Nomination for Miller, Thomas, House

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

NPS Form 10-900 OMB No. 1024-0018 (Rev. 10-90) United States Department of the Interior National Park Service OCT - 2000 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES NAI REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES REGISTRATION FORM This form is for use in nominating or requesting determinations for individual properties and districts. See instructions in How to Complete the National Register and areas of significance, enter only categories and subcategories from the instructions. Place additional entries and narrative items on continuation sheets (NPS Form 10-900a). Use a typewriter, word processor, or computer, to complete all items. 1. Name of Property other names/site number Wessel House (HAM-110-53) 2. Location street & number_ 11294 U.S. Route 50 - n/a - not for publication city or town_Elizabethtown n/a x vicinity state Ohio 061 zip code_45052 3.

State/Federal Agency Certification request for determination of eligibility meets the documentation standards for registering properties in the National Register of Historic Places and meets the procedural and professional requirements set forth in 36 CFR Part 60. In my opinion, the property meets - does not meet the National Register Criteria. I recommend that this property be considered significant nationally - statewide locally. (- See continuation sheet for additional comments.) Signature of certifying official State or Federal agency and bureau In my opinion, the property meets does not meet the National Register criteria. (L See continuation sheet for additional comments.) 4. National Park Service Certification 1, hereby certify that this property is: entered in the National Register - See continuation sheet.

determined not eligible for the removed from the National Register other (explain): _ - signature of Keeper Date of Action 2280 Date RECEIVED National Register Signature of commenting or other official requested. If any item does not apply to the property being documented, enter "N/A" for "not applicable." For functions, architectural classification, materials, code_OH - county Hamilton As thedesignated authority under the NationalHistoric Preservation Act of1986, as amended,I herebycertify that this 5d nomination - Ohio Historic Preservation Office -- OH SHPO of Historic Places Registration Form (National Register Bulletin 16A). Complete each item by marking "x" in the appropriate box or by entering the information historic name - Miller, Thomas, House Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, OH 5.

Classification Ownership of Property (Do not include previously listed resources in the count) Dbuilding(s) Site sAA Name of related multiple property listing Number of contributing resources previously listed in 6. Function or Use 7. Description Mid-19t Century/Greek Revival stone, wood, concrete private Foundation domestic stone Noncontributing public-local roof Architectural Classification object public-Federal brick Total Narrative Description district metal public-State structure Materials agriculture walls Historic Functions the National Register agricultural outbuilding single dwelling other Current Functions Category of Property (Enter categories from instructions) Number of Resources within Property (Check as many boxes as apply) (Check only one box) OMB No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section Page Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio 7. Description Setting. The Thomas Miller House is located on U.S. Route 50 in Whitewater Township, Hamilton County, Ohio, approximately one-half mile east of the Indiana state line. It lies approximately 21 miles west of downtown Cincinnati and nine miles east of Lawrenceburg, Indiana. Whitewater Township is in the southwestern corner of the county. One of the last rural areas in a heavily urbanized county, the township is for the the Whitewater River, which passes through its western section. The township's southern half mile east of the Miller House is the village of Elizabethtown, a small community and empty lots. U.S.

Route 50 is a busy east-west thoroughfare with mixed agricultural, residential and industrial land uses. Interstate 275 crosses Route 50 just west of the surrounded by outbuildings and open fields. To the west, on the other side of the freeway, is a brick Greek Revival/Italianate I-house. A rail line parallels the south side of the road. Cultivated fields lie to the north and east of the house. Along the western edge of the gravel driveway winds around the north and east sides of the house. Description. The Miller House is a two-and-a-half story brick Greek Revival dwelling on the I-house plan, built c. 1830-36. The main block, symmetrical in design, is five bays wide and two bays deep. (Photo 1.) A two-story brick ell with gabled roof adjoins the north side of the main block.

(Photo 6.) The roof, of moderate pitch, utilizes a rather unusual design: it features a hip in the west elevation and a gable in the east. It is covered with raised seam metal. Brick interior chimneys stand in the gable ends. The box gutters and fascia have been covered with vinyl or aluminum siding but their profiles are still visible. The façade and side elevations of the house are laid in Flemish bond; common bond brickwork, with every seventh course composed of headers, is utilized for the rear wall. Lintels and sills are of smooth-faced stone. The walls are painted red with white trim. The foundation and projecting water table are composed of tooled limestone. (8-86) founded in the early 19th century whose housing stock is composed largely of modest property is a dry creekbed. The house faces a broad lawn shaded by pine, fir and spruce property.

To the east of the Miller House is a frame American Foursquare farmhouse Industrial development is occurring along major roads. The township takes its name from most part sparsely settled. It contains no incorporated communities and has no zoning. trees. Junipers and mature cedars frame the facade and serve as foundation plantings.A and eastern boundaries follow the Great Miami River.(See topographic map.) About one- The Miller House occupies a level tract of land containing 1.797 acres.(See photo 1.) NPS Form 10-900-a vernacular dwellings of the 19t and early 20"h centuries, interspersed with mobile homes NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio The main entrance, centered in the façade, is framed by engaged Tuscan colonnettes with pronounced entasis. It features an eight-panel door with small brass knob and escutcheon. the east and west sides of the ell utilize similar types of doors but are treated more simply, with single-pane transoms. A beveled wooden lintel is visible above the east doorway. The steps leading to the west entry have been removed. (The presence of a door in the far side of the ell, away from the domestic yard, is somewhat unusual for a house of this type.) Windows contain double-hung, six-over-six sashes to which metal storm sashes have been added. A pair of small quarter-circle windows can be seen in the east gable end.

