Obituary:
Ye Olde Chase Tavern |
Edward Lee Test
Spouse:
Born: January 5, 1876
Died: February 7, 1934
Publication:
Date:
Heart Attack Fatal to Edward L. Test
Connected With Restaurants for Years Here
Heart disease caused the death Wednesday evening of Edward L. Test, 59 at his home, 73 Medbrook Way. He had been associated with the hotel and restaurant business in Columbus for many years.
For four years prior to last fall he operated the Old Chase Tavern at Worthington.
He is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lettie L. Test, two brothers, Walter of Youngstown, and Bramwell of Detroit, and his mother, Mrs. Sarah E. Test, of 266 Oak Street.
Funeral services will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday at the Denton & Donaldson chapel, and burial will be made in Beallville, Monroe county, Saturday.
E.L. Test, Prominent Restauranteur,
is Dead
Funeral services for Edward L. Test, aged 59, for many years associated with local hotels and restaurants, who died Wednesday night at his home, 73 Medbrook Way, will be held at the Denton & Donaldson funeral home Friday at 7:30 p.m. The body will then be taken to Beallsville, Monroe county, for burial Saturday.
Test retired last after operating the old Chase tavern, Worthington, for the past four years. He was stricken with a heart attack Wednesday morning.
He was a former manager for J.O. Mills, restaurant proprietor, and managed the Star hotel for 13 years. His wife, mother and two brothers survive him.
Ye Olde Chase Tavern
The Olde Chase Tavern was located at 5939 North High Street in Worthington, Ohio--a near north suburb of Columbus. High Street is the main north-south Columbus artery.
According to his obituary, Mr. Test lived at 73 Medbrook Way in Columbus. This house--still there, in one of the best neighborhoods in Columbus--is a block west of High Street. It would have been convenient for him to walk the block to High Street to hop on the street car that would take him to the front door of his tavern.
The tavern was established in one of the early houses in the town. It was probably built about 1830.
According to
"Edward Test, manager of 'Mills 19' restaurant opened it in 1929 as 'Ye Olde Chase Tavern'. It became a highly favored dining spot for Central Ohio."Mr. Test named the tavern in honor of two former residents of Worthington - Bishop Philander Chase (an Episcopal bishop and founder of Kenyon College) and Salmon P. Chase (Ohio governor, U.S. Sec. of the Treasury and Chief of the U.S. Supreme Court).
The house was a traditional "5 over 4" (five windows on the 2nd floor and four windows and the 1st floor) farmhouse. It was constructed from locally produced bricks. The interior was mostly oak.
While the the building that housed the Chase Tavern was demolished in the early 1960's, most of the other old buildings on the block have been preserved. This block of "Old Worthington" is still much as was in the 19th century.
My wife--Julia Loch--who found the drawing of the tavern above and an article about the house, is an Associate Research Librarian at the Old Worthington Library. The library is located one block north and one block east of where Ye Olde Chase Tavern was located.
--RWT
Transcribed 6/18/2000 by RWT