Lewis House

36 West South St.

Image: (1) 36 W South St/Lewis House, 1976; (2) Elias Lewis

This house is of interest because it was built with no particular architectural distinction in the local vernacular style which was common in pioneer towns. The house has a long association with the Lewis family who contributed greatly to the Worthington community.

Elias Lewis, the builder and original owner of the house, came to Worthington in 1806 at the age of 10 when his father took over the operation of the sawmill on the river. Elias went on to become a bricklayer and plasterer who specialized in chimneys. This house is one of the few residences that Elias is known to have built.

The original portion, built ca. 1834, is unlike most early Worthington homes since it has a mortared brick foundation instead of fieldstone. The western addition to the house dates back to 1857 at the time of Lewis' second marriage to Eliza Paramore.

Lewis served his community in many capacities – he was a lay preacher and trustee of the original Methodist congregation from 1820 – 1884, as was his son Worthington Columbus Lewis. He also served as village trustee and town fire warden for a time and drove a horse drawn omnibus from the Bishop House (Worthington Inn) to Columbus

(Private residence)