(Photo 4.) Two bays in the west elevation are blind and were included for the sake of symmetry. (Photo The entrance is sheltered by a small, hipped-roof porch borne by pairs of slender porch's steps and foundation are of tooled limestone. The porch is original to the house, although the floor was rebuilt in the 1950s. (Photo 2.) A double gallery shelters the east elevation of the ell and winds around the north end of the main block. The upper story features a shed roof, plain square posts and a balustrade composed of horizontal crossbars. The lower story is borne by square brick posts. The porch was largely rebuilt in the 1950s using many of the existing timbers; the brick posts replaced wooden ones in deteriorated condition.

(Photo 5.) An enclosed, dog-leg staircase in the northwest corner of the porch leads to the upper story; it provides the only access to the ell's second-floor rear room. Beneath the staircase is a trap door leading to the basement. A small section of covered with vertical wood siding. The porch rests on a concrete foundation. Interior. The interior plan of the Miller House is characteristic of the classic I-house rooms, one on either side of the hallway: a parlor and a dining room on the first floor and two bedrooms on the second. At the top of the stairs, a small room--perhaps intended as a nursery or a sewing room--was converted to a bathroom in the 1950s. A small bathroom was inserted behind the stairs in the 1960s; it was created by enclosing a small portion of the rear porch. No other changes have been made to the floor plan of the house.

The house features simple yet elegant woodwork characteristic of the Federal and Greek Revival eras. An open staircase winds to the second floor; built of cherry, it features a (8-86) Section Page the porch behind the main block was enclosed in the late-2o" century; the enclosure is type.The main doorway opens to a central passage.(Photo 14.) Each floor contains two octagonal posts.It features a cylindrical handrail and slender"stick"balusters.The A broad, seven-pane transom surmounts the entry.(Photos 2,3.) Secondary entrances in NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio tapered newel; slender, tapered balusters; and scrolled risers.

The doorways are framed by Federal-style moldings with mitered corners, and the door casings are enhanced by distinctive fluted panels. Federal-style doors with five horizontal panels are found throughout the house; they feature large iron rimlocks with small, round, brass knobs; the front door lock retains its original skeleton key. All interior doors and woodwork remain Focal point of each room is a massive fireplace on the end wall. Those found on the first arranged in three tiers, contain pairs of short cupboards on top and bottom and one or two drawers in the center. (Photo 13.) The room features mitered woodwork like that of the room utilizes flat, unadorned woodwork with plain, square corner blocks. Below the windows are paneled aprons. (Photo 15.) The second-floor bedrooms feature pier and lintel mantelpieces of simpler design than those of the first story, with deep lintels.

The broad, low fireboxes are lined with brick. (Photo 16.) Flanking the fireplaces are Greek Revival-style cupboards with double-leaf the inner wall of the east bedroom in the 1950s or 60s. mantelpiece like those of the parlor and dining room, with original double-door doorway in the east wall opens to the rear porch; a second doorway, in the west wall, has room, known as "Jake's room" for the family member who once occupied it, is accessible man or servant.) A large fireplace, similar to the one found in the kitchen, occupies the room has been used for storage for many years. (8-86) Section as a dining room, was converted to a kitchen in the early 2o"h century. It features a broad Page not been used for many years, and a cupboard now stands in front of it. The second-floor floor have deep, angled fireboxes built of limestone, with brick jack arches.

The dining cupboards on either side.The ceiling is covered with tongue-and-groove boards.A The rear ell contains one large room on each floor. The first-floor room, originally used in place. tapered colonettes; the fireplace was bricked in when central heating was installed. The north wall. A steep, narrow, enclosed staircase beside the fireplace winds to the attic. The doors featuring vertical panels.(Photo17.) Closets with louvered doors were added along only from the upper-story rear porch. (It may have been intended as quarters for a hired room features a broad frame-and-shelf mantelpiece framed by wallpresses.The presses, stairhall. (Photo 12.) The parlor includes a Greek Revival mantelpiece with engaged, NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio Ceilings, which are 12 feet high on the first floor and ten on the second, are faced with smooth plaster; the walls, which are 18 inches thick, are papered. Floors are wide ash boards with clear finish. Outbuildings. Directly behind the house is a one-room structure built of coursed fieldstone, known as the "stone kitchen." It stands one-and-a-half stories tall under a side- gabled roof covered with asphalt shingles. The kitchen features wooden batten doors and small double-hung windows with six-over-six lights. Courses of vertically set stones serve as lintels.

(Photo 7.) A datestone set in the east gable end bears the legend "TM 1830." A stout chimney of coursed, mortared fieldstone rises from the roof surface; its kitchen was the original house on the property; family tradition says the Millers resided in it while the brick house was being built. It then served as a kitchen until the 1900s. The framed by cupboards. Presently used for storage, the building is in sound condition. To A frame, two-car garage, built c. 1950, stands beside the driveway. It features a side- built around the same time or somewhat later, is located to the east of the house, near the In a field east of the house stands a small barn with forward-facing gable roof, dating roof is covered with corrugated metal and the walls with old vertical wood siding. The weathered boards are widely spaced, with gaps in between.

