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Photograph of Crossed Keys Tavern
Photograph by Mbeatty, CC BY-SA 4.0. Via Wikimedia Commons.

Crossed Keys Tavern

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

“The Crossed Keys Tavern, also known as the Cross Keys Tavern is a historic stone building located in Turtlecreek Township near Lebanon, Ohio. It is across the Little Miami River from the former Fort Ancient village.”

Wikipedia article Crossed Keys Tavern, CC BY-SA 4.0.

one of 30 National Register listings in Warren County · listed in 1976 · 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.
  • Address. E of Lebanon on OH 350, Lebanon, 45054
  • When was it listed? 1976-10-21
  • Category. building
  • Township. Turtlecreek township
  • National Register reference number. 76001542 - 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

7,293 words

The chapter on Turtlecreek Township in The History of Warren County, Ohio, published 1882 names Lebanon. This is what it says, exactly as the scans read.

The town of Lebanon was laid out in September, 1802. The original pro^ prietors of the lands on which the town, as originally platted, stood, were Ichabod Corwin, Silas Hurin, Ephraim Hathaway and Samuel Manning. The original plat of the town embraced portions of four sections of land.

Passage source: The History of Warren County, Ohio, published 1882.

At the time the new town was projected, the formation of a State government was under consideration by the people of the Northwest Territory, and the projectors of Lebanon hoped that in the division of the new State into counties their town might become the capital of one of the counties. A number of the land-owners in the neighborhood about the site of Lebanon, it seems, were anxious for the establishment of a town in the Turtle Creek Valley, which had already become well known for the fertility of its soil and the good character of its inhabitants. It is reported that there was a meeting of the citizens of the vicinity for the purpose of selecting a name for the town, and that the . one agreed upon, and which was given it, was not satisfactory to Francis Dunlevy. It is also a tradition that the land to the east of the original plat, and now included in the eastern part of Lebanon, was desired for its location, but Samuel Manning, the owner, refused to lay-out a town upon his farm, saying that, " it would never be anything but a nest of thieves." Only a narrow strip of Mr. Manning's land was included in the original plat. In after years, however. he laid out additions to the town, and it is said that these proved more profitable to him than the original lots to their owners. The latter were compelled to make liberal donations for the purpose of erecting county buildings in order to make the town the county seat.

Passage source: The History of Warren County, Ohio, published 1882.

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 Turtlecreek Township - 7,293 words on its settlement, mills, schools and churches.

Specimens collected near this property

12 of 3,282 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. Museums hold 3,282 specimens collected within 10 miles of Crossed Keys Tavern between 1844 and 1974: 3,107 Animalia, 97 Fungi, 62 Plantae, 14 Unrecorded, 2 Protozoa. 12 distinct Species records are shown. Collected by A. Gaufin, A. R. Gaufin, A.R. Gaufin, H.H. Ross 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 Cambarus bartonii (Fabricius, 1798)Cambarus bartonii (Fabricius, 1798)1892H. SmithCreek About 2 Mile NE Of South Lebanon
A photograph of the species Polyporus dryophilus, not of this specimenPolyporus dryophilus Berk.1844Lea T. G.Waynesville
A photograph of the species Lampsilis ovata, not of this specimenLampsilis ovata (Say, 1817)1862Whiteaves, Joseph F.Little Miami Riv., Warren Co.
A photograph of the species Ptychobranchus fasciolaris, not of this specimenPtychobranchus fasciolaris (Rafinesque, 1820)1862Whiteaves, Joseph F.Little Miami Riv., Warren Co.
A photograph of the species Actinonaias ligamentina, not of this specimenActinonaias ligamentina (Lamarck, 1819)1879Whiteaves, Joseph F.Little Miami Riv., Warren Co.
A photograph of the species Megalonaias gigantea, not of this specimenMegalonaias gigantea (Barnes, 1823)1879Whiteaves, Joseph F.Great Miami Riv.
A photograph of the species Saponaria officinalis, not of this specimenSaponaria officinalis L.1881not recordedLebanon
A photograph of the species Achillea millefolium, not of this specimenAchillea millefolium subsp. millefolium1884Bennett, F.G.Lebanon
A photograph of the species Agrostemma githago, not of this specimenAgrostemma githago L.1884Bennerht, F.G.Lebanon
A photograph of the species Anthemis cotula, not of this specimenAnthemis cotula L.1884Bennett, F.G.[Lebanon]
A photograph of the species Asclepias syriaca, not of this specimenAsclepias syriaca L.1884Berrerlt, F.G.near Lebanon
A photograph of the species Calystegia sepium, not of this specimenCalystegia sepium (L.) R.Br.1884not recordedLebanon

All 3,282 specimens within 10 miles, at the Global Biodiversity Information Facility.

Mines and quarries near this property

2 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 2 workings within 5 miles of Crossed Keys Tavern: 2 producers. All of them still produce. What was taken out: Sand and Gravel, Construction. 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
Morrow Gravel Plant No 1 Mill & PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer
Morrow Plant & PitSand and Gravel, ConstructionProducer

