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Official hopes historic Ravenswood house sees bright future, too

By Candice Black 3 min read

RAVENSWOOD -- From John F. Kennedy and Louis Armstrong to ghosts and culture, the McIntosh House in Ravenswood has both a history and future potential.

Built in 1890 by John McIntosh, the home has been preserved through the years and is a community meeting place.

With historic architecture including an impressive tower, a stained glass window and high ceilings, the home has maintained its original charm.

Katrena Ramsey, superintendent for the Ravenswood Board of Parks and Recreation, said the home was handed over to the city in the 1930s after McIntosh passed away and it was left to various heirs.

"One of the heirs owed a lot of taxes, the wealthy heirs in Florida suggested giving the city the house and that fixed everything," she said.

When the house was given to the city, the man who held Ramsey's position as recreation superintendent lived in the apartment upstairs. Throughout the years, the house has been a space for live music, political campaigns and group meetings.

John F. Kennedy enjoyed a cup of coffee in the kitchen after delivering a speech on the porch of the home during his presidential campaign in 1960.

Louis Armstrong performed on a piano that's still in the home on the second floor.

With a combination of rich history and the potential for cultural growth, Ramsey said the home holds a special place in her heart.

"This place is near and dear to my heart because I see the possibilities of it. I'm afraid that if somebody doesn't start fixing it, it would be a devastating situation," she said.

Ramsey said the roof needs replaced along with the ceiling in a few spots. The second floor is not handicapped accessible so Ramsey is working to make it so.

On the second floor, a walkway was built in to connect the home to the neighboring National Youth Association Hall. It is a gateway into a large banquet hall space but the issue is the lack of handicapped accessibility.

"One thing I've been working on is to get an elevator to this room. It breaks my heart that people can't use the building. To me, this is a community building but it's not a community building if it doesn't serve everybody in the community," Ramsey said.

Last year, the McIntosh House got a face lift when the porch, which was not original to the house, was torn down. New concrete was poured and a local blacksmith hand-crafted the iron railings.

"You could do your wedding right here with the arch. I really foresee using this as a stage. We could close down the street if we need to," Ramsey said. "I see this as having a lot of possibilities. When we do Harvest in the Woods Festival, I want to do a secondary stage that would be acoustic here, it gets great shade in the evening."

As is common with old houses, the McIntosh House has had some strange occurrences but who knows, maybe the spirits there want to make sure their house is taken care of?

The home is available to rent for any type of event. For more information, contact Ramsey at 304-532-5268.

Candice Black can be reached at cblack@newsandsentinel.com.

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