Built into a gentle slope, the addition has been appended to the south elevation; it includes a passage for a tractor. It is covered with weathered vertical siding of somewhat newer vintage. Tiers of tobacco poles rest on the rafters. (Photo 9.) The property formerly included other outbuildings, now gone, of which little is known. Integrity. The Miller House has been remarkably well preserved. Alterations to its historic fabric are unobtrusive and largely reversible. The reconstruction of the rear porch are visible only from the rear of the property. The gutters and fascia, as noted earlier, have been refaced but remain in place underneath. Inside, bathrooms have been added (8-86) road. Section Page barn rests on a raised foundation of coursed, mortared limestone. A large, shed-roofed the east of the kitchen is a raised stone patio that dates from the mid-2oth century.

upper section was rebuilt and raised in the mid-2oth century to meet building codes. The maintained its original character and re-used original materials;moreover, the changes gabled roof surmounted by a small cupola.(Photo 8.) Another garage of similar design, from the late 19th or early 2o century. It is built of mortise-and-tenon construction.The first floor contains a single large room. On the west wall is a large cooking fireplace NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio without altering the room layout or disturbing original walls. Surrounded by farm fields, with an original barn nearby, the house retains its historic rural setting; new development its long tenure by the Miller, Guard and Wessel families.

(8-86) Section Page in the vicinity is not visible from the house.The house was carefully maintained during NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House distinguished example of a Greek Revival dwelling built on the I-house plan. It has been evaluated in the context of the Greek Revival architecture of Whitewater Township, examples of the style. Noteworthy features include the well-detailed main entrance with township, and a small timber frame barn. The house and its environs have been carefully Architectural Development under the auspices of the Miami Purchase Association for Historic Preservation (now known as the Cincinnati Preservation Association). A total of 98 properties were Historic Places.

The Thomas Miller House was deemed to have merit for National Register listing during the course of the survey. The house is immediately west of the John Wesley Butler Archaeological District, which was listed in the Register in 1975. Greek Revival architecture. "Greek Revival was the dominant style of American domestic architecture during the interval from about 1830 to 1850...during which its carpenter's guides and pattern books, and by a growing number of trained architects who (8-86) Section classical buildings. In addition, the Greek war for independence fought in the 1820s Summary. The Miller House, built c. 1830-36, is significant under Criterion C as a Hamilton County, Ohio.

Its simple detailing and careful proportions are typical of rural Page The district encompasses a village site and several burial mounds believed to have been columns and transom, quarter-circle attic windows and Flemish bond brickwork. The used by several prehistoric cultural groups over a long period of time. late 18th century. Archaeological discoveries in the ancient world also roused interest in Federal and Greek Revival modes.The property also includes a one-room fieldstone preserved and retain a high degree of integrity. recorded in the township, 27 on individual Ohio Historic Inventory forms and 71 on 8.

Significance popularity led it to be called the National Style" (Virginia and Lee McAlester, A Field interior of the house features an original staircase and woodwork and mantelpieces in the Representation in existing surveys.Whitewater Township was surveyed in 1985 and Americans'increasing interest in classical buildings (first Roman, then Greek) during the aroused much sympathy in the newly independent United States. The style was spread by Hamilton County, Ohio group forms. No buildings in the township are presently listed in the National Register of 1986 as part of a comprehensive survey of Hamilton County. The work was completed Guide to American Houses [Alfred A.Knopf, 1986], p.182). The new style grew out of vernacular house that is an early and significant example of stone construction in the Miller, I homas House Hamilton Co., OH 8. Statement of Significance

Statement of significance

Areas of Significance (Enter categories from instructions) - A Property is associated with events that have made a significant contribution to the broad patterns of our - B Property is associated with the lives of persons X C Property embodies the distinctive characteristics of a type, period,or method of construction or represents the work of a master, or possesses high artistic values, or represents a significant and distinguishable entity whose components lack c. 1830-36 Property has yielded, or is likely to yield information (Mark "X" in all the boxes that apply.) -A owned by a religious institution or used for religious Significant Person - B removed from its original location. - D a cemetery. -E a reconstructed building, object, or structure. - F a commemorative property. within the past 50 years.

Narrative Statement of Significance (Explain the significance of the property on one or more continuation sheets.) 9.

The rest of the file

Bibliography, boundary description, and the people who prepared and reviewed the nomination.

Major Bibliographical References (Cite the books, articles, and other sources used in preparing this form on one or more continuation sheets.) Previous documentation on file (NPS) - Federal agency - Local government - preliminary determination of individual listing (36 CFR 67) - University has been requested - previously listed in the National Register - previously determined eligible by the National Register - designated a National Historic Landmark - recorded by Historic American Buildings Survey - recorded by Historic American Engineering Record Primary location of additional data - State Historic Preservation Office - Other State agency purposes. history. architecture unknown Criteria Considerations Property is: Significant Dates Architect/Builder Bibliography Name of repository: Cincinnati Preservation Association Period of Significance important in prehistory or history.

individual distinction. significant in our past. Cultural Affiliation National Register listing) Applicable National Register Criteria G less than50 yearsof age or achieved significance Ca birthplace ora grave. Other (Complete if Criterion B is marked above) Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton Co., OH 10. Geographical Data Acreage of Property 1.797 acres (Place additional UTM references on a continuation sheet) 1 16 688770 4336600 Verbal Boundary Description (Describe the boundaries of the property on a continuation sheet.) (Explain why the boundaries were selected on a continuation sheet.) 11. Form Prepared By organization Cincinnati Preservation Association _date July 17,2000 street & number 342 West Fourth Street _telephone 513-721-4506 city or town Cincinnati _ state_OH_ zip code 45202.

