OTTAWA — The city will make another try to condemn a historic Ottawa landmark, the Etta Semple house at 128 N. Locust. The Semple house was among several public hearings for the possible condemnation and demolition of several houses in poor condition. Semple opened the sanitarium in 1902. She was also well known as a freethinker, and was an early supporter of women’s right to vote. Semple died in 1914. The house has been vacant for several years and city officials have tried for nearly 30 years to have improvements done to the house. Previous commissioners have backed away from attempts to condemn the house because of public outcry but various attempts to restore the house have come to naught. The current owners have kept up the property taxes on the house but don’t have the money to repair or demolish it, said city planning and codes director Wynndee Lee.
Monday, March 11, 3 p.m.
