Open World: New Horizons and Ukraine Today

At Dr. Laura Kline's Russian Class at Wayne State University. with Vera Andrushkiw of the Ukraine-American Foundation. The women delighted us with some Ukrainian songs. Natalia lost her voice and couldn't join in, but presented gifts at  program's end.  Stanislava, Mayor of the town of Burtyn, where Rep.Marcy Kaptur's ancestors are from, presented Laura with a Ukrainian scarf.  

"It's been beyond our wildest dreams. We're learning so much,"  Natalia Dohadailo, an English teacher at Taras Shevchenko University, enthused.  Vera Flyat, director of Victoria, a human and women's rights NGO, added, "I already have lots of new ideas to take home to Starobelsk with me." Tonya Aksenina, a rural activist, philosophized about the meeting of cultures, the exchange of ideas, the human condition we all share no matter where we are from.  A teacher, a social activist, and a philosopher reformer all had their say. 

We were at Dr. Laura Kline's Russian class at Wayne State University for a "Ukraine Today" program.  The women from Starobelsk and surrounding villages in eastern Ukraine talked eloquently about how much the Open World educational exchange meant to them.

Stanislava, Mayor of
Burtyn, with Tamara

Stanislava Ostrovska, the mayor of the village of Burtyn, Antonina Swintiska, a teacher, and Tarama Zykova, of Save Ukraine Now (SUN) in Kyiv, joined in.  "I am sorry I never learned English," Stanislava confessed to a rapt audience, "but I never thought I would come to America."  She had tears in her eyes.  We all did.

The women talked about "Ukraine Today," the theme of the program. Of course it's impossible to address this topic without talking about the war raging in the east. Vera wanted people to know that  "the war is not a civil war.  It is an invasion and occupation. Russia has invaded Ukraine, with troops, tanks and weapons, caused many deaths, and there's no end in sight."  She said she worried about her son Konstantin, 24, who joined a volunteer militia to defend Starobelsk from the war that's only 20 miles away.

A huge problem now is the refugee crisis, the women agreed. For example, the population of Starobelsk has almost tripled, we learned, with thousands fleeing from the fighting in southern Lugansk and Donetsk oblasts with little more than the clothes on their backs.  It's a huge humanitarian crisis.

But these women from Ukraine, who are keeping body and soul together, keeping families and communities going, won't let a war stop them.  They will continue to fight, assist in the war effort, and do what they can about the refugee crisis.  Meanwhile, they are concerned about their national government and its ability during war to address the serious needs of the people of Ukraine. Many are unemployed.  Many are homeless.  Many who do work are not even getting paid, teachers, nurses and health care workers. "Who knows what the future will bring?"

Dr. Kline's class, which began with presentations about Peace Corps (RPCV Michael Gall did a great job) and ended with an informative question and answer session, engaged all of us.  A great success!

After the class the women were invited to tour the Detroit Ukrainian community, organized by the indefatiguable Vera Andrushkiw of the Ukraine-American Foundation, who lives in Detroit. A church, cultural center, meal and songfest were highlights.

Detroit's active Ukrainian
diasporan community.

The Ukrainian village women were only about half-way through their cultural exchange program, but one of the main lessons was already clear: "It's the human connections and relationships that mean the most," Natalia said when she returned to my place in Sylvania. "The people-to-people diplomacy.  This Open World project is providing that."

The Best of Ukraine in the USA

From left to right, just arrived in Toledo, Ohio: Tamara, from Kyiv; 
Vera, Tonya, and Natalia, from Starobelsk and region; Stanislava 
and Antonina, from Burtyn. We couldn't believe it was true!

Ukraine is a world away, several thousand miles from Ohio, seven hours ahead in another time zone, and it is in a war with no end with its Russian neighbor. Invaded, occupied, destabilized.  Crimea is gone and the war in Lugansk and Donetsk continues unabated, with Russian-backed separatists proclaiming new republics and more Russian troops, weapons and heavy artillary coming into eastern Ukraine every day. The violence is escalating again.  Few people think Ukraine, with it's almost non-existent army, has much chance against Russia, with its massive military might. The Big Bear attacking a lamb. More than 4000 people have died, mostly young men around 19 years of age, and thousands upon thousands of refugees have flooded other parts of Ukraine from Crimea and the east.  It's a humanitarian crisis of enormous proportions, and winter has arrived.