Submit the following items with the completed form: Representative black and white photographs of the property. (Check with the SHPO or FPO for any additional items) (Complete this item at the request of the SHPO or FPO.) name_Cincinnati Preservation Association listing or determine eligibility for listing, to list properties, and to amend existing listings. Response to this request is required to obtain a benefit in accordance with the National Historic Preservation Act, as amended (16 U.S.C. 470 et seq.). Paperwork Reductions Project (1024-0018), Washington, DC 20503. Photographs Maps Additional Documentation Continuation Sheets Additional items UTM References Boundary Justification Property Owner Zone Easting Northing - See continuation sheet. A USGS map (7.5 or 15 minute series) indicating the property's location.

A Sketch map for historic districts and properties having large acreage or numerous resources. Paperwork Reduction Act Statement: This information is being collected for applications to the National Register of Historic Places to nominate properties for Estimated Burden Statement: Public reporting burden for this form is estimated to average 18.1 hours per response including the time for reviewing instructions, gathering and maintaining data, and completing and reviewing the form. Direct comments regarding this burden estimate or any aspect of this form NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio designed high-style buildings in the Grecian mode. (See McAlester, p.

184.) Other factors in the dissemination of the style included the "widespread system of transportation improvements (roads, canals, railroads), and the need to house the migratory waves that surged out of the northeastern and southern United States, as well as directly from Europe, all contributed to this style that was not only nationwide but nation-building as well" (James Massey and Shirley Maxwell, House Styles in America [Penguin Studio, of gentle to moderate pitch; symmetry or balanced asymmetry, as in a door balanced by a pair of windows; and flat facades with rectilinear ornamentation. They feature "bold, classical details and architraves built in a post-and-lintel arrangement. The rectilinear (Gordon, p. 79).

"All windows and doors are trabeated, because the arch had no place in Greek architecture; the place of the Adam style fanlight over the front door is taken by an oblong glazed opening" (Marcus Whiffen, American Architecture Since 1750: A Guide to often with six-over-six panes. The cornice lines, doorways and porches of Greek Revival houses were often focal points with wide bands of trim (this represents the classical entablature and is usually divided into two parts: the frieze above and the architrave below)" (McAlester, p. 179). Friezes may be adorned with dentil bands or simple moldings. More elaborate examples may be ornamented with classical details such as modillions, triglyphs or mutule blocks. They may also include rectangular windows to bring light to the attic story, sometimes with decorative grilles. Houses built after 1850 may feature scrolled Italianate-style brackets.

Greek Revival doorways often feature shouldered architraves; they are often framed by narrow, multi-pane transoms and sidelights. Some, like those of the Miller House, are impressive doorway. Multipaned transoms, sidelights, paired columns, and pilaster trim of Doric style" (McAlester, p. 179). Porch treatments show considerable regional (8-86) Section Page Greek Revival buildings are characterized by simple rectangular ormassed plans;roofs flanked by engaged columns."It is rare indeed to find a Greek Revival house without an Porches are common features of many Greek Revival dwellings."[MJost have porches variation;perhaps more than any other stylistic element.

Southern Ohio examples, of ornamentation.The"cornice line of the main roof and porch roofs[is] emphasized nature of these elements imitates the post and beam construction of Greek architecture" (either entry or full-width) supported by prominent square or rounded columns, typically created an impact in the simplest entryways" (Massey and Maxwell, p. 71). NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio including the Miller House, often feature single-bay entry porches with low hipped roofs, borne by Doric or Tuscan columns or, less commonly, square posts.

Early Greek Revival examples, such as the Miller House, often include elements of the Federal style, which preceded the Greek Revival in popularity; their proportions may also be more typical of Federal-era houses. The Miller House's relatively small windows and narrow lintels are reminiscent of houses of the 1820s and 30s; the quarter-circle attic was popular among antebellum dwellings of the 1820s to 1840s; it was most often of the period. Greek Revival buildings occur "in all areas settled by 1860...and especially flourished in those regions which were being rapidly settled in the decades of the 1830s, '40s, and found today in those states with the largest population growth during the period from 1820 to 1860..." (McAlester, p. 182). According to the authors, Ohio ranks third on the list, behind New York and Pennsylvania (ibid.). The Greek Revival style was popular in the state c.

1835-1860 (Gordon, p. 79). "In the interior states, and in rural areas (McAlester, p. 184). During the heyday of the Greek Revival in Ohio, regional variations developed in the state. In southern Ohio, including Hamilton County, most examples represent one of deep with central passages and, generally, side-gabled roofs. All three plan-types are represented in Whitewater Township. Several Greek Revival houses, built between 1830 and 1865, were recorded in the township during the 1986 survey. The Peter Tebow House (HAM-37-52) at 10901 Stephens Road in Elizabethtown is a massive four over four dwelling built c. 1845 that formerly was used as a drovers' inn. It features central doors with transoms in the first the house is in deteriorated condition. The Tebow House was determined eligible for National Register listing by the 1986 survey. The Mrs. K.W.

