The Rombach Place is a historic house in the city of Wilmington,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Built in the first third of the nineteenth century, it was home to a family that produced two prominent national politicians. No longer used as a residence, the house is now a museum, and it has been named a historic site.

History

Robert Wickersham built the Rombach Place in 1831. It was later home to the family of

James W. Denver James William "Jim" Denver (October 23, 1817 – August 9, 1892) was an American politician, soldier and lawyer. He served in the California state government, as an officer in the United States Army in two wars, and as a Democratic member of th ...

, a politician who achieved national prominence in the middle of the century.Owen, Lorrie K., ed. ''Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places''. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 153. James Denver was born in

Winchester, Virginia Winchester is the most north western independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. It is the county seat of Frederick County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Winchester wit ...

in 1817,Brown, Albert J., ed. ''History of Clinton County Ohio: Its People, Industries, and Institutions''.

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

: Bowen, 1915. and at the age of thirty-nine he married the former Louise Rombach of Wilmington; to this union were born four children. Much of his youth was spent on a farm near Wilmington, but he later moved far to the west, serving as a

U.S. Representative The United States House of Representatives, often referred to as the House of Representatives, the U.S. House, or simply the House, is the lower chamber of the United States Congress, with the Senate being the upper chamber. Together they c ...

from California, a

governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

of the

Kansas Territory The Territory of Kansas was an organized incorporated territory of the United States that existed from May 30, 1854, until January 29, 1861, when the eastern portion of the territory was admitted to the United States, Union as the Slave and ...

new settlement New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...

in the far west of the territory, now part of Colorado, was named for him), as the

Commissioner of Indian Affairs The Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), also known as Indian Affairs (IA), is a United States federal government of the United States, federal agency within the U.S. Department of the Interior, Department of the Interior. It is responsible for im ...

, and as a U.S. Army general during the

Civil War A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...

. However, after the war, he returned to Wilmington for a time. In 1870, while he and his family were resident in the Rombach Place, their youngest son was born; named

Matthew Matthew may refer to: * Matthew (given name) * Matthew (surname) * ''Matthew'' (ship), the replica of the ship sailed by John Cabot in 1497 * ''Matthew'' (album), a 2000 album by rapper Kool Keith * Matthew (elm cultivar), a cultivar of the Ch ...

, he was later elected a U.S. Representative from Ohio.

Architecture

Built in the

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

style of architecture,The place to visit for history in Clinton County, Ohio
Clinton County History Center, 2013. Accessed 2013-08-11. the primary portion of the house is two

stories Story or stories may refer to: Common uses * Story, a narrative (an account of imaginary or real people and events) ** Short story, a piece of prose fiction that typically can be read in one sitting * Story (American English), or storey (British ...

tall and five

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

wide. An entrance is located in the middle bay of the first floor, covered by a small

portico A portico is a porch leading to the entrance of a building, or extended as a colonnade, with a roof structure over a walkway, supported by columns or enclosed by walls. This idea was widely used in ancient Greece and has influenced many cult ...

with a

pediment Pediments are gables, usually of a triangular shape. Pediments are placed above the horizontal structure of the lintel, or entablature, if supported by columns. Pediments can contain an overdoor and are usually topped by hood moulds. A pedimen ...

and four square

column A column or pillar in architecture and structural engineering is a structural element that transmits, through compression, the weight of the structure above to other structural elements below. In other words, a column is a compression member. ...

s. Smaller windows and prominent

chimney A chimney is an architectural ventilation structure made of masonry, clay or metal that isolates hot toxic exhaust gases or smoke produced by a boiler, stove, furnace, incinerator, or fireplace from human living areas. Chimneys are typic ...

s are located on the ends of the house, to which are attached one-bay, single-story sections., Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2013-08-11. Built in the shape of the letter "T", the house is constructed of brick and covered with a shingled roof that rises to a pair of

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

s; the walls are covered with

stucco Stucco or render is a construction material made of aggregates, a binder, and water. Stucco is applied wet and hardens to a very dense solid. It is used as a decorative coating for walls and ceilings, exterior walls, and as a sculptural and a ...

, and a fence encircles the roofs of the single-story sections on the ends.

Preservation

Today, the Rombach Place is no longer used as a residence: it is the home of the

Clinton County Clinton County may refer to: *Counties named for George Clinton, first and third Governor of New York, and later the fourth Vice President of the United States: **Clinton County, New York **Clinton County, Ohio *Counties named for DeWitt Clinton, s ...

Historical Society, which operates it as a museum, genealogy library, and conference center. The house was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

in 1979, qualifying both because of its historically significant architecture and because of its place as the home of General James Denver. It was the city's third building to be listed on the National Register; the Doan House on the city's east side was listed on the same day, and College Hall on the Wilmington College campus preceded both buildings by six years.

References

External links

Clinton County Historical Society
{{authority control Houses completed in 1831 Museums in Clinton County, Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Clinton County, Ohio Community centers in Ohio Genealogical libraries in the United States Greek Revival houses in Ohio Historical society museums in Ohio Historic house museums in Ohio Libraries in Ohio Houses on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio U.S. Route 22 Houses in Clinton County, Ohio