In Port Clinton, on Lake Erie, with NGO director,
 learning about their work and Head  Start.

And yet, six brave Ukrainian women leaders are now visiting the USA on an Open World international exchange program to learn about how our democracy works, about tools for change and educating the young, about modern agricultural methods and entrepreneurship.

Tonya, Natalia and Vera are from the Starobelsk region of Lugansk oblast in eastern Ukraine, about 50 miles from the Russian border, about 20 miles from the heaviest fighting front in Lugansk. It's where I served as a PCV. They have seen young men off to war; collected food and medical supplies for soldiers without warm clothing and poorly equipped; buried at least 27 unknown soldiers who ended up in the Starobelsk morgue.  They are teachers, NGO workers, civic and rural activists trying to keep their community together during the most difficult time, and trying to keep the fighting itself at bay. So far, Starobelsk is outside the Lugansk area taken over by the Russians.   But the town of 18,000 is inundated with refugees who have no shelter, clothing, food or medical care. So they have out of necessity turned their attention to the daily needs of residents who are overwhelmed with the effects of this war that the world denies exists.

Stanislava is the mayor of Burtyn, a town in western Ukraine where our Congressional representative, Marcy Kaptur, has a close relationship because her grandmother was born there.  Also from Burtyn is Antonina, a young teacher of English. The war has come to them too, through the pre-occupation of the federal government, economic dislocation, war-time casualties, and refugees.  Making positive progress in a time of war is tough, the Burtyn mayor acknowledges.

The women spent two days in DC,
 meeting the Open World
ambassador and touring the sites.  
They thought it was beautiful.  

The sixth woman, Tamara, a vivacious professional who lives and works in Kyiv for an organization called Save Ukraine Now (SUN), is the group coordinator and facilitator.  She made sure the women got to Kyiv (no easy task from Starobelsk), caught their flights, spent two positive days in Washington, and made it to Toledo, Ohio. She is still with them as they travel around the area on an educational tour, with them all the way.

I worked with Rep. Kaptur and the Great Lakes Consortium for International Training and Development (GLC) for almost three years to bring a Ukraine delegation here.  The last big push came when we worked together on an Open World application, a program of the US Congress operated through the Library of Congress (www.openworld.gov). There are several layers of operation and policies; Marcy helped us get through all of them. So did GLC program director Elizabeth Balint. As far as I am concerned, these two women hang the moon.

Host families and guests: Back row standing: Tamara, Gary & Beth Anne Varney
with Antonina and Slava; Diane Kelb, Sally and Fred Vollango, Elizabeth Balint,far right.
Karen Tank on sofa between Tonya and Vera.

It's almost overwhelming to have these wonderful women warriors here at this time, in our city, in our Great Lakes region.  Elizabeth oranized a powerful program.  The women are learning so much, and we are learning from them.  Our host families are impressed with their guests from Ukraine, and new friendships are forming.  Through the various programs Elizabeth has organized with local officials, NGO leaders, universities, agricultural entrepreneurs, our guests are learning tools to take back to their communities. The people of our region are learning about Ukraine, its culture and past and Ukraine today.

The women don't sing the blues.  They embody activism and courage.  They are engaged; they are funny.  They are the human face of eastern Ukraine and western Ukraine.

I am overjoyed to see my friends from Starobelsk again.  When we said goodbye in April 2011 I think we all felt in our hearts we would never see each other again.  "Our dreams have come true," Natalia said, as we hugged at the Toledo airport.  Vera and Tonya said the same, tears of joy welling up.

At my place with Toledo City Councilwoman Lindsey Webb
 (and her daughter), Natalia, Tonya and Vera, my Starobelsk
friends, for a "Conversation on Local Government and eastern Ukraine Today."  

