Somerville, Ohio

[ink]

Somerville is located between Hamilton and Eaton right on the Butler/Preble County Line. The incorporated village of just over 300 people is completely within Butler County.

I posted a few photos of the exterior of the former Somerville School a few months back, but returned yesterday as my office assigned me to complete an Ohio Historic Inventory form for the building as requested by the Ohio Historic Preservation Office. CDBG funding has been secured to abate and demolish the building.

Somerville isn’t the kind of town I’d normally post (I go small, but not this small), but I thought some context was needed for the school.


Somerville National Bank survives…somehow. Until 1989, it was the smallest nationally chartered bank in the United States. Today, SNB has branches in Eaton, Hamilton, Oxford, and Camden.


Where it all started in 1910


The other commercial building in town


Seven Mile Creek zags just to the west of Somerville; a Norfolk Southern RR Line crosses the creek just above and below Somerville to be able to service the village. I’m not sure if there was ever a depot, though.


Abandoned church




The old school overlooks the village


Abandoned for more than a decade, Somerville School was completed in 1916 and used for all 12 grades until 1953 when the district became part of Tallawanda City Schools which includes the City of Oxford, Oxford Township, Milford Township, Reily Township, and parts of Hanover Township and the City of Hamilton, making it one of the largest school districts (geographically) in the state. The school wasn't closed until the early 1980's though.










From this spring (with a bit of snow left and no ivy)




Let’s go inside…(legally of course)






The Auditorium was used as a church in the early 1990's.


I like how this shot came out


The building is infested with pigeons, which means the floors are covered with droppings and dead carcasses.




You’ll notice the pigeon resting on the light fixture. The second floor is almost unbearable because of how many live within the former classrooms. When I came upstairs, they all became scared and started flying about and into closed, not-yet-broken windows. All around (and above) me the pigeons were racing about and making noise, it felt like a bad horror film. I don’t know how seicer does this stuff.














Girls Restroom


No comment




Down in the basement…




Boys Restroom


The Gymnasium


Go Somerville!


As I expected, the building wasn’t heated with a hot water system (boiler/radiators, etc.), the building had a forced air system with tube heaters.




Notice the coal tubes within this chamber


The above chamber was connected to a 'Flean Air Room' that contained a massive blower




What is even more disappointing than the building’s demolition is the fact that CDBG money was used just a few years ago to install a new roof on the building. The village had dreams of creating a community center as has been done with old schools in other Butler County rural towns like nearby Collinsville and Reily. The building below was renovated over several years (with many grants) by Milford Township—the same township in which Somerville is located.


So long Somerville School, so long!

[MyTwoSense]

it's a shame that such a beautiful building is now a filthy pigeon coup.

[Sherman Cahal]

Yuckie. Bird droppings are contaminated with histoplasmosis, and the spores are spewed everywhere just from someone trampling on it. Cryptococcosis, etc. and the overwhelming aroma can make you pass out in just over five minutes if it is not ventilated. I've had my share of close calls, but bird droppings (and I mean a mass number of them) is where I call the line.

Yuck yuck yuck.

[ColDayMan]

Never heard of this place.

[John S.]

Nice but sad photos, Ink. As you pointed out, so many old schools have received a new lease on life as community centers, even adapted as living quarters as has been shown on HGTV. As for the "Union Jack" transoms, these are actually Neo-Classical, "Roman" style transoms which were very popular in prominent public buildings built during the first two decades of the 20th century. You'll find these window designs especially in courthouses, post offices, and schools, from that period. Early 20th century Neo-Classicism, sometimes also called the Beaux Arts style because this formal classical academic style was taught at the famous Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, came to the U.S. late in the 19th century as many leading American architects had studied at the prestigious French school of architecture. Beginning with the Great White City built of plaster at the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition in Chicago-which mimicked the ancient marble temples and buildings of ancient Rome-Neo Classicism soon swept away the frills and curlicues of the Victorian era and imposed a strict classical order of symmetry and decoration. A friend of mine in Lakewood, OH calls it early 20th century "Greek Revival, Revival".

John S.