Decorative drawing: a water-powered grist mill beside a millrace. Not a photograph of this place.

Nomination for Kirby, James, Mill

The case file that argued this property on to the National Register: 1,356 words across 10 pages, filed in 1978. Read by 4 independent recognisers, of which at least 3 had to agree before a line was published.

Source document Held by the National Archives in Record Group 79 as reference 78002197, where it exists only as a scan with no text layer. The words below were read off that scan by 4 independent recognisers at two resolutions. Only lines that at least 3 of them returned identically appear below; where they disagreed, the line is withheld rather than guessed, so some of the form's furniture is missing. Spelling is never corrected, so a stray character that all the readers agreed on is the recogniser's and the typewriter's.. Nothing is summarised, corrected or written by this site. See the catalogue record, or return to the property.

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

Form No. 10-300 REV. (9/77) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR NATIONAL PARK SERVICE RECEIVED APR 1 2 1978 NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM DEC 14 1978 SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS Kirby, James, Mill AND/OR COMMON STREET & NUMBER 0 4 Route 303 _NOT FOR PUBLICATION CITY. TOWN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT VICINITY OF 22 - Charles A. Vanik PRESENT USE X BUILDING(S) -WORK IN PROGRESS _PRIVATE RESIDENCE SITE PUBLIC ACQUISITION -IN PROCESS XYES: RESTRICTED GOVERNMENT -BEING CONSIDERED - YES: UNRESTRICTED OWNER OF PROPERTY LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION - 72 S.
High Street REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS DEPOSITORY FOR SURVEY RECORDS 44308 44115 153 COUNTY CODE DATE Summit Akron COMMERCIAL XEDUCATIONAL UNOCCUPIED LOCATION HISTORIC ACCESSIBLE Ohio CATEGORY MUSEUM OWNERSHIP Cleveland CLASSIFICATION STATE INDUSTRIAL AGRICULTURE XENTERTAINMENT SCIENTIFIC MILITARY RELIGIOUS STATUS NAME TITLE 100l Huron Road OTHER: COURTHOUSE, DATE ENTERED - TRANSPORTATION Camp Julia Crowell _OBJECT Lake Erie Girl Scout Council -STRUCTURE X.PRIVATE -DISTRICT FOR NPS USE ONLY _PUBLIC PH0667081 -BOTH 0.35 -PARK REGISTRY OF DEEDS,ETC. Snmmit County Courthouse DETERIORATED X ORIGINAL SITE -MOVED DATE. DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

The mill is wood frame, measuring 22 by 24 feet. It has a gable CONDITION UNEXPOSED DESCRIPTION XUNALTERED EXCELLENT XGOOD CHECK ONE end gables.The gables also have board and batten siding, which roof with wide eaves, exposed rafters, and cross-bracing in the The interior of the mill is intact.It has vertical boarded wainscot- shed-roof porch. The random ashlar of the exposed foundation ting and stained wooden trim. and dam is also used in a nearby sundial. -FAIR the slightest pressure. An exterior staircase leads toa lower on ball bearings.This allows the water wheel's operation under with spokes and rims of cypress and water buckets of oak, rests DATE. LRUINS AREAS OF

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC ECONOMICS LITERATURE EDUCATION SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN COMMERCE POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES James Kirby , Mr. Pardee STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

1919 ART XENGINEERING ARCHITECTURE THEATER PERIOD AGRICULTURE PREHISTORIC SCIENCE BUILDER/ARCHITECT SCULPTURE RELIGION which he called Kirby "the man who revolutionized the American home." early settler in Richfield Township. From timber cut on the site, Kirby SIGNIFICANCE MILITARY Thomas described the mill as follows: constructed a rustic mill house with a water wheel to generate the juice. shop where many of his inventions were conceived, and the first water today as Kirby's workshop." _COMMUNICATIONS _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT built the mill for his workshop and supervised a local millwright, Mr.
Kirby purchased the farm in 1919 from descendants of Heman Oviatt, an The Kirby property was purchased by the Lake Erie Girl Scout Council The James Kirby Mill is the hand-built design of the famous American hundred patents, and many of of his inventions were developed in the Pardee, in the construction of the overshot water wheel for the generation It was the first of its kind. Mounted on ball bearings, it is so sensitive -1800-1899 needed for his house and all the outbuildings. Since the wheel was in- INDUSTRY XINVENTION - CONSERVATION that a mere trickle of water is enough to generate all the current he in l973 and is used for educational and social functions. of electricity for the farm.
conductors, and a dry cleaning Kirby held more than two _PHILOSOPHY _TRANSPORTATION Kirby was best known for his invention of the vacuum cleaner, the -1400-1499 - 1500-1599 wheel mounted on ball bearings. "When the house was first built there was no electric service.Kirby mill. In 1936, Lowell Thomas wrote a booklet on Kirby's career, in engineer and inventor, James Kirby (1885-197l).It contained the work- -1600-1699 X1900- -MUSIC - - 1700-1799 - LAW _COMMUNITY PLANNING radiator, shock absorbers, ironing machines, window washers, radio ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC wringerless washing machine, a dishwashing machine, ancelectric stalled the community has been electrified.The mill house serves Beautiful Ohio, Ohio Department of Economic and Commercial Develop- ment, Pam.