We learned so much from each other then. We know that we can't give up. Hard as it is to believe, things are worse now than they were then.  The future is far from clear. It might be dreadful, even deadly.  But we can fight against the odds. I know these women, these brave, good souls, will persevere. The world is a better place because they are in it, doing God's work on earth, no matter what happens.

European Eulogy: From Barcelona to Florence, along the French and Italian Riviera

The experienced waiter brought our fish and pasta with pesto or tomato sauce with a flourish. We added wine and ate with gusto.  We absorbed the colors and light of Portovenere and the Mediterranean Sea, so clear and blue. We savored the beauty of Cinque Terra, those lovely pastel villages in the mountains, which we approached via ferry so we could see this UNESCO World Heritage site in all its glory and splendor.  It glistened under a cobalt blue sky.  The weather was perfect throughout our trip.

Forty-one people from around the US followed tour guide extraordinaire Enrico from Barcelona to the French Riviera (Cote d'Azur) and the Lanquedoc-Roussilon vineyards, to the Italian Riviera from Nice, through the emerald and gold rolling hills and wine country of Tuscany, and on to Florence.  It was my first Go Ahead Tour.  It proved to be a great way to go with the flow of sightseeing without having to worry about any of the details. Enrico, who hails from Naples and has an incredible command of the English language, was full of information and stories, efficient and organized, knowledgeable, caring and funny. At times he must have felt like he was herding cats, but he made things happen and kept us going.  Most of all he made our Grand Tour along the Mediterranean coast an exceptional and fun journey.

Gaudi's Barcelona with new friends: Gaudi's La Sagrada Familia, undergoing restoration; his La Pedrera, called "nature turned into a building;" and his  curvy, tiled and landscaped Park Guell. 

We started off in Barcelona, a spirited city that for me began more with a wimper than a bang. Exhausted from the long flight, I sank into a deep sleep once I hit the bed of our pretty hotel. I dreamt people were knocking at the door; heard the phone ring several times.  Geez.  Who in the world would be knocking and phoning in the middle of the night?  I turned over and slept until 11:00 am. OMG. It hit me!  I totally missed the walking tour of Barcelona, the trip's very first event.  The front desk had many messages for me, plus a few wagging fingers. I was instructed to get to the La Sagrada Familia to meet the group at 12:45.  I walked to the iconic Gaudi cathedral, and was glad I did, but I didn't connect with the group.  Not until I got back to the hotel to face the music. From this point on, Francie, as Enrico called me, became the butt of some well-deserved joking, although I wasn't late again. Fellow tourists Rita and Mary came knocking a few times to be sure I was up, their bright faces beaming as I opened the door; but my wake-up calls, and sense of guilt, did the trick for the rest of the trip.

With Barcelona as our base, we went to Montserrat, an amazing 9th-century walled Monestary that houses the famous "black virgin,"  Turns out she was not from Africa, however, but black from the smoke of millions of candles. I preferred my misconception, but kept the thought to myself.  Travel is like that.

In any case, such musings became lost in the swirl of Flamenco dancing that enlivened our last night in Barcelona after a delicious all-you-could-eat meal and good wine.   The stomping, clapping, and melodrama of this Andalusian dance style enthralled us.  Enrico, also a jazz musician, called it the "Andalusian Blues," like the American tradition with a wild twist.

Carcassone, ancient city and educational hub.     

The next day we set off for Montpellier, France, stopping on the way at the Medieval fortified city of Carcassone.  Here we wandered La Bastide Saint-Louis, Pont Vieux, and the banks of the Canal du Midi. Carcassone boasts a lovely ancient square and good shopping, which actually you could say about every place we visited.  This Go-Ahead group did a lot to help the economies of every town and city we stopped in.


















We arrived in Montpellier on a Sunday night, tired but true travellers who just kept going like energizer bunnies.  We walked across the almost empty and silent main square on a circuitous route to our restaurant, the Oracle.  We were rewarded with a great fish meal, and also a lovely crescent moon above the fountain, statuary and classical buildings of the plaza.