Lewis House (HAM-4169- 60) at 3617 Lawrenceburg Road in Elizabethtown is a three-bay frame dwelling of side (8-86) Section Page everywhere, it remained a dominant style for domestic buildings until the early 1860s" and second stories.The entablature features brackets and cornice returns.Long vacant, windows are also characteristic of early-19th-century residences.Flemish bond brickwork employed for principal facades only.The eight-panel, unglazed front door is also typical generally with side-facing gables; and massed-plan"four-over-four"houses: two rooms '50s...Not surprisingly, the largest surviving concentrations of Greek Revival homes are three primary house types: I-houses; side-passage "two thirds Georgian" houses, NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House hall plan, built c. 1865. The house is in severely deteriorated condition and retains little original fabric. Just west of the Miller House is 11368 U.S. Route 50, a substantial brick dwelling of transitional Greek Revival/Italianate design. It features centered doorways in the first and second stories, framed by transoms and sidelights. Minimal cornice brackets accent the eave line. (Photo 11.) Several other Greek Revival dwellings documented by the survey have subsequently been demolished. The Miller House compares favorably with the few remaining Greek Revival residences qualities of the style: restraint, balance, careful proportions, and simple but correct classical detailing.

Other examples of the mode in the vicinity represent different plan types or later periods, or have diminished integrity. I-houses. The Miller House is also an excellent example of the I-house, one of the most familiar rural folk houses in America. I-houses stand two- or two-and-a-half stories high and one room deep, under a side-gabled roof of moderate pitch. Chimneys, most often paired, may be placed in or adjacent to the gable ends, stand in the ridgeline or flank the central hall. Facades generally contain three to five bays, most often arranged in symmetry. One- to two-story ells, usually with gabled or shed roofs, adjoin the rear of the main block. Inside, the houses contain two rooms on each of the primary floors, generally bisected by a central hallway.

I-houses were built in large numbers throughout the mid- Atlantic region, the upland South and some areas of the Midwest from the early 1800s through the early 1900s, with the preponderance built between 1840 and 1880. Many I- houses built in the 1830s through early 1860s, like the Miller House, exemplify the Greek Revival style. Numerous examples built c. 1860 to 1880 reflect the newly popular Italianate style, while still others show Gothic Revival influence. Still others exhibit no academic style, achieving distinction through form alone. The Miller House exemplifies The I-house is one of the most common vernacular house types in Whitewater Township. Several diverse examples can be found in the vicinity of the Miller House. The David Lemmons House (HAM-4061-60) at 5938 State Route 128 near Miamitown is a brick dwelling with five-bay façade and central transomed entrance, built c.

1845. The hipped- roof entry porch was rebuilt in the late 19th century with spindled posts and frieze. (Photo (8-86) five-bay facade. Hughes House (HAM-4091-60) at 4632 Kilby Road, built c. 1850, is a brick dwelling in the area in terms of both architectural distinction and integrity.It expresses the 10.) An 1836 basement barn contributes to the significance of the property.The Dr.John the"classic"I-house subtype popular from c.1840 to1880,characterized by balanced, Hamilton County, Ohio NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio that exhibits a three-bay façade with off-center entrance, framed by transom and survey. At 3553 Lawrenceburg Road in Elizabethtown (HAM-4203-60) is a frame house with irregular six-bay façade.

The casual pattern of fenestration, and the off-center chimney placement, suggest the house may have evolved through a two-step process. Vinyl siding, replacement windows and a treated wood porch have been added. At the corner of U.S. Route 50 and Mills Street in Elizabethtown is a three-bay I-house that has been covered in vinyl siding. Replacement windows and a colossal portico have been added recently. Several I-houses in the area recorded by the 1986 survey have since been demolished; others have suffered loss of integrity due to insensitive alterations or years of neglect. The Miller House ranks among the township's finest and best-preserved examples of the house type. Land records and family history. Census records and Indiana county histories offer historical information about the Miller family. Thomas Miller's parents, Thomas Miller, Sr.

(1762-1842), and Priscilla Hayes Miller (1760-1845), natives of Pennsylvania, were among the original settlers of Dearborn County, Indiana. (Dearborn County is located on the other side of the Ohio state line; see topographic map.) Priscilla Miller was a daughter of Captain Joseph Hayes, an officer of the Revolutionary War. In 1791 the Millers joined a settlement party composed of members of the Hayes and Guard families; after traveling down the Ohio River they landed at North Bend, Ohio, approximately five miles east of present-day Elizabethtown. Two years later they established permanent settlements at the mouth of the Great Miami River.

In 1796 the Millers relocated to Dearborn County, settling in the "great bottom" north of Lawrenceburg; their stone house became a center of hospitality in the rural community (History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana, From Their Earliest Settlement [Weakley & Co., Publishers, 1885], p. 411). Miller was active in the local Methodist church, and early services were held in the Miller home. He also operated a copper still on Double Lick Run, with a capacity of two barrels a day Thomas Miller, Jr. (1795-1875), was one of five children born to Thomas and Priscilla Miller. According to deed records, he made his first land purchase in Whitewater Township in 1822, while still residing in Dearborn County. In that year John Hardin sold Section Page (8-86) (ibid., p. 424). Historical Development sidelights. Delicate bargeboard trim accents the eave line.

