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Tour of Historic Sites in Wooster Ohio
Item 12 of 12
Overholt House was built in 1874 by Civil War veteran and lawyer Colonel Aquila Wiley. The Stick-Style house was then sold to the Overholt family in 1882, and they kept it until 1973. The house was then used for a variety of purposes and added to the National Register of Historic Places before moving to the College of Wooster. Because it was not sound enough to move again, the house was demolished in 2017.

The Overholt House

The Overholt House

Civil War Colonel Aquila Wiley built Overholt House in 1874 in the Stick Style. The three-story home was adorned with walnut woodwork, gingerbread décor, a square tower, and a “flying” stairway. Eight years later, Wiley sold it to the Overholt family, who passed it down each generation until 1973. The house later served as professional offices and a bed and breakfast until it was purchased by the College of Wooster in 2001. By that point, it had already been moved twice. So, when the college decided to get rid of the structure, it could not simply be moved another time. Instead, it needed to be removed piece by piece. Because no one met the college’s deadline to make an offer on the house, it was demolished in August 2017, though individual features have been preserved. The porches, glass windows, staircase, flooring, and fireplace are now stored in a warehouse where they can be sold and reused.

Hall, Linda. Overholt House in Wooster is now in storage. The Daily Record. October 02, 2017. Accessed October 04, 2018. https://www.the-daily-record.com/news/20171002/overholt-house-in-wooster-is-now-in-storage.

Hall, Linda. Historic Overholt House to come down. The Daily Record. August 08, 2017. Accessed October 04, 2018. https://www.the-daily-record.com/news/20170808/historic-overholt-house-to-come-down.

Hopkins, John. College of Wooster seeks qualified party to relocate and restore Overholt House. August 04, 2016. Accessed October 04, 2018. https://www.wooster.edu/news/releases/2016/august/overholt/index.php.

OHIO - Wayne County. National Register of Historic Places. Accessed October 04, 2018. https://nationalregisterofhistoricplaces.com/oh/wayne/state.html.