House's History Reveals Both Written & Musical Notes
The following information is based upon written and oral documentation from descendants of the Herman Julius Lensner family:
It was the turn of the 19th century when Herman J. Lensner, a young foreign language teacher from rural Saxonburg, Pennsylvania ventured to Cleveland. Born in 1872, the first-generation German/American was in his late twenties at the time, and had recently returned from Europe where he studied at the University of Berlin.
Language instruction was Lensner’s passion. He taught German, French, Spanish, and Latin at West High School in Cleveland, and later served as head of modern language instruction at Glenville High School for 20 years. Lensner also authored six books for German language instruction, as well as numerous articles for trade publications.
Lensner also had a passion for music, and this carried over to his work in the school system. A violinist and tenor singer, Lensner had studied music in Berlin and Chicago, as well as when he came to Cleveland. In 1900 he organized and led the first high school orchestra in the city of Cleveland. This original group of 38 West High students practiced many hours after school. They performed at numerous concert halls around Cleveland, including the opera house at Gray’s Armory – one of the greatest concert halls in Cleveland at that time.
Many of the premier West High orchestra students would later become famous Cleveland residents, including conductor/composer Dr. F. Karl Grossman, Austin Wylie, who directed an N.B.C. orchestra, and Russell Wise, who became a broadcaster for WTAM Radio in Cleveland.
West High School also became center stage for meeting Lensner’s wife-to-be. He fell in love with a former student, 15 years his junior. On June 27, 1906 he married Cleveland-born Minnie Florence Jones at their newly-constructed home on Alameda Avenue in Lakewood.
This non-pretentious, three-story structure was built under Lensner’s watchful eye. He was very particular with the contractor, recalled son Herbert. In fact, there was actually one incident in which Lensner commanded the workers to stop construction and remove the clapboard siding they were using because it was the wrong size.
The Lensner house is a curious mix of practicality and frugality with bits of splurge. For instance, there is no grand staircase with baluster railings, yet the downstairs boasts beautiful hardwood floors with attractive knotted patterns in the corners. The Arts & Crafts-style hardware on all doors is nondescript, but the foyer door features a large window and beautiful ornate Victorian hardware. Lensner descendants recall the home originally had a lovely stained glass window in this room, which has since been replaced.
A stunning chandelier with glass prisms once adorned the reception room ceiling, according to son Herbert. All the radiators feature ornate Victorian patterns, and the two sets of pocket doors still serve to reduce winter drafts on the first floor.
According to family descendants, Herman and Minnie Lensner shared an intense love of music and writing. Minnie became a skilled verse writer, and won several awards in writing contests sponsored by the Cleveland College group. She was also an active member of Lakewood United Methodist Church at Detroit and Summit Avenues.
The Lensner family lived at their Alameda residence nearly 50 years. During this time they had four children, all of whom were born at the house between 1908 and 1920 -- a common practice in the dawn of the 20th century: Hermione Alicia, Herbert Waldemar, Victor Eugene and Sylvia Beatrice. They attended nearby Garfield Elementary and graduated from Lakewood High School.
Although not quite the Von Trapp Family singers, descendants report that the homestead constantly abounded with music during this era of pre-television and stereos.
The upright family piano was featured in the parlor, and was almost always in use. According to son Herbert, neighbors particularly appreciated the numerous songs around the piano on hot summer evenings, sometimes even until 10 o’clock.
Each child played at least one musical instrument -- Herbert played trombone, Victor played trumpet and Hermione and Sylvia both played piano. In later years Sylvia traveled to New York and became a singer in her own right, even recording an album. And during the big band era of the 1930s and ‘40s, Victor enjoyed playing trumpet with some of the national big bands when they rolled into town.
Herbert Lensner fondly recalled that the old homestead was a happy locale with plenty to do as a family. In summers, literally half of the backyard was transformed into an elaborate vegetable garden that included carrots, radishes, tomatoes and beets. His dad even grew golden bantam corn, and strategically staggered it’s planting so the family enjoyed fresh corn all season. The Lensners even had a pear tree in the front yard that the squirrels seemed to enjoy as much as the family. And like other homemakers at the time, Minnie had a basement storage room brimming with shelves of harvested canned fruits and vegetables to last the family through winter.