A concrete porch was added in Hughes houses were determined eligible for National Register listing during the 1986 the early 2ot century. The house is presently vacant and deteriorating. The Lemmons and OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio him an undivided one-third of 222-¼ acres of land (totaling 74 acres) lying in Section 30 and fractional Section 31 (deed book W: 657). In 1837 Thomas Scroggin sold Miller 65 acres on the north side of Section 30, lying east of Enoch Hays' land (62: 137). He also and 65-acre parcels throughout his lifetime and acquired additional land nearby.

Local histories assert that two settlers, Benjamin Cox and Thomas Walter, were shot and scalped by Native Americans in 1794 or 1795 (the date is in dispute) on what is now the Miller farm, near the stone kitchen; the two were believed to be the last white victims of According to the 1830 federal population census, the Miller household then included a total of 11 persons; little information is given apart from their gender and approximate ages. The 1850 census, which is somewhat more detailed, states that Miller was 55 years of age at the time. His wife, Abigail, was 58. The couple had three daughters: Charlotte, The girls were all born in the Buckeye state. Also residing in the household was Isaac Shurman, a 26-year-old laborer, and Mary Williams, age 16. Miller owned real estate worth $13,800.

The 1870 census states that Miller was now 74 years old; his (second) wife, Martha, was 65 and had been born in Virginia. Four children, all with the surname Clark, resided in the household: Lizzie, 18; Minnie, 15; John, six; and Reese, 11. All had attended school in the last year. Jane Coffman, age 40, a domestic servant, lived with the family, as did Ames Landman, a laborer. Coffman was born in Kentucky; Landman was Their real estate was now valued at $50,000 and their personal property at $2,000. Hamilton County histories offer little information about Miller except to note that he was a member of the Methodist church and that he constructed "the first stone house in the township" (Henry A. Ford, A.M., and Mrs. Kate B. Ford, History of Hamilton County, Ohio, p. 405).

(This claim may not be accurate, since stone buildings that appear to have earlier construction dates were identified during survey.) Thomas Miller died in 1875. In the intervening 125 years, the house and part of the land have remained in the family, passed down through the generations. In 1881 Miller's heirs, including members of the Miller, Gibson, Guard and Hayes families, sold the 74-acre tract to Priscilla Ann McKinney. The sale included land in Sections 24 and 13, the latter including the "Sugar Grove Church lot which is to be dedicated" (525: 417). In the 1910s Abba Guard purchased parcels of 74 and 72 acres in Sections 30 and 31 from the McKinney family. The 74-acre tract was described as "being the same tract where Section (8-86) Page Indian warfare that concluded with the Treaty of Greenville. (See Weakley, p.

91.) NPS Form 10-900-a born in Baden to parents of foreign birth.Miller was a farmer and his wife kept house. 22;Abigail,19; and Ann,16.Miller was born in Ohio;his wife's birthplace is not legible sold Miller five- and 17-acre parcels in Section 19. Miller appears to have held the 74- NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio Thomas Miller, deceased, lived at the time of his death" (1073: 94). Following the death of Abba Guard, her son Lewis L. Guard became trustee of her estate. The farm, then including 74 acres, was partitioned into several tracts. The Guard family retained two parcels, comprising 27.27 acres and 1.797 acres respectively. In 1949 Lewis L. Guard sold both parcels to Rebecca Guard Wessel and her husband, Francis H.

Wessel (2397: 465), who then moved into the house. At the time the house was in sound condition but in need of repair; it had also suffered the depredations of the 1937 Ohio River flood, which filled the first floor with approximately six feet of water. The Wessels renovated the house while preserving its character: they repaired and rebuilt the porches, added indoor plumbing and central heat and upgraded the electrical system. Wessel (1922-2000) was a teacher who taught in local school systems in Ohio and Indiana. She was also very active in her church. Mr. Wessel (1919-), now retired, was a mechanical engineer who worked for various companies in southwestern Ohio and southeastern Indiana. He also served the local volunteer fire department and was a Whitewater Township trustee in the late 1960s.

In 2000 the Wessels, seeking to preserve the historic integrity of the Miller homestead, donated the house and surrounding land to the Cincinnati Preservation Association. Maps. The Miller property is clearly indicated on an 1835 map of Hamilton County. It is impossible to determine, however, whether the brick house or the stone kitchen is the one depicted, since family tradition asserts that the brick house was not yet completed. An unidentified road, presumably the Cincinnati-Louisville Turnpike, cut across the property at an angle. An 1847 county map notes that Miller owned two adjacent tracts of land in Sections 30 and 31, in the southwest corner of the township. A second house, which might have been a rental property, is indicated on Section 31. No acreage figure is given for the property.

An 1850 atlas notes that the farm, long and narrow in shape, included 74 acres in Sections 30 and 31. Double Lick Run Creek crossed its southwest corner. The Whitewater Canal cut across the property at an angle, following the roadway. Another 65.22-acre tract to the north is also labeled "T. Miller." An 1869 map indicates that the Indiana, Cincinnati and Lafayette Railroad (later the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago) now bisected the farm, running through the old canal bed. Miller's 74-acre home farm is labeled "Priscilla A. McKinney" on an 1884 county map. A 1914 map indicates that the Cincinnati, Lawenceburg and Aurora electric interurban line, which ran (8-86) Section Page They also added the garages and planted the evergreens that shade the front lawn.Mrs. NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No.

