Nomination for Whitmer, Soloman, House

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 FOR NPS USE ONLY NATIONAL PARK SERVICE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES 5 1979 INVENTORY -- NOMINATION FORM SEE INSTRUCTIONS IN HOW TO COMPLETE NATIONAL REGISTER FORMS TYPE ALL ENTRIES -- COMPLETE APPLICABLE SECTIONS WHITMER, SOLOMAN, HOUSE AND/OR COMMON STREET & NUMBER 13917 Zion Township Road, N.W. - NOT FOR PUBLICATION CITY. TOWN CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT X VICINITY OF PRESENT USE -PRIVATE - WORK IN PROGRESS PUBLIC ACQUISITION _IN PROCESS - YES: RESTRICTED BEING CONSIDERED XYES: UNRESTRICTED OWNER OF PROPERTY P.O. Box 147 LOCATION OF LEGAL DESCRIPTION COURTHOUSE REGISTRY OF DEEDS, ETC.

New Lexington, Ohio REPRESENTATION IN EXISTING SURVEYS DEPOSITORY FOR Columbus, Ohio 039 1978 127 Thornville COUNTY DATE LOCATION CODE Perry BOTH SCIENTIFIC CATEGORY ACCESSIBLE PARK CLASSIFICATION OBJECT SITE TRANSPORTATION INDUSTRIAL DISTRICT HISTORIC MUSEUM OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE RELIGIOUS RECEIVED NAME GOVERNMENT STATUS STATE Ohio Historic Inventory Perry County Court House 10-Clarence Miller Ohio TITLE DATE ENTERED Don & Mary Jane Noyes Box SURVEY RECORDS Michael & Katharine Clum -ENTERTAINMENT MILITARY - AGRICULTURE -UNOCCUPIED X_PRIVATE RESIDENCE BUILDING(S) -EDUCATIONAL _COMMERCIAL -OTHER: JUL 1 6 1979 _FEDERAL XSTATE COUNTY _LOCAL Center SEP Ohio Historical _PUBLIC DETERIORATED XORIGINAL SITE -MOVED DATE. FAIR DESCRIBE THE PRESENT AND ORIGINAL (IF KNOWN) PHYSICAL APPEARANCE

Description of the property

is rather severely inset, with the plane of the masonry wall being trimmed with engaged may have been built first, with the front, more elaborate section added shortly there- where a porch, once open, has been enclosed. open stair rises from the hallway to the attic, with the balustrade intact in its are deep, corresponding to the thickness of the masonry walls; and are highlighted CONDITION DESCRIPTION XEXCELLENT XALTERED ted with various agricultural outbuildings, the most outstanding of which is an immense door being highlighted by horizontal molding and flanked by a transom and sidelights. Some minor bond irregularities and a large basement fireplace indicate that this section extant;nor do photos survive to document their existence.

of the 2-story front section features a molded fascia which terminates in a partial are decorated with molded trim.All voids on the house are trabeated and no windows less than one mile north of the village of Thornville.The cultural landscape was dot- CHECK ONE Extending westward from the south corner of the west wall is a l-story brick ell. frame construction, with most of the frame comprised of hugh hand-hewn beech timbers. with molded wood trim.

The interior of the Soloman Whitmer House has been minimally-altered.A handsome bank barn which stands c.2oo yards west of the house.This barn is built of braced - UNALTERED facade wall laid in Flemish bond and the side and rear walls in common bond.In at attic level the stair was somewhat enclosed.Chair and plate features of the house, and is indicative of the fine craftsmanhsip of the day.It different decorative features on each end:the north gable end features a pair of distinguished by the treatment of the areas normally occupied by their base and The Whitmer House stands on less than two acreson land in rural Thorn - UNEXPOSED -RUINS slightly extended lug sills and are capped with plain stone lintels. The cornice area The roof is slate-covered, rails are found in various parts of the house, although they have been plastered over.

