Village Housing: 190 Woodland Street

Date

ca. 1908-2016

Location

190 Woodland Street

Architects/Collaborators

Builder unknown

Style

Vernacular

History

This house has an association with the Oberlin College Library through two members of the Metcalf family. Issac Metcalf, who died in 1898, had 18 children with two successive wives, both of whom died before Issac's death. Several of the daughters and sons moved to Oberlin in 1904 and raised the youngest children. Antoinette Metcalf worked as a reference library at the College. Anna Metcalf Root was married to Azariah Smith Root, the Oberlin College Librarian, who created jobs for Keyes DeWitt Metcalf when he was 13 in 1902. In 1908 the family moved into this house on Woodland Street. Keyes worked at the library in his high school and college years, graduating from Oberlin College in 1911. He went on to an illustrious career in library work, and endowed the Metcalf luncheon for graduating Oberlin students who had worked in the library. Every spring graduating student library assistants are honored for their service and their interest in library work at this luncheon. This house was one of many in the College's Village Housing program for students until its demolition in the fall of 2016 to make room for the expansion of Phillips Gymnasium.

Sources

Ohio Historic Inventory by Clark, Surovy, Tomazic, and Tuohy, Ohio State Historic Preservation Office, August 2, 2004.

Keyes DeWitt Metcalf Family Papers, RG 30/212, Oberlin College Archives.