1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio parallel to the Cincinnati, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Chicago, passed through the Whitewater Township. Whitewater Township was established in 1803 when Ohio became a state. It originally included all the land in Hamilton County west of the Great the 1780s and 1790s, Whitewater was first occupied by squatters who could not buy the land they lived on. Government-owned land was surveyed and was offered for sale at public auction in 1802. It was sold in sections of 640 acres for no less than two dollars and a quarter per acre. (See Ford, p. 405.) Early settlers came from the British Isles, New England and the mid-Atlantic states.

Settlers such as Thomas Miller found fertile lands in the bottoms of the Great Miami and Whitewater Rivers. Substantial farmhouses and great barns attest to the agricultural prosperity of these alluvial plains. The village of Miamitown, located on a main road (now State Route 128) at a bend in the river, prospered as a trading center. The small community of Elizabethtown, just east of the Miller farm, was settled c. 1806 but was not "platted as a village" until 1817 (Ford, p 412). It lies "in the great Whitewater Trough through which the Whitewater River twines south and joins the Miami a short distance northeast of the village" (Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration, Cincinnati: A Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors, p. 510). The village benefited from its proximity to two important roads: the Indianapolis, and the road from Brookville to Lawrenceburg, Indiana.

During the second quarter of the 19th century it also prospered from the Whitewater Canal, which meandered through the countryside just east of the town. Work on the canal was begun in the 1830s and finished in the early 1840s. The first section built, totaling about 55 miles, connected Cambridge City, Wayne County, Indiana, on the National Road, with Lawrenceburg. The last section constructed, comprising 25 miles, connected Harrison, manufactured goods. The rivers that brought opportunity also periodically inundated Whitewater's low-lying towns, where flooding remains a problem to this day. Whitewater Township was reduced in size several times as other townships were carved from its acreage. It achieved its present proportions in 1853. By the 1860s the Indiana, property. (8-86) Page per acre.

After the close of the sale, unsold property could be purchased for one dollar Ohio, with the Cincinnati area. (See Charles Cist, Cincinnati in 1841: Its Early Annals, p. During the early 19th century several small communities were founded in the township. 91.) The canal provided an easy and inexpensive means to ship produce and Section highway from Cincinnati to the Indiana towns of Manchester, Greensburg and Miami River.While other areas in the county were opened for purchase and settlement in NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio Cincinnati & Lafayette Railroad was built through the southern portion of the township, small-scale industrial concerns began to locate in Whitewater, especially along present- operations.

The nearby town of Hooven, for example, was founded as an industrial operations, including an oil refinery, opened in the township. During the same era the Cincinnati-Louisville Turnpike became part of U.S. Route 50. Over time it was rebuilt and widened, in the process bypassing some older communities and transforming others. Section Page (8-86) linking the region with Cincinnati and central Indiana. Beginning in the late 19th century day Route 50 and State Route 128.These included small factories and gravel mining community at the turn of the 20century.In the early 20century larger industrial NPS Form 10-900-a United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio 9. Major bibliographic references Cist, Charles. Cincinnati in 1841: Its Early Annals.

Cincinnati: published privately by author, 1841. Emerson, W.D. Map of Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati: C.S. Williams and Son, 1847. Reprinted 1982, The Bookmark, Knightstown, Indiana. Writers' Program of the Work Projects Administration. Cincinnati: A Guide to the Queen City and Its Neighbors, American Guide Series. Cincinnati: The Weisen-Hart Press, Ford, Henry A., A.M., and Mrs. Kate B. Ford. History of Hamilton County, Ohio. Cleveland: L.A. Williams & Company, Publishers, 1881. Gilbert, A.W. Map of Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati: A.W. Gilbert, 1850. Gordon, Stephen C. How to Complete the Ohio Historic Inventory. Columbus, Ohio: Ohio Historic Preservation Office, 1992. Hamilton County deed records. Hamilton County Recorder's Office, Cincinnati. History of Dearborn and Ohio Counties, Indiana, From Their Earliest Settlement. Chicago: F.E. Weakley and Co., Publishers, 1885.

Miami Purchase Association for Historic Preservation. "Historic Inventory of Hamilton County, Ohio." 1991. Cincinnati Preservation Association, Cincinnati. McAlester, Lee and Virginia. A Field Guide to American Houses. New York: Alfred A. Moesinger, George and Fred. Bertsch. Map of Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati: 1884. Morrison and Williams. Map of Hamilton County, Ohio. Cincinnati: 1835. (8-86) 1943. Knopf, 1986. Section Page Studio, 1996. Massey, James, and Shirley Maxwell. House Styles in America.New York:Penguin OMB No. 1024-0018 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio Ohio Historic Inventory forms. Cincinnati Preservation Association, Cincinnati. Stewart, J.A., C.E. Hamilton County, Ohio. Wall map.

