Comstock were married in 1904 in Sylvania and in 1906 they purchased the home located at 5937 Summit St. That home was built in 1887 and will be discussed in the next article. It was in 1913 that the Hines split off a parcel to the north of their home and constructed our subject home. From 1913 until 1949 they rented this house to tenants.


From about 1933 through 1949 Carl and Magdalena Hertweck, and their daughters Ruth and Gisela rented the home. They had come to Sylvania from Freiburg, Germany in 1929. He was a self-employed architect, bricklayer and building contractor. A classified ad in the Sylvania Sentinel newspaper dated August 9, 1934 said: “FILM – Developed for 15 cents; Printed photos 4 cents each – Get Your Pictures in 8 hours – MRS. CARL HERTWECK – 5943 Summit St. Sylvania.”


Another advertisement appeared in the Sylvania Sentinel on Jan. 23, 1936 as follows: “House Remodeling and Modernization – Sketches and Estimates Free – Carl Hertweck – 5943 Summit St.” The following article appeared in the Aug. 12, 1937 issue: “Ruth Hertweck, 14, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Carl Hertweck of Summit Street, narrowly escaped serious injury when she fell from a second story airing deck at her home. The girl leaned against the railing of the porch, which gave way, throwing her to the ground. Although she was severely bruised, an examination by a physician revealed no broken bones.”


The following ad appeared in the Sylvania Sentinel on July 25, 1940: “NEW HOMES – Let Me Build Yours – $3,300 and up. Financed under the F.H.A. – Plans and specifications free – CARL HERTWECK, BUILDER – 5943 Summit St. – Phone 148.”


The May 1943 Sylvania Phone book listed Carl Hertweck at 5943 Summit St. – Phone 148. In October of 1944 the property owner, Howard Hine, obtained a building permit to move a garage to 5943 Summit St. and to make repairs.


Howard Hine died in 1946 and Elsie Comstock Hine died in 1949. That same year this home sold to Raymond J. Comstock. He only owned the home for one year and in 1950 sold it to his nephew Carl and Enid Comstock. They owned this home from 1950 through 1961.


Carl and Enid Comstock were living in this house when the 1950 census was taken. He was 33 years old and employed as a salesman for a retail furniture store. Enid was 20 years old and was born in England. They are listed with one child, Elizabeth, who was born in October, 1949. Carl’s father, Harold Comstock, had started a farm implement store on Monroe Street. Carl, and his brother-in-law, Don Coventry, took over the business and added furniture to this established store. Soon after they changed their business name to Comstock & Coventry Furniture, which became well-known for quality furniture throughout the area.


On March 20, 1954 Carl Comstock obtained a building permit to add a 12-foot by 22-foot addition to the rear of the Summit Street home. The builder was James Gall of Toledo.


The June 7, 1956 Sylvania Sentinel reported that three Sylvania housewives were to become U.S. citizens. One of them was Enid, Mrs. Carl Comstock, of 5943 Summit St. The article said that after World War II ended Carl had returned to England to convince Enid Tanner to come to this country as his wife. In January 1947 they were married in Bristol, and soon after sailed for the U.S. to make their home in Sylvania. When this article was written they listed their children as Elaine – 6 years old; Monica – 4 years old; and Brian – 2 years old.


Carl Comstock sold this home in 1961 to Barron and Frances Deye, who had married in 1951. On May 11, 1966, Deye obtained a building permit to erect a new two-car detached garage on the property. Records show that they were divorced in 1986, and the home transferred into just Barron Deye’s name. He was remarried in 1987 to Jane Shindledecker, and he sold this home to Rodney and Teresa Brant in 1988. They owned the home until 2001.
Records show that Rodney Brant married Teresa Gilliland in 1987. The list of owners after that is lengthy and space does not permit me to write about each of them.

The owners from 2001 to current are listed as follows:
2001 – Susan Bigelow
2002 – Cooper Family 17 LLC
In October of 2008 a building permit was issued to Cooper Family 17, LLC to build a new 20-foot by 22-foot detached garage.
2011 – Kyle P. Garris, et al
2014 – Jenilee Common
2016 – Mary Anderson and Andrew Snell
2019 – Connor Hartnett

2023
1960

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