Who can forget Marge Schott, the controversial owner of the Cincinnati Reds? She was the first woman to head a major metropolitan auto dealership (Schott Buick), and the first to buy a national baseball team. After she was banned from managing the team by the MLB from 1996 through 1998 due to a series of inflammatory slurs that offended just about everyone imaginable, she sold the majority of her share in the team.
Schott died in 2004 at the age of 75, and now Ambleside, her sprawling mansion on 15 acres in Indian Hill, Ohio, is on the market for $3.95 million.
The estate was built in 1928 by architect John Henri Deeken and modeled after a mansion in Ireland. It’s considered one of his architectural masterpieces. (He also designed the Mack House that I got to tour last year, which is now owned by the drum tech for the Dave Matthews Band–I loved it!)
Nearly everything in this 19 room mansion is original to the 1920s construction, so it needs a lot of work. Over the past 5 years since Schott died, the home has remained empty, and the Marge and Charles J. Schott Foundation has been getting it ready to sell.
One task: removing the shag carpet that Marge had throughout the house (can you imagine?!).
The house has 11 woodburning fireplaces.
According to the Cincinnati Enquirer, the mansion was built for Leonard Smith Jr. and designed with live-in servants in mind. There are still call buttons in the rooms and a servants’ wing.
Marge and her husband Charles Schott bought the house in 1954. After he died in 1968, she lived here alone with her famous St. Bernard dogs until her death.
It took a year to inventory the contents and empty the mansion. Three separate auctions were held–two just for her baseball memorabilia. The outlying property has been subdivided into 9 other lots for developers, but 15 acres remain with the estate.
The kitchen was clearly designed with servants in mind, not homeowners.
Whoever invests in this estate will be buying a piece of Cincinnati history.
I love an old house with history. Ambleside reminds me of Cobble Court. They both look frozen in time. For more photos and information about this house, see the listing by Sibcy Cline or the article in the Cincinnati Enquirer.
If you’ve got some remodeling to do, check out CalFinder’s gallery of remodeled rooms for inspiration. They’re organized by room so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. (This morning I’ve been looking through their collection of kitchen remodels. Fun!) For those who need help with their remodel, CalFinder offers a free service that connects you with qualified contractors in your area.
{ 29 comments }
Love this house…even the kitchen has ‘character’; Since it is local, Julia, we should go is halfsies on it
Oh, I love this. The windows in some of those rooms are simply amazing! How fun it would be, to have the ability to restore, and renovate a classic like that.
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It is so beautiful. Those ceilings and the woodwork are just stunning.
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I can just imagine a horse-drawn carriage ambling down this drive and into the courtyard. Beautiful home! There are so many details that catch my eye, this comment would be too long. I am glad to hear they got rid of the shag carpet; which, I’m sure, with a bunch of St. Bernard’s didn’t smell too good either!
It’s beautiful, but it’s sooooo big it’s kind of creepy. I can’t imagine actually living in a house that big.
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Wow. Definitely too much house for me!! Can’t imagine it carpeted in shag!… wish there were pics somewhere of how she decorated. Empty as it is, it does look frozen in time like you said. Re Janet’s comment that it’s creepy… can you imagine the Halloween party that could be thrown here while it’s still vacant?!
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Beautiful! Other than checking the plumbing and structure/roof and tweaking the kitchen and baths a little, I wouldn’t do anything else to this. It’s really a gem. (Thanks for removing the shag!)
Wow, when you consider that this is less than Whoopi’s place, it would be worth moving from New York to Cincinnati! I hope someone with great taste and plenty of money buys this beautiful home.
wow great home, great price, def needs an update tho!
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I love Indian Hill – my in laws used to live there, and it is such an incredibly beautiful area. My husband and I were SO bummed when they moved away – we miss those great Cincinnati restaurants (I have a Montgomery Inn craving now). I enjoyed this tour!
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I love old houses. This one is great!
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LOVE the hardwood floors. Gorgeous!! The paneling is all a little dark for me, but it is a lovely home.
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Love the pics…can’t imagine living in a house that BIG!!!
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Dude! A portcullis! This is one of my favorite homes that you have shown. Thanks!
Hopefully someone will turn this into a wonderful home! I hope they keep the call-buttons
Beautiful, but that’s a lot of house for one person (even with servants). And I bet it is mighty drafty in winter….
This is a MUCH better buy than that house in TX you posted earlier this week!
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Oh, my. That house is amazing!
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Gorgeous.
Too big to live in, but how I’d love to decorate it!!
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I wish I liked this house. It just looks oversized and sad right now. I hope someone buys it and loves it because it could be amazing.
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The name caught my eye first of all – my home school program is called Ambleside Online (from Ambleside, England). I love this house! The outside, the kitchen, the everything. I did compare it with Cobble Court, and it’s interesting how they both have a similar large blue room. It’s fun to dream!
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Beautiful. The architecture is amazing.
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Helloheather, did you mean porkopolis?
Just kidding. That’s one house word I’m going to google as soon as I leave this comment!
I met Marge once. She came into a tuxedo place in Kenwood where I worked thru college. For Openning Day tuxes for the umps. She gave me free tickets, they were blue seats, way back then, lol! She had her cigarette & never even stopped puffing for a second. I can only imagine what that house must have smelled like… It’s beautiful though, so much detail. THanks for sharing, Julia!
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This house is amazing! We could have a big ole Blogland party in there!
Be a sweetie,
Shelia
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Oh, I do rememeber those days. I lived in Dayton, Oh (are you keeping track?) back then. I won the opportunity to throw the first pitch out at a Reds game in the early 90′s. I was actually afraid to see the interior pics. The shag carpet does not surprise me in the least. The place is stunning though. When it sells, I’d love the new owners to call me for the interior design work.
She also hosted many functions for kids and frequently had elephants on the lawn! I used to drive past that house at least once a week when I was in high school.
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That home is gorgeous! Is it weird that I like the kitchen?? Probably, but I do
rue
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This house is stunning! Good thing we get to see it without the shag carpeting!
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I would absolutely buy this if I could afford it, and I wouldn’t change a single thing (I would replace the range with an era-appropriate one like a Wedgewood Estate or Magic Chef 6300 6- or 8-burner). I love every inch!
The outside, the kitchen, the everything. I did compare it with Cobble Court, and it’s interesting how they both have a similar large blue room. It’s really fun to see all this great roof designs!
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