The extraordinary Nimes arena, a well-preserved example of Roman architecture. 

Nimes amazed with its preservation of Roman buildings, including an amphitheater built in 100 AD and used in the film "The Gladiator."  We climbed way up to the top to see the whole city, a feat for some of us.

From Nimes we went to Nice, the jewel of the Cote d'Azur, breathtakingly beautiful.  I went with some friends on a trolley tour of the city, which started at the beach.  Ever onward, the Go-Ahead group also made a stop at Pont du Gard, the three-tiered Roman aqueduct.

The white castle of the Grimaldis and the
 Monte Carlo casino, oozing incredible wealth. 

Since we were in Nice, most of us couldn't resist the optional trip to Monaco.  Up we climbed in our trusty tour bus, up, up, up to the mountain top. It's a treacherous road, the very one where Grace Kelly lost her life.
We took in the ostentatious Grimaldi palace and then "played the slots," some good-natured gambling in the swanky, super-wealthy, jet-set Monte Carlo Casino. There's a surreal quality to this little kingdom, a kind of exaltation of the super, super-rich and their fantasies. Still, we are now able to say "I was there!"

Monte Carlo from the hilltop Grimaldi Palace.

The exquisite beauty and light of Cinque Terra.

A boat in the Portovenere harbor.

Next we moved on to a wonderful part of our fabulous journey: transferring from the French to the Italian Riviera.  If our expert bus driver Jean Pierre could take us to Monaco, he could take us anywhere. Ernesto regaled us with stories, including a funny skit on the ergonomics of the French language. Against the backdrop of the Apennine mountains, we continued along the Mediterranean coast, engrossed in stunning views around every bend. We stayed in Santa Margheritta Ligure, which Enrico called Marqueritaville. It felt like that, but ebullient with wine rather than marqueritas! It was our base for a few nights, as we branched out from there.

A highlight for me was the lovely ferry ride along the magical Cinque Terre cliffs to the colorful mountain town of Portovenere, then to the two villages of Vernazza and Monterossa,   The Cinque Terre of my dreams, those charming hillside towns set among olive groves and vineyards.  Like diamonds, sapphires, rubies and emeralds in a treasured necklace.   Ah, the light, the color, the sparkling azure sea; the spirit of fisherpeople and farmers; the bustling of village squares, quaint narrow streets, restaurants and shops!  It filled up our senses.    

How could we not stop in Pisa, when we were so close? Ernesto relented!

Our Italian Riviera fantasy tour ended in Florence, at least for most of us who did not take the option of going to Rome.  On the way to Florence, we made an unplanned stop in Pisa, at the boistrous urging of our group, and explored the famed Leaning Tower, the Church and the Basilica. The white buildings shone brilliantly against the cerulean sky.

Then it was on to Florence, the heart of the Italian Renaissance, its history and splendor vibrant to this day.  We had a good local tour guide who took us to the Duomo, the various squares, Santa Croce.  The Medicis left their mark.

The Duomo, Firenze.

Medieval San Gimignano, the walled Tuscany hill town.

Some of us took advantage of the optional tour to San Gimignano, a former pilgrimage station on the way to Rome known today for its splendid medieval architecture.

A great-great grandaughter led the wine tasting at Tenuta Terciano.

We also stopped at a well-known vineyard in the beautiful hills of Tuscany for an elegant wine tasting.

We returned to Florence tired but exhilerated.  That night we shared a final meal at Da Mimmo, a beautiful restaurant with special ambience and great Tuscan cuisine and wine. We toasted to our hosts, our tour guide, and the inner joys of  a well-travelled adventure.

Da Mimmo: our farewell dinner.

Enjoying Monterossa, Cinque Terra 

Firenze: Duomo outside and inside. The famed golden door is a duplicate of the real one being restored. Our local tour guide at the Palazzo della Signoria, the center of Florentine civic life, and the Basilica of Santa Croce, the burial site of Michaelangelo, Machiavelli and Gallileo.