In those days before television, radio was the prime entertainment medium of the 1920s. During these years brothers Herbert and Victor enjoyed hours of fun using a ham radio they operated from a basement activity room the family referred to as the “mechanical room.” The radio wires were connected to the Lensner home and strung across the backyard to an apartment building on Lakewood Avenue. Remnants of that period still exist, with old dead wires hanging from the mechanical room ceiling. And the original knobs to which the wires were attached proudly remain on the outside clapboard siding -- all whispers of activities from a bygone era.
Another hobby the brothers shared was collecting butterflies. Victor became an avid lepidopterist as an adult, and reportedly imported prize cocoons from several continents. He even spoke to audiences in the area on the mysterious lives of butterflies and insects.
Although all the children were musically talented, it was also Victor who became an artist of the paintbrush. He received a scholarship to the Columbus School of Art and excelled in his craft. In fact, the current homeowners were fortunate to receive one of Victor’s paintings from his son. The piece was created in 1941 when Victor served in the military.
In 1943 Herman Lensner passed away at the age of 71. According to descendents, it was the very first time he was admitted to the hospital, and ironically, his last.
Minnie remained in the Alameda Avenue house until she sold it in the early 1950s. In 1972 she passed away at the age of 84.
During the 1960s and ‘70s, the house entered a cycle of decline. Owners of the time reportedly rented the single home as a two-family structure, and received numerous citations from the city. From an historical perspective, the house suffered an architectural loss when original permanent fixtures such as the mantel, fireplace tiles, stained glass window and original ceiling light fixtures were hastily stripped from the house and most probably sold for a quick dollar.
In the 1980s the house was sold to an owner who began a series of much-needed structural repairs. In an effort to replace a rotted front porch, he removed all the balusters and railings, and installed square pillars around the original circular columns. The renovation was an improvement to the rotting porch, but nonetheless considerably altered the house’s exterior.
The house was sold again in the early 1990s to a young family that continued the repairs. They focused their efforts on improving the interior with a new bathroom, carpeting on most of the floors and fresh coats of paint in all the rooms. A new roof, new driveway and a replacement of the water main line to the street were some of the projects that spearheaded the effort for the home’s comeback.
In July 1998, the Alameda Avenue home was sold to the current owners, Paul and Natalie Schrimpf. Since then the Schrimpfs have researched the house, verified its year of construction and completed a front porch restoration which was based on a 1959 photo they obtained at the county archives. They are in the process of painting the exterior as well.
Inside the house they installed antique ceiling light fixtures, replaced a make-shift mantel with an antique two-tiered oak beveled glass mantel, replaced the missing stained glass window, and have wallpapered the rooms.
In 2002, in an effort to thank the Lensner descendants for the information they provided on the house’s history, the Schrimpfs held an open house for the family. It was attended by grandchildren and spouses, great-grandchildren, and even the widow of Victor Lensner. It proved to be a memorable day for all involved.
The Schrimpfs also were fortunate enough to meet Herbert W. Lensner at the assisted living facility in suburban Philadelphia where he resided in 2004.
According to one grandchild, the Alameda house was always the one symbol of stability in the Lensner family, especially during difficult times such as the Great Depression and the second World War.
A note from the current owners:
The entire process of researching our home’s history was nothing less than a joy. Not only did we discover some clues left behind in the house’s nooks and crannies, but we found family members cited in historical articles from the Plain Dealer, Cleveland Press and other documents.
The best reward of all was making a connection with living family members – we had the pleasure of meeting Herbert Lensner, Victor’s widow Jane and several grandchildren who made the home’s history play out in living color with numerous stories.
Our experience has taught us that it doesn’t matter if an old house is a famous mansion or a simple family home like ours. It has a story to tell that’s waiting to be discovered. Real people lived there – they laughed and cried, experienced joy and pain and in some small way helped shape the world during their time. And in our opinion, this only adds meaning to the story we’re telling as we restore our home and create new memories with our family.
The story of our home is the story of Lakewood. It deserves to be told – it should be shared so that other Lakewoodites appreciate the rich heritage this city has, and its importance to Cleveland.
