“Does the Flying Santa stay with the house?” was the often asked question at a well-attended open house held at 2074 Yorkshire Rd. in Upper Arlington. This classic home, and gently sloping adjoining lot, are currently on the market. The owners are hopeful that the house will welcome the next “caretaker” soon.
“We have always felt we were caretakers of the house” says Wendy Vaughan, homeowner. “This house helps to define the character that makes Upper Arlington special. We hope the next owners will preserve and care for the house as much as we have. We are ready to pass the torch.”
The 3-story stone home and adjoining lot is hard to miss; due to its prominent location at the corner of Yorkshire and Guilford Rds, the architecture, and it’s majestic stance atop a sweeping hill. It is difficult to pass by and not notice and admire the property.
“We’ve gotten letters from people that have moved away and been back to visit,” recounts Wendy. “Even if they aren’t personally connected to the house, seeing it brings back and defines their memories of growing up in Upper Arlington. It is fun, and sometimes sad, when those memories have been shared with us.”
The home was built in 1923 for, according to tax records, Florence C Covert. It sold in 1927 and has had 5 “caretakers” since. Current homeowners are Roger and Wendy Vaughan, and their three children, Katie, Zach, Sara and their dog Happy.
They purchased the house and side lot in 1989. “The house was in horrible shape. Everything needed to be done to it. It probably qualified to be condemned. We saw what it could be again,” Roger Vaughan remembers. In addition to making remodeling choices in character with the house, the Vaughans have preserved and maintained all of the original features of the home including the woodwork, flooring, doors and built-ins. The exposed stone in the kitchen, sun room and lower-level, echo the exterior, and combined, create an old European feel .
Lars Sandberg of Upper Arlington shared a memory he had about the property. “ About 30 years ago my father was visiting from Sweden and wanted to find a restaurant in town to eat. He wandered around and saw this house with tables along the side yard and on the side porch. This was what restaurants in the French countryside looked like so he went in to get a table!” Lars recalls.
“There are so many stories,” Wendy laughs. “We’ve gotten letters from people around the holidays, thanking us for putting the Santa up across the side yard. And we heard from people when we didn’t have Santa up for a few years! We felt we had an obligation to preserve a lot of memories!”
Santa and his sleigh with reindeer, which was made of plywood and, for years ,spanned across the side lot every holiday season, was inherited by the Vaughans when they moved into the house in 1988. It fell apart a few years ago. The Vaughans decided that it was too much a part of what defined the house to let it go. They had digital images taken of the almost 100 ft. long Santa and co. and had it re-made out of lighter composite metal material.
“Santa’s back!” says Roger. “It’s not that easy to get up there, but it’s worth it. It’s part of the house.”
So, yes, Santa does stay.
We would love to show you this amazing property. Contact us at panningribar@realliving.com.
Walk through this wonderful home…
place to hang art 