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Photograph of August Zeppenfeld House
Photograph by Nyttend, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

August Zeppenfeld House

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

From the record

“August Zeppenfeld House, also known as the Zeppenfeld-Cain House, is a historic home located in Franklin, Indiana. It was built in 1872, and is a two-story, rectangular, three bay, Italianate style brick dwelling with a one-story frame wing.”

Wikipedia article August Zeppenfeld House, CC BY-SA 4.0.

One of 22 National Register listings published here for Johnson County · listed in 1987 · category: Building.

Sources: the Wikipedia article · the case file at the National Archives · the National Register database, National Park Service

The listing

  • What is counted as historic. The nomination lists 1 building as contributing to the listing.
  • Listed as. Zeppenfeld, August, House - the National Register files a house under its owner's surname.
  • Address. 300 W. Jefferson St., Franklin, 46131
  • When was it listed? December 1987
  • Category. building
  • Township. Franklin township
  • National Register reference number. 87002188 - the number the National Park Service assigned this property when it was listed, and the key its nomination file is catalogued under at the National Archives.

The ground it stands on

10,529 words

The chapter on Franklin Township in A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana, published 1881 names Franklin. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

In 1822, in the first half of the year, as is supposed, William Burkhart, from Green County, Ky., and Levi Moore, built the first cabins in Franklin Township. They came by the way of the Indian trail, and Burkhart built his cabin on the banks of the little creek, where Michael Canary afterward lived and died, while Moore went out as far as the Big Spring, and then turning to the east, located at the knoll, a few hundred yards west of Young's Creek, where John McCaslin's house stands. Moore afterward moved to the farm now owned by Aaron Legrange, and there built a mill, the third built in the township ; but he moved to a newer country within a few years, leaving an unsavory reputation behind him. Moore's Creek commemorates his name.

Passage source: A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana, published 1881.

During the following summer, Franklin was laid out, and made ready for settlers ; but it was not until the spring after that a house was built within the plat. At that time, a man named Kelly put up a house on the west side of the square, and kept a few articles in the grocery line for sale, chief among which seems to have been an odd sort of beer and cakes. He was for some

Passage source: A Historical Sketch of Johnson County, Indiana, published 1881.

Machine-read from a century-old scan, so expect the errors a machine makes: misspelled names, dropped words, stray characters.

Read the whole chapter on Franklin Township - 10,529 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Storms near this property

60 of 72 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Franklin, the town this property stands in, in 72 storm reports between 1995 and 2026: 33 thunderstorm wind, 20 hail, 8 flood, 6 lightning. The reports record 1 injury. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

