Selden & Nancy Osborn House, 29059 Lake Road, c. 1832-1847
The east end (on the left) is likely the original house of Selden and Nancy Osborn. Photo by William Krause
The eighth in a series of articles to be published as a walking tour of Lake Road by the Bay Village Historical Society in 2025.
Selden was the only son of Reuben and Sarah Osborn. He was born in 1809 in New York and married Ohioan Nancy Ruple in 1833.
Selden first owned land in the 1830s away from Lake Road and tax records are not clear as to when this house was built. His father owned this land until 1842 when 25 acres were transferred to Selden and the tax value went up significantly in 1847. The house has had many additions with the east end of the current house probably the original.
"Osborn Family History" by Julia Osborn Scott states that Selden and Nancy lived here all of their married lives, raising nine children and taking in paying guests from Cleveland for summer vacations. It also says: “Selden was an herb doctor, receiving his training in a doctor’s office. He grew his own herbs. Nancy brewed them for him. He travelled by horseback with … two saddle bags – one for … his medicine.”
Selden was a captain in the Ohio militia. Nancy was a deeply religious woman. Their granddaughter Mabel occupied the house until 1969.
William Krause
William R. Krause, AICP, retired as the Assistant Planning Director of the City of Westlake in 2020 after over 30 years with the city. He also served on the Bay Village Planning Commission for 9 years. He was a trustee for the Bay Village Historical Society from 2020 to 2021 and a former board member of the Westlake Historical Society. He was chair of their Lilly Weston Committee and was a member of the Reuben Osborn Learning Center Steering Committee. He is currently a Trustee of the Western Reserve Architectural Historians and the Gates Mills Historical Society. He has been married to Debra for 41 years and is the father of three grown children, grandfather of six and co-owner of a Yellow Lab named Sadie.