Notable builder, sports fan remembered with historical marker

A man who is credited with work on several houses and other structures in Oxford and the surrounding region was honored with a “Legends and Lore” marker in front of his former home on Oct. 25.

Harry Sylvester Thobe was born in Evansville, Indiana in 1870 and eventually settled in Covington, Kentucky, according to Brad Spurlock, manager of the Smith Library of Regional History.

During a ceremony to unveil the marker, Spurlock said Thobe developed a mastery of brick and masonry work while living in Kentucky before coming to Oxford in 1895 to lay brick for the railway.

Among the buildings and projects Thobe is credited with are some still at Miami University, as well as several homes in the area. But his masterpiece, Spurlock said at the ceremony, was his home, “Sunset Place,” at 131 W. Chestnut St.

Several ornate fireplaces on both the first and second floors adorned with art depicting the Virgin Mary, monks and other designs are some of the defining features of the home. At the front of the property is a raised porch with columns, above which are several brick arches.

The home was an “exhibition of his skill” and was built over a 20-year period, Spurlock said, adding it was rebuilt after a fire that occurred in 1932. Thobe also built a second home next door to Sunset Place in 1928 Spurlock called the “Spanish Bungalow,” and he donated a fountain to Miami that was eventually replaced with a plaque.

But Sunset Place, occupied today by Talawanda School District administrative offices, will now be the home of Thobe’s marker to commemorate his presence in the community for years to come.

Collette Stinson, Thobe’s great-granddaughter, said of the marker’s unveiling, “It’s emotional to me right now because I always have his stories, and I love them.”

Carole Poffinbarger, Stinson’s cousin and another great-granddaughter of Thobe, said, “I think, too, that his legacy is going to live on. And that, for me, is really something … for him to be honored like this.”

“This is our family heritage,” Poffinbarger said.

Poffinbarger told a story the girls heard as children of their great-grandfather “crashing” the gate at Miami games and entering the field with the marching band. 

“I think (Thobe was) one to carry the enthusiasm and spirit for Miami,” Poffinbarger said.

His enthusiasm was considered a “fixture” at Crosley Field, and he could be seen dancing along with Miami’s band at homecoming parades, according to a recent column by Spurlock detailing Thobe’s legacy as a “super fan” of Miami sports and the Cincinnati Reds. 

Another tale the women  heard was of Thobe dancing on the sidelines at Reds games, running with his megaphone, wearing red and white clothing and cheering on the home team. 

Oxford City Councilor Alex French said she heard about Thobe during a cemetery tour two years ago and was “struck” by how much there was to his story. When the city received an email from the William G. Pomeroy Foundation promoting the Legends and Lore Marker Grant Program, she felt Thobe was a “perfect fit.”

“He was a legendary person, and his legacy lives,” French said, remembering fans she recently saw at a Miami football game who were dressed in Thobe’s iconic red and white suit.

Mayor William Snavely said at the ceremony, “Harry Thobe really did make a difference.”

“If you look at this house, and you look at the one next door, you look at the different things that he had a hand in, he really did make a difference, and that’s the most that we can hope for in our lives,” he said.

French said the grant covered the marker and its installation, as well as any future repairs or replacements. She said an official dedication ceremony for the marker will be hosted in April.