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Reinhold Niebuhr and President Obama's World View

"Man's capacity for justice makes democracy possible, but man's inclination to injustice makes democracy necessary."
 Reinhold Niebuhr, The Children of Light and the Children of Darkness (1944) 

"We can acknowledge that oppression will always be with us and still strive for justice.  We can admit the intractability of deprivation, and still strive for dignity.  We can understand that there will be war, and still strive for peace."  

            President Barak Obama, Speech in Oslo, 2009

If American citizens, the general public, the media, right, left and center, understood the theology and philosophy of Reinhold Niebuhr, they would understand the thought and actions of President Obama.  That was one of the messages of Fr. Jim Bacik's lecture at Lourdes University's Franciscan Center last week.

Niebuhr on Time cover.

Reinhold Niebuhr (1892-1971) was one of the most influential theologians in America in the 1950s and 1960s, Fr. Bacik reminded a faithful audience of over 100 people.

Niebuhr, a pastor, professor at Union Theological Seminary, and writer, developed a "public theology" based on his belief in "original sin,"  the existence of evil in the world and the need actively to fight against it. Fr. Bacik calls him "a pessimistic optimist."  His "Christian realism" had a far-reaching influence.

I remember Niebuhr for his opposition to the Vietnam War in the late 1960s, and I say the "Serenity Prayer," which he wrote during World War II, every day.

I didn't know that Niebuhr is one of President Obama's "favorite philosophers," and that his beliefs undergird our president's thought across the spectrum of social, political and international issues.   It has now become clearer.

President Obama accepts Peace
Prize in Ozlo, 2009

Fr. Bacik referenced an interview with journalist David Brooks in 2007, wherein Obama, then a senator, stated what he had learned from Niebuhr: 1) We must be realistic about evil in our world and be humble about eliminating it;  and 2) this is not, however, an excuse for cynicism and inaction. He repeated the lesson two years later in Oslo, upon accepting the Nobel Peace Prize: "There's evil in the world, but we have to do all we can to eradicate it." 

Fr. Bacik  

I have, I think, become more Niebuhrian with time.  I once believed we could shape human nature and control change, that we were born innocent and learn evil, that human agency was the basis for creating peace and justice.  Perhaps.  But I see how the doctrine of original sin, the belief that evil exists and will always exist, "moderates this utopian idealism," as Fr. Bacik put it.

Niebuhr's theology helps place inhumane extremism, war, and man's ongoing inhumanity to man in broader perspective: ISIS and Middle Eastern violence; Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the tragedy of MH-17; the Ebola crisis, the Syria crisis, the African refugee crisis, the multiplying destructions and death that dominate our times. It's a perspective Pope Frances and many change agents around the world seem to understand and embrace.

Yes, there is evil in the world.  And yes, we have to do all we can to fight against it, to try through our actions to make the world a better place.  We cannot eliminate evil; but we can work to achieve "proximate justice" and "proximate peace."  It's a lesson I needed to hear.

Some reading:
http://time.com/3378408/the-theology-behind-obamas-speech-on-isis/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-butler-bass/reinhold-niebuhr-obama_b_3895748.html

Obama quotes that show the influence of Niebuhr (in Fr. Bacik handout):
"We begin by acknowledging the hard truth that we will not eradicate violent conflict in our lifetimes."

"We do not have to think that human nature is perfect for us to still believe that the human condition can be perfected."

"I know that engagement with oppressive regimes lacks the satisfying purity of indignation.  But I also know that sanctions without outreach--and condemnation without discussion--can carry forward a crippling status quo.  No repressive regime can move down a new path unless it has the choice of a open door."

"No Holy War can ever be a just war....if you truly believe that you are carrying out the divine will then there is no need for restraint, no need to spare the pregnant mother or the medic or even a person of one's own faith."

Sylvania Loves a Parade: Fall Festival 2014

Scenes from the Sylvania Fall Festival Parade, October 19, 2014.

