Built in 1918 for James Robert “Jim” Tinsley and Roberta Partain Tinsley, this generous Craftsman-era bungalow sits on a lot gifted by Jim’s grandmother Julia Harris Houston Matthews when the couple returned from Columbus for Jim to manage the family ranch. Period descriptions say the plan was conceived as a mirror image of the M. J. Koch house across the block and commissioned from noted local builder Fred Meisenhelder. Floors and much of the interior woodwork are longleaf pine and oak, with handsome oak-veneer interior doors—typical of higher-grade Craftsman finishes of the 1910s. A substantial restoration in 1998 by grandson John L. Tinsley upgraded systems while preserving historic fabric.
Owners and family
Jim (b. July 31, 1877) was the son of John Willis Tinsley and Dora Houston Tinsley—linking the house to the wider Houston family network documented across several notable local properties. Roberta (b. 1894) and Jim raised their sons here; both are interred in the Masonic Cemetery (Roberta, 1950; Jim, 1956).