The rest of the file

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

GEOGRAPHICAL DATA Less than l acre ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY QUADRANGLE NAME - VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION The nominated property is located on the stream at Route 303, and is 100 feet by 100 feet. 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE STREET & NUMBER 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION NATIONAL LOCAL - hereby nominate this property for inclusion in the National Register and certify that it has been evaluated according to the criteria and procedures set forth by the National Park Service. STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER SIGNATURE FOR NPS USE ONLY ATTEST GPO 921-803 44106 216-721-5722 ZONE ORGANIZATION DATE COUNTY CODE TELEPHONE Cleveland STATE Ohio West Richfield NORTHING Eric Johannesen, Preservationist CHIEF OF REGISTRATION Western Reserve Historical Society and Fetzer Company, Cleveland, 1936.
March 1978 Thomas, The Man Who Revolutionized the American Home, The Scott UTM REFERENCES 10825 East Boulevard MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966(Public Law89-665),1 ZONE EASTING KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER 3. An Outline History of Richfield Township, Richfield Historical Society, 1968. the south end of the lower lake at Camp Julia Crowell, 400 feet north of State LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES CITY OR TOWN QUADRANGLE SCALE :24,000 THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: 41516:641810 Working Number 4./2.
28.2901 Photos - Inventory - DEC 14 1978 Entered TECHNICAL KEEPER Maps CONTROL Send-back OTHER ARCHEOLOGIST Re-submit Review Property National Register Write-up State 4.13.78 Federal Register Entry BRANCH CHIEF ARCHITECTURAL HISTORIAN REVIEW UNIT CHIEF United States Department of the Interior National Park Service WAso No.7 HAERS 8.22.78 HISTORIAN Photographer: Clare Dowdall 1976 DEC 1 4 1978 APR 1 2 1978 Council Negative: Lake Erie Girl Scout The Mill, Camp Julia Crowell Summit Co., Ohio View of mill southwest sides Photographer: Clare Dowdall 1976 DEC 1 4 1978 APR 12 1978 Council Detail showing millwheel Negative: Lake Erie Girl Scout The Mill, Camp Julia Crowell Summit Co., Ohio WEST RICHFIELD, OI WEST RICHFIELD QUADRANGLE DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY The Mill - Camp Julia Crowell 7.5 MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC DEC 1 4 1978 APR 1 2 1978 Mapped, edited, and published by the Geological Survey DATE: 12-12-78 DIVISION: NR 4565 480 PHONE: ADDRESS: REPORT: OFFICE OF ARCHEOLOGY AND HISTORIC PRESERVATION TELEPHONE REPORT To/FROM: PROJECT: - La Follette House Kirby, James, Mill Honorable Howard M.
Metzenbaum Honorable John H. Glenn, Jr. Honorable Samuel L. Devine Dr. Thomas H. Smith Honorable Charles A. Vanik Columbus, Ohio 43211 Director Location 1/5/79 STATE Franklin County Name Colunbus vicinity The Ohio Historical Society Also Notified West Richfield vicinity State Historic Preservation Officer Byers/bjr ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER Date Entered Interstate 7l at l7th Avenue Summit County 2 OTHER NAMES: ) county code: EC 14 1978 Kirby, James, Mill XIXSTATE 1)CONGRESS.
DISTRICT22nd 12)SOURCE of NOMINATION - FEDERAL 1 CONDITION - deteriorated 17 features: 2O SUBSTANTIALLY INTACT-3 Druins EO NOT INTACT-O -good Dunexposed - Unknown Ounexeavated 20 NOT APPLICABLE-7 - No Access {) AREAS OF SIGNIFICANCE : -RECREATION -28 OCLAIMS: explain 'first'O -ARCHEOLOGY - prehistoric -2 - LAW- 16 C RELIGION- 22 - ARCHEOLOGY- historic-1 - COMMUNICATIONS-7 -EXPLORATION -12 - LITERATURE - 17 - SCIENCE - 23 - AGRICULTURE -3 - CONSERVATION - 8 C HEALTH-27 C MILITARY - 18 - ARCHITECTURE-4 - ECONOMICS- 9 C INDUSTRY- 13 - MUSIC - 19 - SOCIAL / CULTURAL-30 'only' D - ART-5 - EDUCATION-10 C INVENTION - 14 - PHILOSOPHY - 20 - TRANSPORTATION -25 (architectural style(s): 30 landscape architeet / garden designer: 3) interior decorator: Tartisan: EVENTS : _date.
IF ADDITIONAL SPACE NEEDED, NUMBER & PUT ON REVERSE 153 PH0667081 ASSOCIATION Summit INSTITUTIONAL: CURRENTLY: PERSONAL: SETTLEMENT-29 historic events: ENTERTAINMENT-26 ENGINEERING-11 West Richfield builder/contractor: PRIVATE ORGANIZATION COMMERCE-6 major alterations: artist: Dfair WHEN HISTORICALLY SIGNIFICANT: Dexcellent master builder: NATIONAL REGISTER DATA SHEET LOCAL NATIONAL REGISTER WRITE-UP ADMINISTRATOR: vicinity of URBAN PLANNING-31 Coriginal site SAVED?YES as it appears on federal register: ofentry: W of West Richfield off OH 303 Daltered GNPS REGION: city / town - LANDSCAPE ARCH.-15 - POLITICS/ GOVT.- 21 'oldest' O -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN-24 OTHER (SPECIFY) 3functions engineer : ONO ETHNIC GROUP reviewers initials Dmoved dates of initial construction: IS PROPERTY A HISTORIC DISTRICT?Dyesno