Sylvania loves a parade.  And lots of  people turned out for the Fall Festival on this clear, crisp, colorful fall day.   Main Street buzzed with activity--arts and crafts booths, organizations and products to learn about, books and decorative items to buy, food to eat. The politicians were out in force, too.  Afterall, elections are right around the corner.

Here comes Philip's Maplewood School Cub Scout Pack 158!    

"I think this is one of the biggest crowds ever," I mentioned to Elissa.  She agreed, as we jostled through the dense crowds with Chase in a stroller and the boys tagging along.  We were excited that we were going to see cousin Philip march in his first-ever parade, with the Maplewood School Cub Scouts.  After lots of police and fire vehicles, fancy and antique cars, baton twirlers and cheerleaders, decorated trucks and great bands, came the Scouts.  "Maplewood Scout Pack 158.  That's what we're looking for," Elissa advised, as we strained to see the various scout troops marching by.

"There he is!" Kyle shouted out.  "I see him!" We all looked at the oncoming group of cub scouts and, sure enough, there was our Philip, smiling and waving and running with his friends.  He stopped to give Chase a kiss and a wave to the rest of us, but not for long.  He was back marching with his fellow cub scouts, as we high-fived around, watched the Shriners and their little red cars performing, and waved happily along to the very end.

Celebrating Bethany House, Remembering the Toledo/Lucas County Domestic Violence Prevention Board

At Lourdes college, celebrating Bethany House's 30 years. 

Bethany House, the first and the only long-term shelter for abused women and their families in NW Ohio, celebrated its 30th anniversary on Sunday.  Fittingly, the celebration was held at Lourdes college, the home of the Franciscan sisters who have played such a large role in creating and sustaining the house. Sister Mary Jon, the head of the Franciscan sisters, presented a moving testimonial to Sr. Mary Therese, whose passion for putting words and faith into action inspired them to act.  Bethany House is one result, a mission of the Sisters of Saint Francis to this day.

Past president Mr. Tom Jones memorialized his daughter, noting how important a long-term shelter is for women who want to live free of violence and need time and help. "I have witnessed the work of faith," he said.  "It makes me feel my daughter did not die in vain."  His comments reminded us that death stalks these victims.

Current board president Paul Sullivan, Jr, accepted a City Council Proclamation acknowledging Bethany House's achievements.

The celebration featured a documentary about  the history and purpose of Bethany House.  Women who lived at the House, who had suffered violence for so many years, bore witness to how Bethany literally saved their lives, powerful stories of growing to independence and self-sufficiency. Many of the women were in the audience, recalling the hope they found.  A young boy rose to thank Bethany for bringing his mom and siblings together in a safe place.   A woman told us: "I've seen my sister grow and blossom thanks to Bethany House."

Can't believe I found this old
button from Domestic Violence
Board's Public Awareness Campaign!

I was glad to be part of this celebration.  It took me back to the first-ever Toledo/Lucas County Domestic Violence Prevention Board (1978-1983), which I staffed.  This pioneering board was under the aegis of the Community Planning Council, with the aid of an LEAA grant, and chaired by Bishop James Hoffman.  The Bishop did an extraordinary job of organizing the board and developing its goals and programs.

The members of this board were appointed by the Mayor and the Lucas County Board of Commissioners.  It was a dedicated group involving people like Judge Charles Abood and other pioneers. Its mission was to help create a coordinated service delivery system and a safe shelter for women; raise public awareness; and provide training for the police and the criminal justice system, then on the frontlines of the silent but deadly problem.

At the time the only available shelter was the YWCA, a short-term safety net. It continues to provide emergency shelter and services.  The Domestic Violence Prevention Board brought in experts like psychologist and author Lenore Walker (The Battered Woman, 1979) to talk about the extent and nature of the issue.  It developed training for police, criminal justice and social services agencies.  It instituted an annual public education campaign called "Love Beats Abuse." I actually found a button from the first campaign!   One board member, Nancy Metzger, got the support of the Junior League and did yoeman's work in informing the media about the issue at a time when few people talked about it and public awareness was low.  It was a pioneering effort. Does anyone remember it? Is it forgotten history?