A forebay, once located on the east side of the barn, has been enclosed. A 2-story the main entrance offset to the north. This doorway is one of the outstanding fluted columns with a somewhat exaggerated entasis. These columns are particularly after. Like the front section, the ell has a slate-covered gable roof. A chimney, in the present kitchen, rises at the west gabel end of the ell. The only major alter- single-hung 4-light windows; that on the south side contains a semi-elliptical The Soloman Whitmer House is an ell-shaped 2-story brick residence built on Other outbuildings such as a summer kitchen, smokehouse,and cattle pens are no longer wood frame addition has been built against the north gable end of the structure.

a tooled sandstone foundation.The house is oriented toward the east with the with rather narrow glazed 1ights.The side walls and ceiling of the recessed area -GOOD AREAS OF

From the form

The catalogue entry the section above was filed under.

SIGNIFICANCE -- CHECK AND JUSTIFY BELOW _COMMUNITY PLANNING -LANDSCAPE ARCHITECTURE CONSERVATION X ARCHITECTURE -SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN ART -OTHER (SPECIFY) SPECIFIC DATES -c. 1830 STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE

Statement of significance

Greek Revival, and is indicative öf the stylistic transition which took place in the"? 1802 with his brother-in-law, Peter Overmeyer. Whitmer had married Overmeyer's sister, Mary Magdaline, who bore him eleven children, the eighth of which was Soloman. By 1829 Through the years, the property passed to Soloman's son, John, and later to John's of Soloman Whitmer. Thus, the house and property remained in the Whitmer family for tion between these two styles which occurred in Ohio between 1830 and 1850.

The sun- Revival in form, the attenuation of its details, most notably the detached columns, are Whitmer House, located as it is in a rural area, is atypical of period residences in the 1400-1499 1600-1699 1700-1799 ECONOMICS INVENTION COMMUNICATIONS 1900- LAW ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC SCULPTURE ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC SIGNIFICANCE BUILDER/ARCHITECT THEATER PERIOD RELIGION X1800-1899 MILITARY TRANSPORTATION ENGINEERING AGRICULTURE INDUSTRY XEXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT 1500-1599 Architecturally, the Whitmer House displays interesting features of both the County is generally an area of folk and vernacular dwellings.Structures such as the first white child born in the newly-settled Perry County.He was the son of Peter (along the Ohio-Erie Canal) developed with specific mercantile interests and contain various The Soloman Whitmer House is nominated for its siginficance as an intact vestige _PREHISTORIC Soloman Whitmer had acquired 158 acres in Section 9 of Thorn Township, and by the are commonly aspects of the Greek Revival style.The major distinguishing Federal and Greek Revival styles, and should be considered as an example of the transi- early history of this rural area of southeastern ohio.

-COMMERCE farming,Soliman Whitmer was engaged asa tanner;an 1835 local property transfer re- of Perry County's early history and for its association with one of the area's fore- -EDUCATION the cornice of the single story rear wing are generally found in Ohio on early l9th on part of the 7-acre tract in the northeast quarter of Section 9,probably around element of the property is emblematic of the dual styling for while it is basically Greek -SCIENCE -LITERATURE burst wooden molding in the gable of the front block and the sawtooth brick pattern in -MUSIC -_PHILOSOPHY Midwest düring the early years of the second quarter of the nineteenth century.The: the 1930s until the 1970s it was owned and accupied by Veryl Whitmer, great-grandson typical of the Federal period.

Viewed within the context of local architecture, the Whitmer (1760-1835) who emigrated from Pennsylvania to the Perry County area in examples of elite architectural styles brought from the more sophisticated East, rural Perry most pioneer families.The house contains elements of both the Federal period and the 1850s had increased his holdings to l67 acres.The brick dwelling house was built 183o, although existing tax records are somewhat inconclusive.In addition to more than l40 years; the house and barn remain today as significant survivals of the CPOLIMICS/GOVERNMENT

The rest of the file

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

MAJOR BIBLIOGRAPHICAL REFERENCES Interview with Veryl Whitmer at his Thornville, Ohio, home; the substance of this interview is incorporated into Section 8. Unigraphic, 1974) 10 GEOGRAPHICAL DATA ACREAGE OF NOMINATED PROPERTY Thornville, Ohio QUADRANGLE NAME VERBAL BOUNDARY DESCRIPTION then north to thenortheast corner of a shed-roof utility building, then east northeast LIST ALL STATES AND COUNTIES FOR PROPERTIES OVERLAPPING STATE OR COUNTY BOUNDARIES STATE _ about 220' to the place of beginning. 11 FORM PREPARED BY NAME / TITLE David L. Taylor, Regional Historic Preservation Officer 9 October, 1978 STREET & NUMBER CITY OR TOWN 12 STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION OFFICER CERTIFICATION THE EVALUATED SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS PROPERTY WITHIN THE STATE IS: LOCAL NATIONAL - As the designated State Historic Preservation Officer for the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (Public Law 89-665).

