Memories of the Hinchman Home

By Renea Bennett

The Hinchmans where very sweet down to earth people, Mrs. Hinchman used to have a Hat Shop and made hats and Mr. Hinchman was Feather Weight Golden Glove Boxer when he was young and he had a small photo of himself as a boxer on the mantel in the Family room (common room) off the kitchen. When mother would visit Mrs. Hinchman, Mr. Hinchman would show me things in the house.

Hinchman Home Postcard

When you went in the back door, on the side facing the wall of Central Jr. High, you were going into the kitchen, it was not very big, and there was a table straight from the door entrance. You went to the left to go to the basement, straight ahead to the hallway, just as your entered the hallway, to the right was the family room were Mr. Hinchman like to set and watch television. The hallway leads to the Dining, staircase, front door, and the Piano Room; it was the round room. They had a Baby Grand Piano in there and wooden glass cabinets with porcelain figurines that Mrs. Hinchman had made. They were porcelain Baby dolls of all kinds and she had a special one that looked like a real baby, she had made all the clothes that they were dressed in. My favorite was the cabinet that had the ballerinas’ in it! They were around three feet tall and it was a male ballerina posed holding the hand of the female posed on her toe. The tutu was handmade, then dipped it the porcelain. Mrs. Hinchman used a needle to open all the holes while on the ballerina then fired again. You could also enter the family room. I thought I was something because I could get in the broom closet in the kitchen and go along the wall and to the basement and get out of the house! They had bedrooms upstairs and I remember the round room being like a room for a princess, but don’t remember details. I stayed downstairs most of the time. They had beautiful chandeliers and the carpets were handmade oriental rugs, the rugs also went up the stairs. Beautiful heavy wood work and the staircase was wide, a large landing before coming down the rest of the stairs, so you could stop and make an entrance just like in the movies. The dining room had very elegant dining room suit, the china cabinets were full, and on top of the she had china painted the busts of people from India. There were more but that is what I remember. When you went to the basement the first room to the right was the room that had a very long table where she did all her ceramics. I love that room it was full of all types of paintbrushes, clay tools, paints and the smell of turpentine. I loved spending time with Mrs. Hinchman, she wore her hair twisted up like Katherine Hepburn, and always had on a smock that she sometimes cleaned her brushes. The basement had three rooms with shelves full of ceramic molds and two or three kilns for firing. She had a bedroom and bathroom down in the basement that she used when she could not go upstairs. The bedroom was nice the bed was set upon a carpeted platform; I remember that there was a lot of marble. The bathroom had gold faucets and fixtures and the bathtub and sink were made of marble. When I was young, I felt like I was in a palace. Mother was friends with the Hinchmans years and they traded Iris and Roses. When we would be in the basement working on ceramics, I remember Mrs. Hinchman talking about one day the City of Logan would have a city park because they were going to give it to the city. Mrs. Hinchman wanted the house and property used as an art gallery, and to help inspire local artist and musicians.

I remember Mrs. Hinchman making a ceramic Bull for my brother to take to the Boy Scout Jamboree in New Mexico to present to President Kennedy. She made me a Santa Clause. Mr. Hinchman always called me Bright Eyes.

Related Article: The Historical Hinchman House


1952 Hichman Home, Logan, WV
Source: 1952 Centennial Program Booklet, Page 67 published by the City of Logan.
1953 hand-painted plate by Mrs. Doran Hinchman, Logan, WV
1953 hand-painted plate by Mrs. Doran Hinchman with signature on the back. Images used with permission.

1930 Duesenberg Originally Owned by Doran Hinchman

Duesey owned by Doran Hinchman
Photo courtesy of Matt & Tracy Wilson in front of the 1931 Duesenberg Model J Convertible originally owned by Doran Hinchman of Logan. In 1930. Doran bought his new Duesy in Huntington at Bruce Perry Motors for $13,500. Eager to take delivery, he made the long trip to Indianapolis to pick it up. Even though the roads were pretty bad back then, he probably had a big smile on his face all the way back to Logan. Although he sold the car 16 years later, he stated he never stopped loving it. The car was sold at auction on January 16, 2014 for $2,200,000.

You may also enjoy: The Historical Hinchman House

28 thoughts on “Memories of the Hinchman Home”

  1. My great grandfather, Charlie Bennett, who came to Logan from Italy as a young man put the plumbing in for running water in the Hinchman home. As a stone mason he built many of the buildings in Logan and started the Logan Water Co.

  2. My Dad grew up in Logan and has an aloe Kentucky General Figurine. This was given to him and has the signature of Lula 13 Hinchman 59 on the bottom.

