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Photograph of William C. Johnston House and General Store
Photograph by Nyttend, Public domain. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Johnston, William C., House And General Store

Listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. A historic map-sheet match is not published yet. The record needs a coordinate-quality review before it can be joined to a sheet boundary.

From the record

one of 16 National Register listings in Lawrence County · listed in 1976 · category: Building.

Sources: 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.
  • Address. Washington and Davidson Sts., Burlington, 45680
  • When was it listed? 1976-09-07
  • Category. building
  • Township. Fayette township
  • National Register reference number. 76001463 - 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.

Fires near this property

26 since 2001

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 26 fires within 5 miles of Johnston, William C., House And General Store between 2001 and 2020, burning about 54 acres in total. None started naturally. 1 was recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause Fires
Debris and open burning16
Missing data/not specified/undetermined5
Recreation and ceremony3
Arson/incendiarism1
Other causes1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

DateCause SizeReported by Name on the report
7 September 2002Arson/incendiarism10 acresOhio State Fire Marshal's Officenot named
26 June 2017Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreOhio Department of Natural Resources8485
13 June 2017Other causesunder an acreOhio Department of Natural Resources8526
23 May 2017Debris and open burningunder an acreOhio Department of Natural Resources8406
1 May 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreOhio Department of Natural Resources13907
1 May 2018Missing data/not specified/undeterminedunder an acreOhio Department of Natural Resources14485
14 April 2017Recreation and ceremonyunder an acreOhio Department of Natural Resources7990
13 April 2017Debris and open burningunder an acreOhio Department of Natural Resources7987

Every fire recorded in Lawrence County

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 863 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 863 specimens collected within 10 miles of Johnston, William C., House And General Store between 1840 and 1972: 611 Animalia, 115 Fungi, 114 Plantae, 20 Protozoa, 2 Unrecorded, 1 Chromista. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by Archer W. A., BARBOUR, DOUGLAS I, BARUCH and others. Each is a physical object with a catalogue number, and each entry opens the museum's record. This is what was collected and kept, not a survey of what lives here - nothing can be concluded from a species being absent.

Image SpeciesYear Collected by Where, as recorded
Specimen of Microsphaera alni (DC.) G.WinterMicrosphaera alni (DC.) G.Winter1892W.A. KellermanSymmes Creek
A photograph of the species Polanisia dodecandra, not of this specimenPolanisia dodecandra (L.) DC.1840Short, C.W.along Ohio River
A photograph of the species Eragrostis reptans, not of this specimenEragrostis reptans (Michx.) Nees1880T Meehan
A photograph of the species Carpiodes cyprinus, not of this specimenCarpiodes cyprinus (Lesueur, 1817)1888C. Gilbert & J. HenshallBig Sandy River, near mouth
A photograph of the species Isoperla bilineata, not of this specimenIsoperla bilineata (Say, 1823)1899Nathan Banks
A photograph of the species Notropis blennius, not of this specimenNotropis blennius (Girard, 1856)1899Osburn, R. C. (Raymond Carroll)Ice Creek, at Ironton, ~0.6 mi SW of Coal Grove, Upper township
A photograph of the species Cambarus bartonii, not of this specimenCambarus bartonii (Fabricius, 1798)1900not recordedGuyandotte River
A photograph of the species Gymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae, not of this specimenGymnosporangium juniperi-virginianae Schwein.1903Beale J. M.Guyandotte
A photograph of the species Coniothyrium fuckelii, not of this specimenConiothyrium fuckelii Sacc.1904Brooks Fred E.Huntington
A photograph of the species Venturia inaequalis, not of this specimenVenturia inaequalis (Cooke) G.Winter1904Brooks F. E.Huntington
A photograph of the species Haematoloechus longiplexus, not of this specimenHaematoloechus longiplexus Stafford, 19021905Collector(s): Daniel R. Brooks, David ZamparoHuntington
A photograph of the species Cladosporium carpophilum, not of this specimenCladosporium carpophilum Thüm.1906C.M. Davidson

All 863 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

8 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 8 workings within 5 miles of Johnston, William C., House And General Store: 6 past producers, 1 unknown, 1 producer. 1 still produces. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction, Sulfur, Nickel. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where SiteCommodity StatusRecorded
Ashland Oil/ Catlettsburg, Ky.SulfurUnknown
Huntington Alloys Rolling MillNickelProducer
Burlington PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Burlington PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Jerrys Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Jerrys Sand and Gravel PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer
Wilson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast ProducerSedimentary
Wilson PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionPast Producer

Every working recorded in Lawrence County

Storms near this property

4 since 2005

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Burlington, the town this property stands in, in 4 storm reports between 2005 and 2024: 4 thunderstorm wind. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. 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
June 2011Thunderstorm WindBurlington$7,000A large section of metal roof to a business was ripped off.
February 2014Thunderstorm WindBurlington$5,000A tree fell onto a house in Burlington.
July 2024Thunderstorm WindBurlington$500Two trees were blown down within the Burlington community.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindBurlington-Trees were blown down across roads.

