Photograph of Homer King, Howard Potter and Janet Lee

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Photograph of Homer King, Howard Potter and Janet Lee from the collections of the Worthington Historical Society (WHS) may be used for educational purposes as long as it is not altered in any way and proper credit is given: "Courtesy of the Worthington Historical Society, Worthington, OH." Prior written permission of the WHS is required for any other use of Photograph of Homer King, Howard Potter and Janet Lee. Contact WHS at info@worthingtonhistory.org to request permission.

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Photograph of Homer King, Howard Potter and Janet Lee is a picture, with genre photograph and group portraits. Its dimensions are 7 in. x 9 in..

It was created in 1948.

Worthington Historical Society is the Contributor.

This 1948 photograph may represent a meeting of the recently reorganized Worthington Business Association. The three individuals whose faces are fully visible are, from left to right, are Homer King, Howard Potter (standing), and Janet Lee—all prominent local business owners. Information provided by the Worthington Historical Society indicates that the photo was taken at what was then the Henri Boyd Inn. (This landmark at the corner of High Street and W. New England Avenue did not acquire the name The Old Worthington Inn until 1952.)

Homer King owned a roofing, gutters, and sheet metal installation company located on E. North Street in Worthington.

Howard Potter, who successfully steered the Potter Lumber & Supply Company through the Great Depression and the material shortages of World War II, was active in Worthington’s civic projects for many years. Potter Lumber & Supply was located at 580 E. Granville Road next to the railroad line near the city’s eastern boundary.

Janet Lee, who ran Maple Lee Flowers with her husband Charles, was one of the few female business owners in Worthington at this time. In 1945 Janet Lee began selling flowers that she and her husband grew at home by displaying them in the windows of local businesses. By 1946, the Lees had purchased and remodeled a storefront at 615 High Street and named it Maple Lee Flowers. The store had a greenhouse in the back and large picture windows facing High Street. In 1963 the Lees added to their High Street property by rescuing a carpenter gothic-style cottage slated for demolition. Before their purchase, the building was located across High Street on the Methodist church site and had served as the home of the Worthington Female Seminary’s principals during the early 19th century. The Lees moved the cottage to 38 Short Street behind the flower store, restored it, and named it Bird Song.

The Henri Boyd Inn was a busy place in 1948, hosting regular meetings of the Kiwanis Club of Northern Columbus and the Worthington Business Association, as well as "business man’s lunches," wedding receptions, and parties. In 1947 a brand new radio station, WRFD, began broadcasting from the Inn’s basement. Included with all the recording equipment came Polly, a parrot who starred in Bill Arthur’s “Happy Corners” radio show. Polly lived at the Inn until her demise in 1950 at age 34.

Though the name Henri Boyd is largely forgotten in Worthington, he and his wife would have been recognized by readers of the "Columbus Dispatch" "Society" pages during the 1930s and ‘40s. Henri Boyd first appears in the newspaper in 1929, described as an "experienced lyceum artist" and again with his wife in 1930 as "singers of wide repute." The Boyds operated several restaurant ventures on Columbus’s east side, often featuring music, dinner, and dancing, until 1938 when Henri Boyd leased the Beechwold Villa at 4784 N. High Street and renamed it Henri Boyd’s. This large, vaguely Mission Style building was a popular spot for Society-page wedding receptions, dinner parties, and fraternity/sorority dances in the 1930s and ‘40s. It could accommodate up to 500 people. The building still stands, taking up most of the block between E. Royal Forest Boulevard and E. Beechwold Boulevard.

In 1939, Boyd leased the Chase Tavern on High Street just south of Worthington as a restaurant and party venue. But he may not have stayed long. According to a classified advertisement in the Dispatch, it was for rent again in March 1941.

Boyd’s next venture was a block north of the Chase Tavern when, in 1946, he leased the then Hotel Central and renamed it Henri Boyd’s Inn. As with Boyd’s previous ventures, it opened after extensive remodeling, with a refurbished dining room seating 125 and a smaller party room for 35 guests.
By 1950, Henri Boyd and his wife were gone, though the business continued to be referred to as Henri Boyd’s Inn until 1952, when George Snyder assumed the lease and renamed it The Old Worthington Inn. The Boyds lived out their final years in Laguna Beach, California, showing up regularly in the Orange County voter registration lists from 1950 on.

It covers the topics business, businessmen and businesswomen.

It features the people Homer M. King, ?-1972, Janet Lee and Howard Potter, 1885-1974.

It features the organizations Business Men's Association of Worthington and Worthington Inn.

It covers the city Worthington. It covers the area Old Worthington.

You can find the original at Worthington Historical Society.

This file was reformatted digital in the format video/jpeg.

The Worthington Historical Society identification code is 73-G-167b.

The Worthington Memory identification code is whs0526.

This metadata record was human prepared by Worthington Libraries on January 19, 2021.