Cincinnati: Stewart Map Company, 1914. Hamilton County Recorder's Office, Cincinnati. Titus, C.O. Atlas of Cincinnati and Hamilton County. Philadelphia: C.O. Titus, 1869. Wessel, Francis H., former owner. Interview by Beth Sullebarger, Executive Director, Cincinnati Preservation Association, May 22, 2000. Whiffen, Marcus. American Architecture Since 1750: A Guide to the Styles. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1992. Section (8-86) Page Cincinnati and Hamilton County, Cincinnati. United States federal population census, 1830, 1850, 1860, 1870. Public Library of OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio County, Ohio.

Beginning at a point in the center line of the Cincinnati-Louisville Pike 1329.57 feet east from the intersection of the center line of the Cincinnati-Louisville Pike and the west line of said Section 30 (the above-mentioned 1329.57 feet being measured along the center line of the Cincinnati-Louisville Pike); thence north 50 degrees 10 - minutes east the center line of the Cincinnati-Louisville Pike 342.60 feet; thence north 33 degrees 50 minutes west 204.60 feet; thence south 58 degrees 37 minutes west 341.03 feet to the northeast corner of the property conveyed to Robert A. and Helen J. Barth, as the same is recorded in Deed Book 2193, page 180, of the Hamilton County, Ohio, Barth property 255 feet to the center line of the Cincinnati-Louisville Pike and the place of beginning, containing 1.797 acres. This boundary includes all the property presently associated with the property.

It includes Section (8-86) Page Verbal boundary justification 10. Geographical data sufficient acreage to enclose the house and its outbuildings. Verbal boundary description Recorder's Office;thence south 33 degrees50 minutes east along the easterly line of said NPS Form 10-900-a Lying and being in Section 30, Town 1, Range 1 east, in Whitewater Township, Hamilton NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Section 12 Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio 12. Additional documentation Photographer: Margo Warminski (same for all photographs) Date: July 2000 Cincinnati, OH 45202 (same for all photographs) General view of farm complex, looking northwest from US Route 50. Photo 1 Façade view, looking northwest. Photo 2 View of main entrance, looking north.

Photo 3 East elevation of house, looking west. Photo 4 Rear (north) elevation, rear ell and porches. Looking west. Photo 5 West elevation of house, looking northwest. Photo 6 South and east walls of stone kitchen, looking northwest. Photo 7 (8-86) Location of negatives: Cincinnati Preservation Association, 342 West Fourth Street, Hamilton County, Ohio (same for all photographs) March 2000 Thomas Miller House (same for all photographs) Photograph key Page 1 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior National Park Service NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio Photo 8 Photo 9 Façade view of David Lemmons House, 5938 State Route 128. Looking east. Photo 10 Photo 11 Photo 12 Photo 13 Main staircase, looking west toward dining room. Photo 14 Photo 15 West bedroom, looking west from hallway.

Photo 16 Wallpresses, west wall, dining room. (8-86) Section Page Garage, looking north. Barn, looking northeast. Dining room, looking west from hallway. Facade and east elevation of 11368 U.S. Route 50. Looking northwest. March 2000 Parlor, looking east from hallway. May 2000 NPS Form 10-900-a OMB No. 1024-0018 United States Department of the Interior NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES CONTINUATION SHEET Miller, Thomas, House Hamilton County, Ohio May 2000 Photo 17 Section (8-86) Doorway, second floor.

National Park Service Page 3 Bath Thomas Miller House Site plan and floor plan field Hami1ton County,Ohio - Porch barn rorch UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES EVALUATION/RETURN SHEET NAME : DATE OF 16TH DAY: DATE OF 45TH DAY: DATE OF WEEKLY LIST: REASONS FOR REVIEW: OTHER : N PERIOD: N PROGRAM UNAPPROVED: COMMENT WAIVER: N 11.2.00 DATE ABSTRACT/ SUMMARY COMMENTS: RECOM. /CRITERIA DOCUMENTATION see attached comments Y/N see attached SLR Y/N REJECT TELEPHONE DISCIPLINE MULTIPLE RETURN 10/03/00 DATE 11/01/00 REVIEWER 11/17/00 PDIL: National Register NATIONAL PARK SERVICE Entered in the DATE RECEIVED: APPEAL: N DATA PROBLEM: N N SLR DRAFT: N ACCEPT NATIONAL: Co:, OH photo 6 Co) Ot HOOVEN, OH-IN-KY HOOVEN QUADRANGLE 7.5-MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC) Hamiltonco, 1996 SCALE1:24 000 OHIO OHIO-INDIANA-KENTUCKY U.S. DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR U.S.

GEOLOGICAL SURVEY 16/688770/ Ohio Historic Preservation Office - 3 2000 567 East Hudson Street Columbus, Ohio 43211-1030 614/ 298-2000 Fax: 614/ 298-2037 Visit us at www.ohiohistory.org/resource/histpres/ SINCE 1885 September 25, 2000 Ms. Carol Shull, Chief of Registration National Park Service National Register, History & Education Programs Mail Stop 2280, Suite 400 1849 C. Street, NW Washington, D. C. 20240 Enclosed please find three (3) new National Register nominations. All appropriate notification NEW SUBMISSION If you have questions or comments about these documents, please contact this office. Amos J. Loveday, Jr. State Historic Preservation Officer COUNTY Hamilton enclosures Cuyahoga SOCIETY Sincerely, HISTORICAL RECEIVED procedures have been followed for this new submission. Dear Ms. Shull: The Courtland Wilson House Miller House STORIC PLACES 2280