Dr. Hickey & Hunter House

Last Updated:

Dr. Charles Hickey grew up in Parma, Ohio. He majored in chemistry at The Ohio State University before graduating from OSU’s College of Medicine in 1979.  After his internship at Riverside Methodist Hospital, he returned to Ohio State to complete his residency in ophthalmology at The Havener Eye Institute.

For the past 38 years, Dr. Hickey has been performing cataract surgery and managing patients with diabetic eye disease in central Ohio. A strong advocate for patients, he has served as President of The Ohio State Medical Association, Mt. Carmel Hospitals’ Medical Staff, and the Columbus Medical Association. Currently, he sits on the American Medical Association Council on Constitution and Bylaws and is the Chair of the Quality Committee for the Mount Carmel Health System Board. We are so proud to have him affiliated with Columbus Ophthalmology Associates.

Hunter House

A father of nine and grandfather of two, Dr. Hickey has many interests outside of his clinical duties, including botany and gardening. After raising his family in Upper Arlington, where he served as “Tree Commissioner”, Dr. Hickey and his wife, Susan, purchased and restored a homestead that was originally built by physician and businessman, Dr. Obed Horr, in 1850. After Dr. Horr passed away, the home and farm were purchased by Vincent Hunter in 1863 with monies earned by selling grain to the Union Army. The Hunter family occupied the home for seven generations until Dr. Hickey and his wife purchased it in 2009.

Known as “Hunter House”, this unique, Greek Revival/Italianate style home sits on twenty-four acres of original farmland along the banks of the Little Darby Creek. There, Dr. Hickey and his wife are only a walk away from all the Mechanicsburg village amenities and are 24 miles away from the Dublin COA office.

“The Hunter family modified their home extensively from 1863 until approximately 1908, adding French Renaissance detailing in the front parlors and Tiffany-style art glass and quarter sawn oak woodwork in the plainer rear portions of the house.”

Since purchasing the home, Dr. Hickey and his wife have worked hard to update and restore the Hunter House. They’ve added modern touches while retaining the architectural and stylistic details that make Hunter House unique. “We replaced a kitchen/summer kitchen wing with new build construction to accommodate modern kitchen and baths. But, the second floor still has its unaltered Greek Revival architectural finishes.” 

Particularly interesting is Hunter House’s connection to art. In 1879, Vincent Hunter commissioned a painting of his property from the artist, Henry Dousa. The painting depicts the house, outbuildings, and three cows in the front yard. 

Henry Dousa’s painting of Hunter House

Henry Dousa’s painting of Hunter House.

Nearly one hundred and fifty years since that painting was commissioned, Dr. Hickey and Susan had three red wire cow sculptures commissioned in 2016 from the artist, Tim Rietenbach of the Columbus College of Art and Design. “The sculptures spent the summer of 2015 floating in the Scioto River at North Bank Park to celebrate the City of Columbus bicentennial.”

Now, the three cow sculptures reside on Dr. Hickey’s property—placed in the exact locations depicted in the painting. What a wonderful way to recreate and memorialize Henry Dousa’s historic artwork!

cow sculptures on Dr. Hickey’s property

Tim Rietenbach’s cow sculptures on Dr. Hickey’s property.

Since purchasing Hunter House, Dr. Hickey has planted and nurtured trees, has tended to his very large garden, and has held numerous private tours of this wonderful property. Enjoying all the benefits of rural life on his homestead, Dr. Hickey is truly a modern Renaissance Man!

The doctors at Columbus Ophthalmology Associates have either authored or reviewed the content on this site.

Ready to Schedule an Appointment?

Our Locations

Dublin Office

5155 Bradenton Ave.
Suite 200
Dublin, Ohio 43017

(614) 766-2006
map-east-location

East Columbus

5965 East Broad St.
Suite 480
Columbus, OH 43213

(614) 766-2006
Grove City location map

Grove City

4176 Kelnor Drive
Grove City, OH 43123

(614) 766-2006
Washington courthouse map

Washington Courthouse Office

1450 Columbus Ave.
Suite 106
Washington Courthouse, Ohio 43160

(614) 766-2006
Follow Us On Facebook

Someone from our team will contact you within 24-48 business hours. Please Advise: if you have an emergency or need immediate assistance, please call our office directly at (614) 766-2006 or call 911.

*Communications through our website or via email are not encrypted and are not necessarily secure. Use of the Internet or email is for your convenience only, and by using them, you assume the risk of unauthorized use.

Call

Appointments

Search

Back To Top