While the large stone building at 7125 Riverside Dr. has changed ownership, seen thousands of visitors and experienced many modifications over the 80 years since its construction, in many ways its purpose has stayed the same throughout its life.
Though the home was originally built for attorney Charles S.M. Krumm and his wife Sarah, it is more often associated with its next owner. The space was a focal point of lively, arts-related gatherings thanks to its second and longest owner, Eleanor Gelpi, who is remembered on her gravestone as the “first lady of the arts.”
“They loved to entertain,” says Gelpi’s nephew and former Dublin City Council member David Amorose of the Gelpi family.
Amorose recalls a Fourth of July party that attracted hundreds at a time when the city only had about 500 residents. Fireworks, refreshments and celebrations beyond any he’d previously seen took place at the mansion.
“As kids, we never saw a party that big,” Amorose says. “Way back when, if you had a soft drink, that was a special time. You didn’t have a Coca-Cola every day. When she threw that party, it was just amazing, it had things you’d never had before or only on occasion would have.”
More than just a 20th-century socialite, Gelpi was an advocate of the arts. She was the first female president of the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, helped found the Greater Columbus Arts Council and was an active supporter of BalletMet.
“In elementary school, we went to a performance down at the Ohio Theatre,” says Dublin Mayor and Amorose’s daughter, Chris Amorose Groomes. “I remember before we went down my folks were like, ‘Hey, make sure you check out the plaque on the wall in there. Aunt Eleanor was responsible for saving the Ohio Theatre.’”
Gelpi and her husband, Andre, founders of Swan Cleaners, purchased the French eclectic style home in 1947 less than a decade after its 1941 construction. It served as Gelpi’s home until her death in 1985. According to the Dublin Arts Council, the house played host to figures including Audrey Hepburn, Perry Como and Ohio Governor James A. Rhodes.
After passing through a couple of owners unrelated to the Gelpi family, the city of Dublin bought the home in 1999, and the Dublin Arts Center opened its doors in 2002.
“I am immensely proud of the fact that Dublin has undertaken to maintain the arts center there,” says Eleanor’s son, Paul Gelpi. “Her life in the arts is legendary and she would be very proud to have the Dublin Arts Center as it is today in her former home.”
While the living room has become an art gallery and bedrooms have transitioned to offices, much of the home remains faithful to when the Gelpi family roamed its halls. The main stairwell features the chandelier the Gelpi family installed upon purchasing the home – a close look reveals swans, a tribute to the family’s cleaning business. An original, custom mural has been preserved in the dining room, which now features a glass chandelier created in 2013 by Gelpi’s grandson Anthony.
Even much of the floors, both hardwood and a black and white tile in part of the kitchen, remain original.
“The most memorable part of the building when I walk into it now is the checkerboard floor in the kitchen,” Amorose Groomes says. “I’ve eaten many good cookies in that kitchen looking at that floor.”
In order to comply with ADA guidelines, the city of Dublin built additions on the north side of the building, but even those features blend seamlessly into the original architecture.
The exterior retains much of its previous grand appeal thanks to the labor and input of Amorose.
“Eleanor Gelpi just loved her yard,” he says. “As property owners changed it fell – I wouldn’t say to disrepair – but I would say that we needed it renovated.”
Amorose worked closely with the city’s landscape architect to advise on plants that could be removed, added or substituted to more closely mirror the building’s mid-century appearance. He and his brother Tony volunteered time to personally remove what had died or become overgrown and plant hundreds of new plants.
The yard of the 4.32-acre property now conjures up a bygone era while playing host to the events of its new occupants. The Dublin Arts Council has used the outdoor space for site-specific dance pieces, public art and more. In those current uses, the building continues to recall the rich history of Dublin.
“I think for a community it’s important to remember where you’ve been in conjunction with where you are today, and certainly in Dublin, it’s always been a lot about planning and where we’re going,” Amorose Groomes says. “All three of those touchpoints are equally important and I think that house provides a touchpoint of where we’ve been, our history, our recent past.”
Cameron Carr is associate editor. Feedback welcome at ccarr@cityscenemediagroup.com.