I 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 I HEREBY CERTIFY THAT THIS PROPERTY IS INCLUDED IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER KEEPER OF THE NATIONAL REGISTER GPO 921-803 614-453-0762 CODE DATE ORGANIZATION TELEPHONE NORTHING COUNTY Ohio University-Zanesville ZONE EASTING 1425 Newark Road less than two acres CHIEF OF REGISTRATION Beginning at the intersection of Perry County Road 30 and a lane c.loo' south of the to the intersection of C.R.

30 and a fence line, then south along the west line of C.R.30 Soluman Whitmer west along this lane toa point c.5o' west of a bank barn, 1: 24000 QUADRANGLE SCALE UTM REFERENCES ZONE Inventory - REVIEW UNIT CHIEF National Register Write-up - Send-back - Re-submit _ OTHER KEEPER ARCHEOLOGIST CONTROL HAER Maps Review HISTORIAN Photos Federal Register Entry 79001924 United States Department of the Interior-Heritage Conservation and Recreation Service 8.21.79 Entered SEP BRANCH CHIEF 10-2-79 TECHNICAL WHITMER, SOLOMAN, HOUSE yersity-Zanesyille, Zanesyille, Ohio JUL 1 G 1979 house 51979 Photo by David L. Taylor; Negative PER-7-2-3, filed at Ohio Uni- Per Photo by David L.

Taylor, Negative PER-7-1-2, filed at Ohio Uni- versity-Zanesville, Zanesville, Ohio JUL 1 6 1979 View of main facade (east) WHITMER, SOLOMAN, HOUSE WHITMER, SOLOMAN, HOUSE JUL 1.s 1979 Vicinity Thornville, Ohio Negative PER-7-1-4, filed at Ohio Uni- versity-Zanesville, Zanesville, Ohio View of north side of house, showing enclosed frame porch & gable end Photo by David L. Taylor, WHITMER, SOLOMAN, HOUSE Negative PER-7-2-3, filed at Ohio Uni- Vicinity Thornville, Ohio SEP51979 versity-Zanesville,Zanesville,,Ohio View of main doorway Photo by David L. Taylor, 9/78 JUL 1 s 1979 7.5 MINUTE SERIES (TOPOGRAPHIC) N UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR GEOLOGICAL SURVEY RECEIVED STATE OF OHIO THORNVILLE QUADRANGLE 17/37980/4417680 THORNVILLE, OHIg N3952.5W8222.5 August 8, 1979 Hathy Clum' Michael & Katharine Clum Dear Sirs, Sincerely, National Registry.

If you need any other information regarding the The house has been undergoing restoration for the mained in remarkable condition.It is one of the finest Thank you for your interest in our property for the possibility of placing them on the National Registry. examples of Federal Architecture in our area. Perry County for future restorations as there are several Witmer property we will be pleased to hear from you. fine homes in the area that we feel qualify for National The Soloman Witmer house was built in 1832 and re- We hope by restoring this home we can seta trend in Thornville WHITME R, SOLOMAN, HOUSE past year and should be ready for occupancy by September. Registry.We are urging several owmers to explore the AUG I O 1979 INDIVIDUAL RESPONSE (ATTACHED) TEL PHONE CALL (ATTACHED) D.

TE FCIN TAKEN NITIALS THE NATIONAL REGISTER OF HISTORIC PLACES DATE REC'D INFORMATIVE MATERIAL SENT Whitmer, Soloman, House Honorable Howard M. Metzenbaum Honorable Clarence E. Miller Dr. Thomas H. Smith Columbus, Ohio 43211 NR Byers/bjr Location Director STATE SEP51979 9/7/79 Name Perry County Thornville vicinity The Ohio Historical Society Also Notified Date Entered State Historic Preservation Officer Honorable John H. Glenn ENTRIES IN THE NATIONAL REGISTER Interstate 7l at 17th Avenue SEP OHIO For further information, please call the National Register at (202)343-640l.