MANSFIELD, Ohio — What started as a residential property once owned by one of Mansfield’s prominent financial figures, Fred Thomas Bristor, has since become a health facility, now known as Third Street Family Health Services.
One might not suspect any historical significance if facing the north or east sides of the property (where the building was expanded). But the southwest corner, where much of the original property stands, points to a storied past, resembling that of a Tudor house.
Throughout its interior, some original features remain intact: pocket doors lead into a few of the employees’ offices on the second floor; original flooring can be found in one of the utility closets; and the original house’s fireplace is now situated in the billing department office.
“We tried to keep the colors similar to what it would have been,” said Rasan Blevins, director of support services at Third Street Family Health Services. “But over time, we’ve ended up making so many changes.”
The health facility, formerly known as Third St. Community Clinic, took up residence at the building located at 600 W. Third St. beginning in 1994.
Since that time, the facility has added two floors, Blevins said.
“Initially, we started with medical services, then we added our dental clinic, then we added behavioral health services, and most recently we added pediatrics and podiatry,” she said.
The history of the building has been somewhat of a mystery to Third Street staff, she said.
So what’s the story behind the building’s past?
Well, prior to Third Street moving in, the building served as the headquarters for the health department.
According to the Mansfield/Richland County Health Department (currently known as Richland Public Health) 1965 annual report, the health department occupied the building beginning in 1959.
“Expansion of programs, increased department services and the population growth required an expansion of facilities,” the report says. And so, the department added a wing onto the east side of the building, providing 2,700 square feet of additional space for offices and a clinic waiting room. The annex was completed in 1965.
This was the first facility, in the history of the city and county, built specifically for the health department, the report states. “Prior to the early 1920s, the health commissioner worked out of his private office. During the early twenties, the department occupied a house at 49 W. Second St., moving into rented quarters over the Ohio Theatre (currently known as the Renaissance Theatre) in 1929.
“In 1935 the department moved to the third floor of the city building and eventually occupied two-thirds of the space,” the report states.
According to the Mansfield Official City Directory from 1975, the health commissioner at the time, Dr. R.W. Wolford, also served as the county coroner and the coroner’s office was listed at the same location as the health department.
This could help explain the belief held by some of the Third Street Family Health Services staff that the building once served as a morgue.
“A few people have mentioned that they knew it had been used for either a funeral home or a morgue,” Blevins said.
The health department’s report said the City of Mansfield purchased the “old Bristor residence” located at the corner of West Third Street and Western Avenue in 1959 to be used for the health department.
The Bristor that the report was referring to was Fred T. Bristor, who was born in Macon County, Missouri on June 8, 1868.
According to the Citizens Historical Association’s biography on Fred Bristor, he was hired by the Farmers National Bank in Mansfield at the age of 16. In 1888, he became secretary of the Citizens Savings and Loan Company, later serving as president beginning in 1927.
He was a Democrat; a member of the Blue Lodge, Free and Accepted Masons, Commandery (Knights Templar), and Consistory (32nd degree); and a member of the Richland County Chapter of the Citizens Historical Association, the biography says.
On Nov. 18, 1891, he married Clara Buckner Caldwell, who was born in Paris, Missouri. Together, they had four children: Katharine, Thomas, Miriam and Richard.
According to his obituary printed in the Mansfield News Journal on March 1, 1945, Bristor was associated with Mansfield financial interests for 57 years.
Except for a stint with the Farmers National Bank, Bristor’s career had been associated with the Citizens Savings and Loan Company, which he headed as president at the time of his death, the obituary says.
He was also vice president of the Mansfield Savings Trust National Bank, past president of the Ohio Building and Loan League and a director of the National Building and Loan League.
He died in St. Petersburg, Florida, where he and his wife had been spending the winter, on Feb. 28, 1945. He was 76 years old.
According to the Mansfield Official City Directory from 1910-1911, Fred Bristor’s residence was listed at 40 Bertha Ave. during that period. Bertha Avenue later became Western Avenue, so his address changed to 40 Western Ave. According to the Citizens Historical Association, his address changed yet again to 60 Western Ave., which ultimately became 600 W. Third St. when the health department inhabited the space.
There are no records of a house listed at 40 Bertha Ave. (the original address) before 1911 in any of the city directories, so it appears the house was built in 1911. That’s the same year cited in Bristor’s obituary used to describe when he and his wife moved to their “present” home, 60 Western Ave., it says.
“It’s just so neat to me because this was a house,” Blevins said. “Somebody lived here. They went upstairs to their room at night. They had a kitchen, all that. And now it’s been totally transformed. And just knowing that a totally different generation lived here I find interesting.”
Note: Richland Source invites readers to share what they know about the history of this building. Feel free to comment below.
