Partner Howard W. Burns
Queer Places:
Hausfrau Haven, 769 S 3rd St, Columbus, OH 43206
Green Lawn Cemetery
Columbus, Franklin County, Ohio, USA
Frederick
James Holdridge (December 28, 1923 – December 23, 2010) was a German Village icon, urban pioneer, community activist and patron of the arts.
Known to many as the hat-wearing half of "Fred & Howard," Fred's generosity,
commitment and fun-loving spirit leaves Columbus and German Village much the
richer in the arts and culture, history, tolerance and good times. To many, he
was a local hero.
Frederick James Holdridge was born and raised in Lima, Ohio. He served in the Army in France during World War II and graduated in 1950 from Kenyon College. After residing in Chicago and New York, he moved to Columbus in 1959 with his partner, Howard Burns, where they invested in real estate and co-owned Hausfrau Haven, an eclectic general store that evolved into a neighborhood center and local landmark. Fred was a passionate advocate of the arts and historic preservation. He was a long-time board member and president of the German Village Society, founding member and president of the board of Contemporary American Theatre Company (CATCO) and the recipient of numerous civic awards. Fred was the catalyst for bringing Oktoberfest back to German Village in 1986, which raised funds that supported many important neighborhood projects, including the purchase and renovation of the German Village Meeting Haus and the hiring of the neighborhood's first historic preservation officer. He created the German Village "Fun Committee," which instituted the annual "Pet Parade" and "Casseroles and Carols," among other events.
Fred & Howard wrote columns and movie reviews for several Columbus publications and made frequent radio appearances on WOSU-FM and WTVN-FM with Bob Connors. Fred loved traveling around the world, popcorn, root beer floats, Kewpie burgers, movies, Broadway plays and the company of friends.
As German Village evolved into a high-end residential community and a dining and nightlife destination, Fred and Howard, widely known by just their first names, "presided over the cluttered store as a pair of bon vivants and philosophers," the Columbus Dispatch reported after Fred's death. In a 1985 story, the newspaper called Fred and his partner "the popes of German Village." "They were visionary in recognizing the importance of professional theater in contributing to a vibrant quality of life," Bruce Harkey, executive director of the Franklin Park Conservatory, told the Dispatch. CATCO co-founder Geoffrey Nelson said, "Fred was down-to-earth, funny, and one of the most generous souls I know." The newspaper also quoted Columbus businessman David Schooler, who said, "Fred's real legacy was that he molded a lot of people to be good citizens of this community."
Fred got involved with the German Village Society’s leadership and ultimately served as the Board President for a jaw-dropping 16 years. Ultimately he would serve as a treasured Trustee for more than two decades. He brought Oktoberfest back to German Village. When he grew tired of waiting for the City to repair a gaping pothole in the middle of Beck Street, he planted a tree in it and made heads turn. (The fact that the pothole was in front of Lindey’s and he planted the tree during a very busy lunch hour helped get attention!) Each year he drove through German Village with a megaphone announcing that the Pet Parade was about to start, and he established the Society’s “Fun Committee” as a way to celebrate the camaraderie so inherent in our neighborhood roots without worrying about raising funds. The legacy of Fred and Howard is so alive today, and the traditions that Fred instilled are still celebrated by the Society’s Trustees and membership.
The couple earned a deep but quiet respect in the gay community and declined an offer to be guests of honor at the city's Gay Pride Parade in 2001. Fred said later, "We've always had the feeling that you don't flaunt it. You're part of the community, and you should be accepted for who you are, not what you are."
In 2008, the Village Singers of Columbus honored Fred as a champion of German Village with a musical revue called What's Poppin'? The Life and Times of Fred Holdridge.
Fred retired in 1996. Howard Burns died in 2001. Fred died peacefully in his home on December 23, 2010. He was 86.
My published books:
