STATE BOARD RECOMMENDS 16 OHIO NOMINATIONS TO THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Members of the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board have voted to recommend to State
Historic Preservation Officer William K. Laidlaw, Jr., that nominations for the following properties in Ohio be
forwarded to the Keeper of the National Register of Historic Places for her consideration (additional
background on each property follows below):
Barnesville / Belmont County
Friends Boarding School and Ohio Yearly Meetinghouse Historic
District
61830 Sandy Ridge Rd.
Canton / Stark County
John and Syd Dobkins House
5120 Plain Center N.E.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Cheviot Fieldhouse
3729 Robb Ave.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Hyde Park Methodist Episcopal Church
1345 Grace Ave.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Nurre-Royston House
4330 Errun Ln.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Pinecroft
2336 Kipling Ave.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Sedamsville River Road Historic District
2449-2748 River Rd., 309-317 Mt. Hope, and 604 Mt. Echo
Dayton / Montgomery County
Jonah Bull House
2233 Wayne Ave.
Dayton / Montgomery County
Grafton-Rockwood Historic District
roughly bounded by Homewood, Grafton, Five Oaks, and Old Orchard Aves.
Dayton / Montgomery County
Julienne Girls' Catholic School
325 Homewood Ave.
Ironton / Lawrence County
Downtown Ironton Historic District
Portions of Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth,
Center Sts., Park Ave., Vernon St., and Bobby Bare Blvd.
Kings Mills / Warren County
Ahimaaz King House
1720 E. King Ave.
Lancaster / Fairfield County
Fairfield County Children's Home
1743 E. Main St.
Mount Vernon / Knox County
Richard and Ann Loveridge House
12526 Lower Green Valley Rd.
Springfield / Clark County
Masonic Temple
125 W. High St.
Westerville / Franklin County
Temperance Row Historic District
vicinity of Park, Grove, Walnut and University Sts.
The board's recommendations were made on Friday, August 1, 2008, during a meeting held at the State Library of
Ohio in Columbus. As a result, nominations for each of the properties will be forwarded to the Keeper of the
National Register, who directs the program for the U.S. Department of the Interior.
If the Keeper agrees that the properties meet the criteria for listing, they will be added to the National
Register of Historic Places. A decision from the Keeper is expected in about 90 days.
About the National Register
The National Register lists places that should be preserved because of their significance in American history,
architecture, archaeology, engineering, and culture. It includes buildings, sites, structures, objects, and
historic districts of national, state, and local importance.
To be eligible for listing on the National Register a property or district must:
- be associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our history,
or
- be associated with the lives of people significant in our past, or
- embody the distinctive characteristics of a type, period, or method of construction, or represent the work
of a master, or possess high artistic values, or represent a significant, distinguishable entity whose
components may lack individual distinction (e.g. a historic district), or
- have yielded, or be likely to yield, information important in prehistory or history.
National Register listing often raises community awareness of a property. However, listing does not obligate
owners to repair or improve their properties and does not prevent them from remodeling, altering, selling, or
even demolishing them if they choose to do so.
Owners or long-term tenants who rehabilitate income-producing properties listed on the National Register can
qualify for a 20 percent federal income tax credit if the work they do follows the Secretary of the Interior's
Standards for Rehabilitation, guidelines used nationwide for repairs and alterations to historic buildings.
In Ohio anyone may prepare a National Register nomination. Nominations are made through the Ohio Historic
Preservation Office of the Ohio Historical Society. Proposed nominations are reviewed by the Ohio Historic
Site Preservation Advisory Board, a governor-appointed panel of citizens and professionals in history,
architecture, archaeology, and related fields. The board reviews each nomination to see whether it appears
to be eligible for listing on the National Register, then makes a recommendation to the State Historic
Preservation Officer. The final decision to add a property to the register is made by the National Park
Service, which administers the program nationwide.
The Ohio Historic Preservation Office is Ohio's official historic preservation agency. A part of the Ohio
Historical Society, it identifies historic places in Ohio, nominates properties to the National Register of
Historic Places, reviews federally-assisted projects for effects on historic, architectural, and archaeological
resources in Ohio, consults on the conservation of older buildings and sites, and offers educational programs
and publications.
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Background
At its August 1, 2008, meeting, the Ohio Historic Site Preservation Advisory Board voted to recommend the following properties for nomination to the National Register of Historic Places. Additional background on the properties is available to be faxed or e-mailed on request. Contact Tom Wolf, (614) 298-2000. Contact Tom Wolf, (614) 298-2000, (614) 297-2346, or
twolf@ohiohistory.org.
Barnesville / Belmont County
Friends Boarding School and Ohio Yearly Meetinghouse Historic District
61830 Sandy Ridge Rd.
The Friends Boarding School and Ohio Yearly Meetinghouse Historic District has been recommended for nomination
to the National Register for the role that the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) played in developing
Warren Township, its association with the history of Quaker education, and for its well-preserved school and
meetinghouse, two traditional Quaker building types. Friends Boarding School is the only remaining Quaker-based
secondary school in operation in Ohio and one of nine in operation in the U.S. Agriculture was an important
component of the school curriculum, and the school grounds have always included farm land and outbuildings. As
the school grew, additional properties outside the grounds were used for the agricultural program, so the
proposed historic district also includes the former Plummer Farm, donated by the Morlan family in 1940, and
adjacent Taber Farm, acquired in 1957.
Canton / Stark County
John and Syd Dobkins House
5120 Plain Center N.E.
The Dobkins House is proposed for nomination to the National Register for its local significance as an example
of Frank Lloyd Wright's Usonian architecture. Designed by Wright in 1953 and completed in 1954, the Dobkins
House is one of three Wright-designed Usonian houses in Canton. Its distinctive geometric design module based
upon an equilateral triangle reflects Wright's Usonian design philosophy.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Cheviot Fieldhouse
3729 Robb Ave.
When it was incorporated in 1932, the City of Cheviot identified recreation as a key need, and in 1935 bought a
plot of land on Robb Ave. that became the site of the Cheviot Fieldhouse, completed in 1936 through a
Roosevelt-era Works Progress Administration (WPA) grant. Proposed for nomination to the National Register as a
reflection of the early 20th century idea that exercise, recreation, and other leisure time pursuits help
foster good citizenship, the Art Deco style Cheviot Fieldhouse has a gymnasium that is used for basketball,
volleyball, dances, receptions, and other events, and a large meeting room where organizations like the Cheviot
Civic Association, Cheviot Fire Association, and Veterans of Foreign Wars have met for generations. The 9.4
acre site has tennis courts, a playground, a shelter house, and three ball fields, including one with a wooden
grandstand completed in 1939.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Hyde Park Methodist Episcopal Church
1345 Grace Ave.
Hyde Park Methodist Episcopal Church is proposed for nomination to the National Register for its local
architectural significance as an early 20th century Collegiate Gothic style church building with extensive
social and educational facilities that reflect the growth of the "community church" idea among mainline
Protestant congregations in the early 20th century. Completed in 1927, and praised in church and architectural
publications of the time, the building is medieval in appearance, but modern in plan with its Community Wing
and extensive social and recreational facilities that are rooted in Progressive Era ideas about the role of the
church in the community, and materials and craftsmanship that reflect the influence of the early 20th century
Arts and Crafts Movement, which honored the craftsmanship of pre-industrial times.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Nurre-Royston House
4330 Errun Lane
One of two houses in St. Bernard that pre-date its incorporation in 1878, the Nurre-Royston House is a
two-and-a-half story brick house that was built c. 1855 and was originally part of a 54-acre farm. It is
proposed for nomination to the National Register for its association with the Nurre family, who helped develop
St. Bernard. When the Nurre family opened their farmland to development, it helped transform St. Bernard into
a residential/industrial suburb, providing housing for workers employed in St. Bernard's growing industrial
area.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Pinecroft
2336 Kipling Ave.
Completed in 1928, Pinecroft is a Tudor Revival estate proposed for nomination to the National Register for its
association with inventor, industrialist, and entrepreneur Powel Crosley, Jr. (1886-1961). One of Cincinnati's
most dynamic entrepreneurs and most colorful personalities, Crosley and his brother Lewis were responsible for
many firsts in consumer products and broadcasting. Crosley's manufacturing empire produced automobiles, radios,
and refrigerators, and his other ventures included developing WLW radio, the most powerful station in the U.S.
He played a major role in support of the U.S. military effort in World War II, and owned the Cincinnati Reds
baseball team for many years. Also proposed for nomination to the National Register for its local architectural
significance as an example of the Tudor Revival style and the large country estates of the 1920s, Pinecroft was
designed by architect James Dwight Baum. The house has many features typical of the Turdor Revival style,
including picturesque asymmetrical massing; masonry and half-timbered walls; an undulating tile roof;
crenellated tower; Tudor-arched openings; and diamond-paned casement windows.
Cincinnati / Hamilton County
Sedamsville River Road Historic District
2449-2748 River Rd., 309-317 Mt. Hope, & 604 Mt. Echo
A small hillside community located along the banks of the Ohio River, Sedamsville is one of Cincinnati's oldest
neighborhoods. The Sedamsville River Road Historic District is proposed for nomination to the National Register
for its association with one of the area's most important land, water, and rail transportation corridors, which
influenced the area's growth and development, as well as for for its association with the German, Irish, and
other immigrants who once lived there. Buildings in the proposed district range in date from 1860 to 1940,
illustrating the evolution of Sedamsville from the mid-19th century, when well-to-do Cincinnatians had country
homes overlooking the Ohio River there, through the early 20th century, when Sedamsville was densely built
until the 1937 flood brought a loss of buildings, the demise of the business district, and a decline in
population.
Dayton / Montgomery County
Jonah Bull House
2233 Wayne Ave.
Recommended for nomination to the National Register for its local architectural and historical significance,
the Bull House is an example of the substantial 'suburban' homes built outside Dayton city limits in the 19th
century, before the advent of streetcars and automobiles made suburban living widespread. At the time the Bull
House was built in 1872, Italianate (a style derived from houses of the Italian countryside) was the prevailing
American architectural style, and the house reflects that influence. After the 1893 World's Columbian
Exposition, classically-inspired Colonial Revival styles became widely popular, and sometime between 1920 and
1950 the Bull House was renovated, adding Colonial Revival features including the porch, decorative interior
moldings and plasterwork, and a large multi-paned picture window on the south side.
Dayton / Montgomery County
Grafton-Rockwood Historic District
roughly bounded by Homewood, Grafton, Five Oaks, and Old Orchard Aves.
Recommended for nomination to the National Register for its local architectural significance and its
association with the history of community planning and development in Dayton, the Grafton-Rockwood Historic
District is a subdivision of single-family homes and duplexes dating from 1910-1928. Most of the plat was
recorded in 1907, at which time the developer placed restrictive covenants governing the minimum cost of a
new home, setback on the lot, and fencing, resulting in a generally uniform streetscape. The City of Dayton
annexed the land in 1909.
Dayton / Montgomery County
Julienne Girls' Catholic School
325 Homewood Ave.
Recommended for nomination to the National Register for its local architectural significance as a
well-preserved example of the Classical Revival style, the Julienne School was built in 1926 with a faculty
building added in 1928. The two buildings were connected with a one-story enclosed walkway around 1932. Built
as the only Catholic girls' high school in Dayton, Julienne merged with Chaminade, Dayton's only Catholic boys'
high school, in 1973, and the Julienne building was sold to Dayton Christian Schools, which occupied it until
2004 when Dayton Public Schools purchased it. The nine-acre school campus is a prominent visual landmark in the
Five Oaks community.
Ironton / Lawrence County
Downtown Ironton Historic District
Portions of Second, Third, Fourth, Fifth,
Center Sts., Park Ave., Vernon St., and Bobby Bare Blvd.
The proposed Downtown Ironton Historic District comprises 57 buildings in a variety of architectural styles
and types that reflect Ironton's history as a center of the iron industry, commercial center, railroad
terminus, and county seat. The oldest known building within the proposed district is the Italianate style
Central Hardware Building, completed in 1871, and the newest buildings date from 1950. Among the other
buildings in the proposed historic district are the 1907 Lawrence County Courthouse, designed in the Classical
Revival style by Columbus architects Richards, McCarty & Bulford (who also designed of the Marting Hotel); the
1912 Post Office; 1916 Masonic Temple; 1917 Elks Lodge; 1923 First National Bank Building; and the 1924 IOOF
Building.
Kings Mills / Warren County
Ahimaaz King House
1720 E. King Ave.
Built c. 1885, the King House is proposed for nomination to the National Register for its association with
local industrialist Ahimaaz King (1839-1909) and for its local architectural significance as an example of the
19th century Italianate style. King was manager of the King Powder Company as well as the related Peters
Cartridge Company from their formation in 1877 and 1887, respectively, until he died in 1909. Located on
opposite banks of the Little Miami River in Warren County, they were among the largest manufacturing
establishments of their kind in the U.S. in their day, and virtually the entire village of Kings Mills was
built to house their employees. The Ahimaaz King House was the first house built in the new company town, at
the head of King Ave. The architects of the house were Luther Peters and Silas Reese Burns, who were in
practice together in Dayton from 1881 to 1907. The King House remained in the family until 1988, when it was
sold by grandson J. W. King.
Lancaster / Fairfield County
Fairfield County Children's Home
1743 E. Main St.
Completed in 1886, the Fairfield County Children's Home is proposed for nomination to the National Register as
an example of the county-sponsored orphanages authorized by law and built in Ohio during the post-Civil War
era to care for impoverished and orphaned children.
Mount Vernon / Knox County
Richard and Ann Loveridge House
12526 Lower Green Valley Rd.
Recommended for nomination to the National Register for its local architectural significance, the Loveridge
House is an example of the westward migration of settlers and house types. The plan of the Loveridge House is
influenced by Georgian forms that appeared in the mid-Atlantic region of the U.S. during the late 17th and
early 18th centuries. In New Jersey, houses of this type began to appear in the second quarter of the 18th
century, and continued to be built until about 1870. Features of the Loveridge House that characterize this
early house type include its symmetrical, five bay façade, side gable roof with end chimneys, and two-story
double-pile plan with rear kitchen ell, and the common bond brick walls with cut sandstone foundation, window
lintels, and sills. Interior features include a narrow staircase that wraps around the western chimney,
original window trim on the first and second floors, mortise and tenon doors, and four original fireplaces
including a large cooking fireplace in the rear wing of the house.
Springfield / Clark County
Masonic Temple
125 W. High St.
Springfield's Masonic Temple is proposed for nomination to the National Register for its association with the
Masons, the city's oldest fraternal organization, and their role in charitable activities throughout the
community. Designed by Columbus architects Howard Dwight Smith and Miller & Reeves, it was completed in 1927
during the height of Masonic activity in Springfield. The five-story building is a good example of an urban
Masonic Temple of the era, housing lodge meeting rooms, a ballroom, club rooms, and dining rooms.
Westerville / Franklin County
Temperance Row Historic District
vicinity of Park, Grove, Walnut and University Sts.
Westerville's Temperance Row Historic District is proposed for nomination to the National Register for its
history of association with the city's prominent role in the national temperance movement of the early 20th
century. Westerville's selection as headquarters for the Anti-Saloon League of America (ASLA) in 1909 brought
a national focus to this small town north of Columbus, contributing to its growth and earning it a reputation
as the "Dry Capital of the World." As a neighborhood developed and largely occupied by members of the ASLA
between 1910 and 1935, the proposed district helps to illustrate the impact that this organization and its
promoters had on the community. The neighborhood is important for its association with prominent and
nationally-known founders and leaders of the ASLA, including general superintendent Purley A. Baker, league
founder Howard Hyde Russell, and editor, publisher, and general manager Ernest H. Cherrington, who each made
their home there. The 11-acre tract of land gained significance when it was purchased in 1909 by the Anti-Saloon
League's Purley Baker for development as a residential district of high quality. The tract was built up over
the next two decades with homes of the ASLA's close-knit organizers, superintendents, publishers, and managers.
No fewer than 20 of the buildings in the district were built for, occupied by, or associated with ASLA
personnel. In addition to Baker, Russell, and Cherrington, these included field agents, accountants, bureau
and district managers, the printing plant superintendent, publication editor, and political cartoonist. Within
this leafy enclave across from Otterbein College and next to Alum Creek, the Anti-Saloon Leaguers lived their
lives, raised their families, and by 1919, won their crusade for national Prohibition, the most powerful
grass-roots political movement of its time. The proposed district is also significant as an architectural
assemblage of predominantly Craftsman style homes that reflect the ideals of Anti-Saloon League owners as
well as architectural trends of the period. Several of the homes make use of local materials that blend with
the area's natural setting.
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Contact Tom Wolf, Public Education Manager, Ohio Historic Preservation Office, (614) 298-2000, or via e-mail:
twolf@ohiohistory.org
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