It was the turn of the 19th century when Herman J. Lensner, a young foreign language teacher from rural Saxonburg, Pennsylvania ventured to Cleveland. Born in 1872, the first-generation German/American was in his late twenties at the time, and had recently returned from Europe where he studied at the University of Berlin.
Language instruction was Lensner’s passion. He taught German, French, Spanish, and Latin at West High School in Cleveland, and later served as head of modern language instruction at Glenville High School for 20 years. Lensner also authored six books for German language instruction, as well as numerous articles for trade publications.
Lensner also had a passion for music, and this carried over to his work in the school system. A violinist and tenor singer, Lensner had studied music in Berlin and Chicago, as well as when he came to Cleveland. In 1900 he organized and led the first high school orchestra in the city of Cleveland. This original group of 38 West High students practiced many hours after school. They performed at numerous concert halls around Cleveland, including the opera house at Gray’s Armory – one of the greatest concert halls in Cleveland at that time.
Many of the premier West High orchestra students would later become famous Cleveland residents, including conductor/composer Dr. F. Karl Grossman, Austin Wylie, who directed an N.B.C. orchestra, and Russell Wise, who became a broadcaster for WTAM Radio in Cleveland.
West High School also became center stage for meeting Lensner’s wife-to-be. He fell in love with a former student, 15 years his junior. On June 27, 1906 he married Cleveland-born Minnie Florence Jones at their newly-constructed home on Alameda Avenue in Lakewood.
This non-pretentious, three-story structure was built under Lensner’s watchful eye. He was very particular with the contractor, recalled son Herbert. In fact, there was actually one incident in which Lensner commanded the workers to stop construction and remove the clapboard siding they were using because it was the wrong size.
The Lensner house is a curious mix of practicality and frugality with bits of splurge. For instance, there is no grand staircase with baluster railings, yet the downstairs boasts beautiful hardwood floors with attractive knotted patterns in the corners. The Arts & Crafts-style hardware on all doors is nondescript, but the foyer door features a large window and beautiful ornate Victorian hardware. Lensner descendants recall the home originally had a lovely stained glass window in this room, which has since been replaced.
A stunning chandelier with glass prisms once adorned the reception room ceiling, according to son Herbert. All the radiators feature ornate Victorian patterns, and the two sets of pocket doors still serve to reduce winter drafts on the first floor.
According to family descendants, Herman and Minnie Lensner shared an intense love of music and writing. Minnie became a skilled verse writer, and won several awards in writing contests sponsored by the Cleveland College group. She was also an active member of Lakewood United Methodist Church at Detroit and Summit Avenues.
The Lensner family lived at their Alameda residence nearly 50 years. During this time they had four children, all of whom were born at the house between 1908 and 1920 -- a common practice in the dawn of the 20th century: Hermione Alicia, Herbert Waldemar, Victor Eugene and Sylvia Beatrice. They attended nearby Garfield Elementary and graduated from Lakewood High School.
Although not quite the Von Trapp Family singers, descendants report that the homestead constantly abounded with music during this era of pre-television and stereos.
The upright family piano was featured in the parlor, and was almost always in use. According to son Herbert, neighbors particularly appreciated the numerous songs around the piano on hot summer evenings, sometimes even until 10 o’clock.
Each child played at least one musical instrument -- Herbert played trombone, Victor played trumpet and Hermione and Sylvia both played piano. In later years Sylvia traveled to New York and became a singer in her own right, even recording an album. And during the big band era of the 1930s and ‘40s, Victor enjoyed playing trumpet with some of the national big bands when they rolled into town.
Herbert Lensner fondly recalled that the old homestead was a happy locale with plenty to do as a family. In summers, literally half of the backyard was transformed into an elaborate vegetable garden that included carrots, radishes, tomatoes and beets. His dad even grew golden bantam corn, and strategically staggered it’s planting so the family enjoyed fresh corn all season. The Lensners even had a pear tree in the front yard that the squirrels seemed to enjoy as much as the family. And like other homemakers at the time, Minnie had a basement storage room brimming with shelves of harvested canned fruits and vegetables to last the family through winter.