Walker's 2nd book.

I left Toledo in 1985, a few years after this Board merged with the United Way Child Abuse Prevention Agency.  How wonderful to learn about the history and successes of Bethany House since that time.  It represents an answered prayer to those of us early workers who plowed the field and planted seeds in order to meet the critical need for shelter, safety and support.

Bethany House stands on the shoulders of many volunteers, the dedication and hard work of the Franciscan sisters, the victims of domestic violence, and the almost-forgotten groundbreaking efforts of the unsung pioneers of the first Toledo/Lucas County Domestic Violence Prevention Board.

For information call Ohio Domestic Violence Network, 800-934-9840 or 419/727-4948.  For the YWCA call 888-341-7386.  For Bethany House call 419-727-4948.

A Ted Walk: Catalogue Houses of Old Sylvania

Did you know that 80-90% of the homes in some of the oldest parts of Sylvania are "catalogue" homes?

So said Prof. Ted Ligabel, of Eastern Michigan University, who led a house tour of the area around the Sylvania Heritage Museum on a cool, cloudy day. 

Samples of Sears and Montgomery Ward House catalogues.

No, most of us did not know that. Our first surprise! Mail-order homes!

The Tour, sponsored by the Sylvania Area Historical Society (SAHS), attracted a lively group of 15 history buffs who loved hearing about these homes, and were glad the rain held off! 

The 'Ted Walk' covered a walkable square that begins on Main at Maplewood (a hotel sat on the northwest corner before a fire destroyed it), goes north on Main, west onto Erie to Philips and the Plummer Park area, back to Philips, and east down Maplewood to Main.  

Prof. Ted Ligabel (left photos) leads SAHS walking tour of these fabulous homes. Historian Gayleen Gindy (right) stands in front of the house she grew up in, now the Soy Candle shop. 

We began at the Sylvania Heritage Museum, which is across from the Reeb funeral home on Main. Yes, the Reeb is a catalogue house that has undergone many additions and incarnations! So is the Museum house.  

Ted held up a copy of Sylvania Homes that told some of these stories.  It was an early and noteworthy effort to preserve and record our architectural history, but only 12 copies were printed and it is hard to find. A copy is at the Museum. Gayleen Gindy, an historian involved in that project, was on hand to fill in details and add historical context. She is working on new book that will re-tell and update the history.  If only these houses could talk, what stories they would tell! 

 Ted Ligabel holds up a rare copy of "Sylvania Homes" (bottom center).
Photos of some of the houses featured in the publication and/or on the walking tour.   Lovely!

So, if  you lived in the 19th century or early 20th century, and decided you wanted to build a house out in the Sylvania countryside among all the trees, all you had to do is browse through a house catalogue and place an order.  You would pick out a basic design or basic kit in the kind of architectural style you preferred and have it shipped.   Early on there was an Aladdin catalogue and a Tiffany Blue Book. Then came the illustrious and ubiquitous Sears and Montgomery Ward catalogues. 

The growth of national roads, canals and especially railroads (and there's one very close by) made the process easier, and ever more popular.  

You would first build your own foundation--of brick, concrete blocks (from Chandler's in the late 19th century and up), or cobblestone (rarer but there are some)--then build your mail-order home upon it. The style and construction material of the foundation says a lot about the age of a home, Ted informed us.  We looked for and, to our delight, found a date imprinted on the bricks of some homes.

Greek Revival and Craftsman styles predominate in Old Sylvania. They are all shapes and sizes,  with interesting foundations and fantastic features & flourishes.
Grand or simple, originals or updated, these are all  catalogue homes.

Once you chose your basic design, you would select whatever additions and/or flourishes you liked, in a range of prices: certain styles of doors, windows, dormers, porches, columns, gables, fireplaces, all the interior cabinetry, hardware and fixtures, and everything you could dream of for your "designer" catalogue house.  Some were very expensive and grand, some simple and vernacular.  

Photos of the originals! Bottom house same
as Dague House on Erie; above is the Greek
 Revival with updates at corner of Erie &
Philips, which now has columns in front. 

