The Carmack residence was the fourth house completed in Upper Arlington. Construction was finished in early 1916 on their home located at the corner of Roxbury and Chelsea Roads. The residence was featured in the December 1917 issue of the Norwester magazine. The contractor and builder, R. O. Austin, displayed its photograph in an advertisement for homes built by his company. Three other homes were advertised by the same builder: 1811 Bedford Road, 1789 Bedford Road, and 1952 Concord Road.
The home's original owner, H. W. Carmack, married Mary Catherine Hildebrand of Loudonville, Ohio, and together they had four children. Mr. Carmack was the District Manager of the Dwinell-Wright Company that manufactured Whitehouse coffee. When the Carmacks moved into their home, Upper Arlington was serving as a temporary military training site. From June to September of 1916, the National Guard created a training camp in Upper Arlington called Camp Willis, and the Carmack family had to obtain military passes to enter their own home. The Carmacks lived across the street from the home of their daughter and son-in-law, Susan and Warren Armstrong. During the time that Camp Willis was active, Mrs. Armstrong would not let her children cross the street to visit their grandparents because of the military trucks traveling in the area.
UA Archives | Upper Arlington History
1917-12-01
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