Every storm recorded in Lawrence 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.

From the nomination file

12,249 words on record

When this property was proposed for the National Register, someone wrote the case for it: what the building is, and why it matters. That document is a federal record in the public domain. It is quoted below word for word, never summarised. The text was read off the scanned case file by machine, so the occasional stray character is the recogniser's and the 1970s typewriter's.

Description of the property

The William C. Johnston House and General Store faces onto the Ohio River. The right of the entrance and on the second floor the windows are 8/8 light with flat triple window, each of the three portions having 8/8 lights. Again there is a flat east end and the upper right window in the west end have been bricked in. The north (rear) elevation has two 6/6 light windows per floor.

These windows are set Hewn timbers, random width structural members, brick nogging and tree nail joining CONDITION UNEXPOSED EXCELLENT RUINS FAIR XALTERED UNALTERED XGOOD brick arch and wood sill.This configuration is a modern replacement for the gable roofed frame wing of unknown design has been removed from the north side.This built of Flemish bond brick.The center entrance in the three-bay facade is round for use as a single family house. CHECK ONE The end of the building originally had two windows per floor and a single window directly above each other and are centered in the outer bays.Just left of center of a frieze. had a wood hatchway and was used for the delivery of materials sold in the store.

The only other element of note on the facade is a band of brick corbeling in place foundation is rough cut, coursed limestone. An 1890 photo shows two stone courses a portion of a cellar entrance can be seen. porches (or an open lean-to) attached to both the east and west ends of the building.

Read the complete 12,249-word case file.

Statement of significance

In addition to a general store, William and Benjamin ran a tannery and blacksmith that "In election times we had no telephone so we depended on the mailboat captain for suited, a mighty yell would go up." The Johnston Store is believed, by persons throughout Lawrence County, to have been system, the Johnston House & Store is often referred to locally as the Old Distribue 1400-1499 1500-1599 1600-1699 1700-1799 INVENTION ENGINEERING ART AGRICULTURE ARCHITECTURE RELIGION 1900- SCULPTURE THEATER ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC TRANSPORTATION PERIOD SIGNIFICANCE PREHISTORIC MILITARY LITERATURE SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN Place.

Burlington's most colorful history stems from its participation in the Underground _CONSERVATION _COMMUNICATIONS _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT a stop for those fleeing.Many believe that tunnels ran from the store to the _PHILOSOPHY Hardesty (l882) William and Benjamin Johnston had the first store in Lawrence Mr.Distribue was know to people in the town due to his long tenure in the school issued in the county seat.Seven months prior to this William Johnston purchased riverbank but no such evidence has been found.

_ECONOMICS X.COMMERCE _EDUCATION The postmaster would read this news to the crowds outside the door, and if the news early structures in Lawrence County.In addition it is a good local example of was a well known shipping point along the Ohio River.In 1840 Benjamin Johnston During the latter 180o's part of the Johnston Store housed the medical office of Dr. believed to have been a link in the Underground Railroad. 1ot #59 on which the house-general store was built. -MUSIC - INDUSTRY -LAW -COMMUNITY PLANNING SPECIFIC DATES Ca. 1820 County.

The structure also served as a post office from 1840-1887 and is locally for services rendered to the county: locks for the courthouse, iron for repair to Siebert (1951) describes Numerous entries in the Commissioners records show payment to the Johnstons Burilington ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC County.

Read the complete 12,249-word case file.

The whole case file for this property - 12,249 words, 64 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 76001463, 64 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

Listed places nearby

4 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
Old Lawrence County Jail0.1 miles1978
Burlington 37 Cemetery0.7 miles2001
Macedonia Church2.3 miles1978
Maplewood3.3 miles1977

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 76001463 in Record Group 79.
Lawrence CountyAll 16 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.
  • Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.
  • Specimens. Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF), https://www.gbif.org/. Only records licensed CC0 or CC BY are used. Records licensed CC BY-NC are excluded because this site carries advertising. Images are checked individually and any whose licence is non-commercial, no-derivatives or unreadable is refused.
  • Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.
  • 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.