In those days before television, radio was the prime entertainment medium of the 1920s. During these years brothers Herbert and Victor enjoyed hours of fun using a ham radio they operated from a basement activity room the family referred to as the “mechanical room.” The radio wires were connected to the Lensner home and strung across the backyard to an apartment building on Lakewood Avenue. Remnants of that period still exist, with old dead wires hanging from the mechanical room ceiling. And the original knobs to which the wires were attached proudly remain on the outside clapboard siding -- all whispers of activities from a bygone era.
Another hobby the brothers shared was collecting butterflies. Victor became an avid lepidopterist as an adult, and reportedly imported prize cocoons from several continents. He even spoke to audiences in the area on the mysterious lives of butterflies and insects.
Although all the children were musically talented, it was also Victor who became an artist of the paintbrush. He received a scholarship to the Columbus School of Art and excelled in his craft. In fact, the current homeowners were fortunate to receive one of Victor’s paintings from his son. The piece was created in 1941 when Victor served in the military.
In 1943 Herman Lensner passed away at the age of 71. According to descendents, it was the very first time he was admitted to the hospital, and ironically, his last.
Minnie remained in the Alameda Avenue house until she sold it in the early 1950s. In 1972 she passed away at the age of 84.
During the 1960s and ‘70s, the house entered a cycle of decline. Owners of the time reportedly rented the single home as a two-family structure, and received numerous citations from the city. From an historical perspective, the house suffered an architectural loss when original permanent fixtures such as the mantel, fireplace tiles, stained glass window and original ceiling light fixtures were hastily stripped from the house and most probably sold for a quick dollar.
In the 1980s the house was sold to an owner who began a series of much-needed structural repairs. In an effort to replace a rotted front porch, he removed all the balusters and railings, and installed square pillars around the original circular columns. The renovation was an improvement to the rotting porch, but nonetheless considerably altered the house’s exterior.
The house was sold again in the early 1990s to a young family that continued the repairs. They focused their efforts on improving the interior with a new bathroom, carpeting on most of the floors and fresh coats of paint in all the rooms. A new roof, new driveway and a replacement of the water main line to the street were some of the projects that spearheaded the effort for the home’s comeback.
In July 1998, the Alameda Avenue home was sold to the current owners, Paul and Natalie Schrimpf. Since then the Schrimpfs have researched the house, verified its year of construction and completed a front porch restoration which was based on a 1959 photo they obtained at the county archives. They are in the process of painting the exterior as well.
Inside the house they installed antique ceiling light fixtures, replaced a make-shift mantel with an antique two-tiered oak beveled glass mantel, replaced the missing stained glass window, and have wallpapered the rooms.
In 2002, in an effort to thank the Lensner descendants for the information they provided on the house’s history, the Schrimpfs held an open house for the family. It was attended by grandchildren and spouses, great-grandchildren, and even the widow of Victor Lensner. It proved to be a memorable day for all involved.
The Schrimpfs also were fortunate enough to meet Herbert W. Lensner at the assisted living facility in suburban Philadelphia where he resided in 2004.
According to one grandchild, the Alameda house was always the one symbol of stability in the Lensner family, especially during difficult times such as the Great Depression and the second World War.
A note from the current owners:
The entire process of researching our home’s history was nothing less than a joy. Not only did we discover some clues left behind in the house’s nooks and crannies, but we found family members cited in historical articles from the Plain Dealer, Cleveland Press and other documents.
The best reward of all was making a connection with living family members – we had the pleasure of meeting Herbert Lensner, Victor’s widow Jane and several grandchildren who made the home’s history play out in living color with numerous stories.
Our experience has taught us that it doesn’t matter if an old house is a famous mansion or a simple family home like ours. It has a story to tell that’s waiting to be discovered. Real people lived there – they laughed and cried, experienced joy and pain and in some small way helped shape the world during their time. And in our opinion, this only adds meaning to the story we’re telling as we restore our home and create new memories with our family.
The story of our home is the story of Lakewood. It deserves to be told – it should be shared so that other Lakewoodites appreciate the rich heritage this city has, and its importance to Cleveland.
Volume 2, Issue 19, Posted 7:07 PM, 06.23.06