WhenEvent Place namedHarm What the report says
August 2002Thunderstorm WindFranklin1 hurt, $20,000Part of a ceiling of a Wal-Mart department store collapsed. One person had minor injuries.
June 2001LightningFranklin$425,000no account filed
April 2020Thunderstorm WindFranklin$150,000Roof was blown off of building at 90 East Jefferson due to thunderstorm wind gusts. Partial collapse of home at 1001 N Home Ave. Damage to steeple and church at 100 E Madison. Emergency manager also reported significant tree damage across the county with no specific locations.
March 2025Thunderstorm WindFranklin$40,000A roof on a skating rink was partially peeled up by thunderstorm winds.
July 2006Thunderstorm WindFranklin$40,000Trees, power lines, and at least one stoplight were downed by thunderstorm winds. One tree fell into power lines. These lines started a fire which damaged a residence.
August 2000LightningFranklin$40,000no account filed
May 2002Flash FloodFranklin$25,000no account filed
March 2026Thunderstorm WindFranklin$20,000Grill thrown by thunderstorm winds from patio into yard. Fence was also broken.
July 2001LightningFranklin$20,000no account filed
July 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin$13,000Thunderstorm winds knocked trees into roads, houses, and utility lines. Power lines fell into a tree along Maple Lane where they started sparking before slipping onto a fence. A power surge resulted, shorting out five power boxes outside of homes along the lane. All of the homes were filled with smoke before firefighters got the situation under control. Each box required a technician to make repairs, and the damage should run between $200 and $800 per home. Elsewhere, trees crashed onto a vehicle on Adams Street in Franklin. Fallen trees blocked Houghham Street in Franklin and North County Road 800 East outside of Franklin, where a utility pole caught on fire.
October 2013Thunderstorm WindFranklin$10,000Trees were reported to be downed on a vehicle due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
December 2013Flash FloodFranklin$10,000Multiple water rescues across the county with many roads being reported under water.
July 2006LightningFranklin$10,000A small fire sparked by a lightning strike damaged a home's bathroom.
August 2002LightningFranklin$5,000no account filed
May 2011Thunderstorm WindFranklin$3,000Two foot diameter live trees and power lines were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts near the intersection of North Main and Adams Streets.
July 2008Flash FloodFranklin$3,000Employees at Johnson County Memorial Hospital had to sandbag much of the first floor, including the emergency room waiting area, officials said; however, the ER was not affected.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin$2,000Thunderstorm winds blew down trees, tree limbs, and utility lines.
July 2006LightningFranklin$2,000A home's water heater caught fire due to a power surge caused by lightning.
April 2025Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000Large tree limb downed by thunderstorm wind gusts onto a road.
August 2021Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000Several large tree limbs snapped by thunderstorm wind gusts across the town of Franklin.
July 2017FloodFranklin$1,000North-bound and south-bound lanes of US Highway 31 were closed due to flooding at Blue Heron Park near Greenlawn Cemetery and Franklin Lakes subdivision due to heavy rainfall. Jefferson Street in downtown Franklin was also closed.
February 2014Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A railroad crossing gate arm was damaged by the wind on Commerce Road due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A tree was reported down in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A two foot diameter tree was uprooted at State Route 144 and County Road 100 W due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
June 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000A utility pole was blow down by damaging thunderstorm winds.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindFranklin$1,000Thunderstorm winds blew down power lines northwest of Franklin.
March 2012FloodFranklin$750Water was reported over the road due to heavy thunderstorm rainfall on US Route 31 North at State Road 144.
July 2017FloodFranklin$500One to two inches of flowing water was over the road at the intersection of Hurricane Road and County Road 300 North due to heavy rainfall. Water was also covering the road in a couple spots north of that intersection.
September 2013FloodFranklin$500Minor street flooding was reported in downtown Franklin due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
October 2013Thunderstorm WindFranklin$500Patio furniture was damaged at a residence in this location due to damaging thunderstorm wind gusts.
March 2012FloodFranklin$500Minor street flooding was reported along Jefferson Street due to thunderstorm heavy rainfall.
March 2012FloodFranklin$500Minor street flooding was reported at the intersection of State Route 44 and Highway 31 due to heavy rainfall.
June 2010FloodFranklin$500One foot of water was reported on downtown streets in Franklin, near Jefferson Street and State Route 31.
March 2012Thunderstorm WindFranklin$100Small tree limbs were downed due to strong thunderstorm wind gusts.
April 2009HailFranklin-Nickel size hail reported by Amateur radio in Franklin.
June 2008Heavy RainFranklin-Measured rainfall of 7.29 inches was reported.
June 2008Heavy RainFranklin-Measured rainfall of 5.77 inches was reported.
July 2008Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A large tree was blow down onto Graham Road by thunderstorm winds.
April 2007Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A tree was reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
July 2007Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A trained spotter reported a small tree down near State Road 44 and Main Street near the Courthouse. Power was out at US 31 and North Main Street.
May 2005Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Trees were blown down on State Road 144.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindFranklin-A tree was blown down.
June 2002Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Law enforcement report two trees down.
July 1999Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Law enforcement reported trees down.
July 1995Thunderstorm WindFranklin-Thunderstorm winds blew down an acre of corn.
March 2026HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2017HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2016HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2015HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2015HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2013HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2012HailFranklin-no account filed
June 2011HailFranklin-no account filed
May 2011HailFranklin-no account filed
March 2006HailFranklin-no account filed
April 2006Thunderstorm WindFranklin-no account filed

Every storm recorded in Johnson County

Map coverage status

No historic map-sheet match is published for this property yet. That does not mean no map exists. This record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary. Browse the county's mapped places while that work is pending.

Listed places nearby

6 within 8 miles

Other National Register properties close enough to walk or drive between, ordered by distance from this one. Both positions come from the same geocoding pass that matched these properties to their map sheets.

Photograph PropertyDistance Listed
Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church0.1 miles2015
Greenlawn Cemetery0.1 miles2013
Franklin Commercial Historic District0.2 miles1989
Johnson County Courthouse Square0.2 miles1981
Masonic Temple0.3 miles1991
Martin Place Historic District0.4 miles1987

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 87002188 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Johnson CountyAll 22 listed properties in this county.

Provenance

  • Listing record. National Park Service National Register of Historic Places, listed-properties dataset, current to 2026-05-22.
  • Map join. Address geocoded through the United States Census geocoder, then tested against the published boundary of every sheet in the USGS Historical Topographic Map Collection.
  • How this page is made. Listing fields come from federal records; map-sheet coverage is a labelled coordinate-to-boundary calculation, not a source-field claim.
  • Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.