Our History | Oddfellows

About Jeremy Burnside

Jeremy M. Burnside (1978-2022) will be remembered for his spirited and tireless efforts at revitalizing the City of Portsmouth, Ohio. It is thanks to the vision and work of Jeremy and his wife, Maddie, that Milton Kennedy's historic three-story building (constructed, 1852) has been preserved and renovated for use by another generation of city residents.

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Jeremy graduated from the Appalachian School of Law in 2004 and practiced in Cleveland before moving to Portsmouth, where he built a successful tristate law practice. In 2012 he married Maddie Rutman. He helped start Friends of Portsmouth, inspiring community pride, setting three Guinness World Records, and boosting the city’s revitalization.

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Jeremy and Maddie purchased 526 Second Street in 2019. Here, the legacies of Milton Kennedy—abolitionist, Underground Railroad conductor, and Portsmouth entrepreneur—and Jeremy Burnside—the underdog’s attorney, community booster, and beloved friend—come together. As a monument to these two “odd fellows,” their lives and this building will continue to inspire Portsmouth for generations.

About Milton Kennedy

Milton Kennedy (1811–1896) was an abolitionist, Underground Railroad conductor, and champion of equal rights in Portsmouth. Born in Washington County, he later moved to Portsmouth in 1848 after careers in law, grain trading, and steamboat work. His business thrived, and in 1852 he built the first three-story building on Second Street, housing his store, a public hall, and the Odd Fellows lodge.

The History Behind Our Building

In the Gilded Age, the Huston Stone Front hosted restaurants, law offices, and public events, and its second floor—once a Civil War hospital—held fundraisers for the soldiers’ monument. It later housed Portsmouth’s first shoe factory, where Frederick Drew and George Selby began their work. Thanks to Jeremy and Maddie Burnside’s recent restoration, the building now preserves its 19th-century history for future generations.