Swisher Brick House

The OES visited the Swisher Brick House on April 10, 2004. Located just outside of Groveport, this home built in the early 1800s was in horrible condition on our visit. In fact, it was in such horrible condition that we did not come within ten feet of its walls for fear of collapse. Some of the exterior wall had already fallen on one side of the home, along with the roof and the floors of some of the rooms. The house looked very much like an ancient ruin standing in the growth of trees that surrounded it. According to Mr. Graham, the owner of the property, the home had been vacant for years, but it was a beautiful home in its day. A feature we noticed was an outdoor fireplace, likely used for cooking during the warm summer months. Some furniture was left in the home and a great deal of debris was scattered around the area. One thing in particular that we found was an old Bayer Aspirin bottle that dated somewhere between 1930 and 1950. There were a couple of old rusted-out tractors just behind the home, along with some outbuildings that appeared to no longer be used. When we visited, we stated that we would not be surprised if the house would be gone soon, either by demolition or collapse. And indeed, sometime between 2012 and 2014, the house was razed, along with the newer home built in 1969 on the property, to make way for industrial development.

Location Information: Demolished

The Swisher Brick House was located at 5319 Swisher Road near Groveport; Franklin County.

Photographs

The Swisher house as we approached from the driveway.
Once we got closer, we could tell that this was the front of the house.
The house looked like an ancient ruin surrounded by trees.
The rear of the home was in slightly better condition than the front.
This corner of the house had collapsed to create a cutaway look.
The front of the house had two doors.
The dark line on the wall showed where the second floor once stood.
On the opposite wall we could see where the stairways were located.
This old bedroom door opened to the outdoors.
Another bedroom door led to a potential death trap.
These doors used to separate the rooms of the house.
This was most likely the family room's fireplace.
These bricks were just waiting to be knocked down by a strong wind.
Some chairs, a washing machine and a dryer remained in the attic.
Lots of junk was stacked up in the standing portion of the house.
This window appeared to have been blocked by a wall.
This was the only section of the house that appeared to be in decent condition.
The outer ring of the chimney somehow remained intact.
The roof was almost nonexistent. Most of it had fallen in.
This exterior fireplace was likely used to cook during the summer months.
The outbuildings to the rear of the brick house.
One of the two old rusted tractors in the backyard of the house.
Twin MM City was the brand of choice for the farmer who worked the fields here.
Try to imagine what the house looked like when these tractors were parked here so long ago.