Coshocton home marks 102 years in family

In the simplest of terms, a house is defined as a structure where people live. In comparison a home is a place of comfort, belonging and attachment. The residence of 663 John St. in Coshocton is a home set to mark a rare milestone: 102 years within the same family.

Built in 1910 in what was then known as the Kenilworth Addition, 663 John St. became part of the Hiser family after William Ambrose Hiser purchased the property April 28, 1924, from George Bordenkircher and his siblings.

The face of 663 John St. has taken on many changes throughout the decades. Originally a wooden frame house, it was later covered with asbestos shingles in the 1920s, restored to wood in the late 1950s and updated with white aluminum siding in the 1970s.

After electricity and indoor plumbing was installed, the old outhouse that sat along the alley was converted into a chicken coup by Florence Hiser. Her granddaughter Catherine recalls climbing onto the roof of the chicken coup to watch races at the nearby fairgrounds. Over time the old wooden outbuilding was demolished, and in the 1980s the same spot held a large satellite dish, reflecting another change.

Today, 663 John St. has passed through three generations with William Hiser’s granddaughter still connected to the home he bought a century ago. The memories and stories are what makes 663 John St. a remarkable home.

One of the family’s most enduring symbols was a large pine tree Bill planted in the backyard for Catherine’s first Christmas in 1935. The pine grew into a towering beacon until it was cut down for safety reasons in the 1980s.

Florence Hiser worked many years at the Indianapolis Glove Factory in Coshocton. She walked from John Street to South Fifth Street each day. In 1936 she and 11 other workers made headlines after a factory labor dispute resulted in a bench warrant being issued.

William “Bill” Hiser worked 12 years for the state highway department. But in 1937 while the country was still dealing with the aftermath of the Great Depression, William left his job and leased a filling station at Seventh and Pine in Coshocton, opening the William Hiser Gulf Station.

In May 1942 William and Florence Hiser, who were married April 24, 1917, celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary. The entire family gathered in the backyard to commemorate the event with a photograph in front of the wooden garage Bill had built in 1926. Sadly, a few weeks following the celebration, William Hiser underwent an emergency appendectomy and died June 14, 1942.

In 1943 Florence remarried, but life was not the same without Bill. By 1949 she divorced her second husband, sold her household goods and transferred the John Street home to her daughter Julia. At age 50 Florence entered nursing school. She earned her registered nurse credential and worked at the Columbus State Hospital until 1963.

Florence’s daughter Julia Berry, her husband Arthur, and their children Catherine and Tom moved into 663 John St. in 1949. The young family brought new life to the residence in the years that followed, continuing the family’s connection to the property.

Catherine remembers the days before modern appliances when an icebox sat on the back porch and neighborhood children chased the ice truck for cool shavings on summer days.

The home’s location near the county fairgrounds gave the family a front row seat to local history. In June 1946 Catherine watched Mad Marshal Jacob’s flagpole wedding from an upstairs window, and each fall she and her brother Tom looked on as fairgoers gathered near the grandstand.

By 1963 Florence had settled in across the street from her beloved home. Her daughter Julia had divorced, and Julia moved to Wooster. The house passed to Catherine, who moved into 663 John St. with her husband Charles Wegener and their children.

Catherine and Charles raised their children and raised their home to a new level. What was once a four-room house with a closed porch became an eight-room home, thanks to the skills of Charles and his sons.

Now, a century after William Hiser bought the property, the family is preparing to celebrate 102 years of life at 663 John St.

For the Hiser, Berry and Wegener families, the house stands as more than a structure. It remains a piece of Coshocton history, shaped by generations of work, loss, celebration and everyday family life.