Most of the homes around Old Sylvania are either Greek Revival style or Arts and Crafts (craftsman) style, the latter influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's "Prairie Style" and the reaction against Victorian architecture. The 1898 and 1893 World's Fairs in Chicago also had an important influence. Features of these two basic styles, in various configurations, are rich and abundant in old Sylvania, sometimes mixed, always glorious. 

This was the relatively inexpensive and convenient way to build the house of your dreams from the 1840s up to the early 20th century.  This is, indeed, how many homes went up in the forest of  Old Sylvania. Imagine the excitment of seeing a house plan become a reality!  

Of course at that time there was lots of land and lots of natural space between the new homes. The next big housing spurt came after WWII with the phenomenal growth of suburban America (we saw some examples of one-story brick ranch homes), and then a huge expansion in Sylvania itself in the 1970s and '80s.  By this time, the "catalogue" era of "houses by mail"was long over.  

As we walked from house to house, I learned that Ted had grown up in the neighborhood.  So had historian Gayleen Gindy, in the home that is now Heaven's Gate Soy Candles on Main. Mimi Malcolm, who traces her family to the earliest settlers, had family around here, too.  I say 'around here' because I live on Main, just a few houses north of the Heritage Museum.  Yes, it's a "catalogue" house, Ted confirmed, as we walked by, "and the houses on either side of it, too," Mitchell's Clock Shop and Harmony in Life.   

We stopped at the house next to Mitchell's, 5763 Main.  "Now that's a great example of the craftsman style,"  he enthused, built in 1915 with features including a porch supported by thick "fluting" (layered) brick columns and a "Model-T garage."   The owners, a young couple, spotted us admiring their house and came out to tell us more. We even learned that the pretty flowering bushes gracing the front of the house are called "limelight hydrangea." 

Directly across the street, the house with the bright yellow door, now Keith's hair salon, formerly the Christian Science Reading Room, is also "a very important home," Ted noted.  It's the Cosgrove home, built in 1848 in a Greek Revival style. Ted pointed out the wide frieze board under the roof and around the windows, the design, other nice features.  Most of us weren't architectural experts, but we took in what we could!
  
From Main Street, we turned the corner onto Erie. Ted pointed out the different styles of the houses, including a row of three in the exact same style, with some minor individual features. I always wondered about those three look-alike houses, painted pastel, like pretty maids all in a row.   

We passed the "the only" all-brown brick house, not pretty but distinctive.  We walked to Philips at Erie and talked about the large and elegant Greek Revival at the corner, now graced with tall columns, which were not part of the original design, and updated with Italianate features. Much of the original detail came from western New York state, Ted said, not surprising given the large migration from there to this part of Ohio and southeast Michigan. I love the way it's decorated for the holidays! 

We walked a few houses west toward Plummer pool to pay homage to one of "the oldest catalogue houses in the area," the Dague House, an old classic Greek Revival with typical pilasters at the sides of the house and a pretty cornice over the tall front door.  It once stood alone, during and after the Civil war, surrounded by farmland and trees.  Lots of trees. 

As we went back onto Philips to continue our tour, Ted said with a flourish: "Just about all of the houses in this block are catalogue houses:  this one, that, that, that, that one, and that and that."  Some of my favorite homes. All different.  He pointed and talked.  We followed his finger and listened. 

Amazing!  All the houses that I pass almost daily with my kids and grandkids now living in the same area, houses I had questions about, they were all ordered from a catalogue, put up on foundations, and embellished by individual tastes and touches that added to their basic character.  The owner's particular taste are still found in the details. 

I now know lots more about what I look at every day! It's intriguing how you can look at something a hundred times and not truly see it--the detail, context, meaning and purpose of it, see the history and mystery, all at the same time.

Our 'Ted Walk' made history come alive.   

"We've already lost many structures, many homes, just in the last five years, " Bob Smith, former SAHS president noted.  Maybe Prof. Ligabel's tour will inspire us to do something to make sure we don't lose more.