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East Liverpool ornament walk a success

East Liverpool Historical Society Interim President Merle Russo, left, accepts a $650 donation from Kathryn Purton Giambroni and Krista Miller Romano of The Pear Tree Shop, which organized and hosted a two-week long ornament walk in December to benefit the Historical 1876 Thompson House. (Submitted photo)

EAST LIVERPOOL — The Pear Tree Shop, 433 Broadway St., organized and hosted a two-week long ornament walk in December to benefit the Historical 1876 Thompson House. Almost 20 downtown businesses participated in this inaugural event which generated $650.

Tickets were sold for $10 at the bookstore and buyers received a list of the local businesses that had ornaments available to collect.

The businesses which took part in the activity were: The Carriage House, The Museum of Ceramics, The Upper Ohio Valley Museum at the Lou Holtz Hall of Fame, The Vault, Fresh on Fifth, Steelnative Coffee, Craft Treasures & Boutique, The Way Station, The Way Station’s Second Chance Book Nook, City Soup, Friendly Jack’s, Riverview Florists, Bob & Robins Flowers, The Moose Lodge, Nikki’s Market, Harriett’s Attic, and Tri-State Supplies.

Participants had the opportunity to visit each location between the dates of Saturday, Dec. 7 to Saturday, Dec. 21 to pick up their special ornament. Proceeds were recently presented to Merle Russo, interim president of the East Liverpool Historical Society, by Kathryn Purton Giambroni and Krista Miller Romano from The Pear Tree Shop, which is owned by Carrie Ann Williams. The money was then donated to the Thompson House, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, that is located at 305 Walnut Street.

The nearly 150-year-old Victorian structure, which is found on the National Register of Historic Places, is in financial need to replace the roof of the house, which has been leaking causing damage to the ceilings in several rooms with the fear of mold developing and spreading.

Portions of the porches including the custom railings, balusters and spindles are rotting from exposure and also need replaced. Estimates for the damage and replacement come to $116,000 for the roof and $50,000 for the porches. Due to the age and status of the house, many of the original materials used when the home was constructed are no longer available or Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) approved, such as tin for the roof. The ELHS board has been pursuing grants and other means to fund the repairs with only some minor success.

For those who would like to contribute to the Thompson House repair fund, charitable donations may be made to the East Liverpool Historical Society and mailed to P.O. Box 476, East Liverpool, Ohio 43920, or Venomed to @Thompson-House-1876.

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