  3. I use to check Laura Hinchman and a wonderful man Paul Hinchman at the super America where i worked. Never met friendlier and nice people as they were. Paul came in every morning and got coffee with a smile. Laura was a retired teacher, always dressed and hair fixed and make up on and she was a wonderful cust o mer and person. I loved to see both of them come into the store. Oh what memories.

  4. I was the newspaper boy from 1963 to 1975 for the Hinchman’s. Extremely kind and generous. Doran always attempted to answer as many of the many questions I always had. Thanks Nae

  5. Arlene Esque Rounce

    Thanks for sharing. How did the house burn down? It sure was a beauty. What happened to them? Did they have family to leave the house and their treasures to?

    1. Arlene, use the search on this site.
      Put in The Historical Hinchman House
      by Dolores Davis. You will get your
      questions answered.

        1. Gloria HINCHMAN Groves

          Thank you so much for sharing. I am Gloria HINCHMAN Groves. I too grew up in a large Victorian home in Worthington, In. Our town park named a Building after my Dad, Jerry HINCHMAN. My mother too did ceramics and porcelain!

    2. Leslie Moore Rivers

      I inherited the Spode china from my grandmother, Helen Moore and wife of Dr Moore in Omar. Mrs Hinchmin (Lula?) was a ceramicist, just as my grandmother was. Helen admired the china, so Mrs Hinchmin gave it to her. I display it now in my china cabinet.

  6. Kathryn Barto Conley

    Renea, I really enjoyed reading your memories of the Hinchmans & their spectacular home. Did they have any children? What year was the house built? Thanks for sharing!

  7. I remember the house while growing up in Logan. Loved the house sitting at the bottom of the hill leading to the junior high. Heartbroken when it burned, it was such a good memory and representation of our little city for the time period.

  8. Beverly Ammar Joseph

    Thank you for posting this. I grew up in Logan and would often walk by the Hinchman House to admire its beauty. What a tragic loss after the fire! I would be interested in hearing more about the family’s background, if anyone has that information.

  9. I also visited the Hinchman house when I was a child. My grandmother, Willie Coffey, was a great friend of Lula. I still have several of her ceramic pieces that I cherish. It was so sad to see that magnificent house burn.

  10. Carolyn Bradbury

    I remember the home as a young child. I used to stare at its beauty as I walked by holding my Mother’s hand. I remember bits and pieces of stories. It would be awesome for a book to be written about this family and their home.

  11. Leslie Moore Rivers

    Lula Hinchman gave my grandmother, Helen Moore (wife of Dr Dana T Moore in Omar), her Spode China, which I have today. My grandmother and Lula both did ceramics and dolls together.

    1. Leslie Moore Rivers

      After reading that Mrs Hinchmin had a number of ballerinas, I also inherited several ballerinas from my grandmother, Helen Moore. I’m wondering if they originally belonged to Mrs Hinchmin. The ones that have been described in these posts are very similar to the ones I have. Some are displayed in my curio cabinet and a larger one in my guest bedroom.

  12. My husband, Steve Wilfong, was the Hinchsman’s great nephew, think was the family connection. His grandmother was Lucille Chambers. He use to visit the house when his family came in for summers. As a child I dreamed of living in that house. Broke my heart the day I went to school at Central and saw it smoldering. Listening to Steve’s stories and description of house was a real treat for me when we were dating.

  13. Karen White Boone

    I always loved this house as a child. I went to Central Jr. High and saw it everyday but still always saw something different when I looked at it. So sad that it burned.

  14. I always love that house from the first time I saw it was like something out of a fairytale I would love to see pictures of the inside if anyone has any please post them.

  15. NANCY CHAFIN NIEVES

    THE GARDEN ON THE HILL AND ALL THOSE TREES AND THE GAZEBO. USE TO SKATE DOWN THE DRIVE WAY. WONDERFUL PEOPLE. I HAVE A PICTURE OF LULABELL AND DORAN IN HIS BOXER SHORTS. MAYBE I WILL GET SOME ONE YO PUT THEM ON FACEBOOK.

    CAN”T AND CAN NOT TYPE WELL ANY MORE

  16. Becky (Steele) Lay

    Renea, I am Doran’s niece on the Hinchman side. I wanted to let to know I loved reading about your memories of Uncle Doran and Aunt Lula. It hurt so bad when their house burned. Reading about your memorys helped me remember some of mine. The lions on the front porch were my royal steeds. That house did make one feel like a princess. Thank you for what you wrote.
    Becky Lay

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