Every working recorded in Warren County

Storms near this property

60 of 81 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Lebanon, the town this property stands in, in 81 storm reports between 1994 and 2025: 39 thunderstorm wind, 22 hail, 9 flash flood, 9 flood. 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
April 2015Thunderstorm WindLebanon$250,000Straight line winds blew a side wall out of a house's garage and roof damage occurred to about 30 additional homes. Numerous large trees were also knocked down.
May 2024Tornado (EF1)South Lebanon$200,000The tornado first formed in South Lebanon with primarily minor tree damage observed for several city blocks on the northeast side of town. Broken limbs were found along Pike Street, Claude Street, and Sunset Drive. Minor damage to an outbuilding was found on the south side of Claude Street. ||The next evidence of the tornado was found in a field to the west of Shawhan Road, where striations were evident in the tall grass of the field. The tornado moved east-northeast across Shawhan Road, causing extensive tree damage on the east side of the road. ||A few residences along Shawhan Road sustained minor roof damage, but one detached garage had total roof removal and partial wall collapse. Winds here were estimated to be 90 mph, or low end EF-1. The tornado continued east-northeast, causing additional tree and structural damage to homes along Browning Lane. As the tornado moved back across Shawhan Road, additional tree and minor structural damage to residences was noted between Shawhan and Stubbs Mill Road. The tornado appeared to end near Stubbs Mill Road.
March 2001Thunderstorm WindLebanon$50,000A roof was blown off a paper factory and trees were knocked down.
April 2011Thunderstorm WindLebanon$30,000A garage was damaged and a roof was partially torn off of a house due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
March 2008Flash FloodSouth Lebanon$30,000Voluntary evacuations due to high water in South Lebanon. One home was surrounded by water along Mason-Morrow-Millgrove Road just east of South Lebanon. Todds Fork came out of its bank in Morrow, forcing the closure of US Route 22/State Route 3 in town. Numerous other roads were flooded across the southern part of the county, particularly near Landen in Deerfield Township and in Harlan Township.
April 2006Thunderstorm WindLebanon$25,000A house sustained major roof damage near the intersection of State Routes 48 and 122. Trees were downed around the residence as well.
May 2024Tornado (EF0)Lebanon$20,000The tornado began near a residence along State Route 123, about a half mile east of State Route 48. Damage mainly consisted of a few downed trees, power poles and minor roof damage. A water tank from farm equipment was tossed into a field behind the residence. Sporadic tree damage continued to the east-northeast across Wilmington Road before the tornado ended. Based on the damage, maximum winds were estimated to be 65 mph, or low end EF-0.
June 2003Flash FloodLebanon$20,000Markey and Miller Roads closed due to high water. A bridge sustained minor damage at the intersection of Corwin and Elbon Roads.
June 2016Thunderstorm WindLebanon$10,000Scattered trees were knocked down across the county.
July 2013FloodSouth Lebanon$10,000Basement flooding occurred due to heavy rainfall.
May 2010Flash FloodLebanon$10,000Water damage was reported at a water park due to heavy rainfall.
April 2002HailLebanon$10,000no account filed
August 2007Thunderstorm WindLebanon$6,000Several trees up to three feet in diameter were downed along Deerfield Road. Numerous large tree limbs were downed at Harmon Park and Harmon Golf Course. A tree limb fell on a house along State Route 63 on the west side of town.
June 2020Thunderstorm WindSouth Lebanon$5,000A tree was knocked down onto a house near the 100 block of East Broadway in South Lebanon.
June 2007Thunderstorm WindSouth Lebanon$5,000A large tree fell on a house, causing minor damage. Trees were downed in a few other locations across Deerfield Township.
December 2006Thunderstorm WindLebanon$5,000Several trees and power lines were downed.
June 2001Thunderstorm WindLebanon$5,000Thunderstorms produced strong winds which knocked down trees and power poles.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindLebanon$5,000Trees and power lines downed.
July 1997Thunderstorm WindLebanon$5,000Trees and power lines downed.
May 1995Thunderstorm WindLebanon$5,000Several trees downed, some across roads.
November 1996Thunderstorm WindSouth Lebanon$5,000no account filed
April 1994HailLebanon$5,000no account filed
July 2021Thunderstorm WindLebanon$4,000Multiple power lines and one tree were blown down.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindSouth Lebanon$4,000Shingles were peeled off a roof. In addition, numerous large limbs were knocked down.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindLebanon$4,000A few trees were knocked down in Clearcreek Township.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindLebanon$4,000Several trees and large limbs were downed along Cook Road. Patio furniture was displaced from a residence in the Lakeshore Landing neighborhood off of Cook Road.
July 2002Thunderstorm WindLebanon$4,000Trees were blown down.
June 2020Flash FloodLebanon$3,000Water entered a first floor apartment. Other units also flooded at The Redwoods in Lebanon.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000Several tree were knocked down. The downed trees were scattered across the county.
June 2006Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000Two trees were downed, including one across the Lebanon Bike Trail. A power pole was also blown over near Butlerville.
December 2006Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000One tree and power lines were knocked down.
June 2005Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000Trees were knocked down.
May 2004Thunderstorm WindSouth Lebanon$3,000Several trees were downed.
July 2003Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000A few trees were knocked down.
July 2001Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000Several trees were knocked down by thunderstorm winds.
June 1998Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000Numerous trees downed.
August 1997Thunderstorm WindLebanon$3,000Several trees downed.
November 2007HailLebanon$3,000no account filed
May 2010Flash FloodLebanon$2,000Water was rushing over Oregonia road in several locations. Water was as deep as one foot in some locations.
June 2015Thunderstorm WindSouth Lebanon$1,500One tree was split apart by the wind. Also several large limbs were knocked down.
July 2025Thunderstorm WindSouth Lebanon$1,000A tree was downed near the Little Miami River.
June 2023Thunderstorm WindLebanon$1,000A large tree was uprooted.
September 2012Thunderstorm WindLebanon$1,000A tree was downed due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
August 2011Thunderstorm WindLebanon$1,000A tree was reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
December 2011FloodLebanon$1,000Several roads were closed across the county due to high water caused by heavy rainfall.
June 2010Thunderstorm WindLebanon$1,000Trees were reported down due to damaging thunderstorm winds.
May 2010Thunderstorm WindLebanon$1,000Large limbs up to 20 inches in diameter were reported down.
May 2010Flash FloodLebanon$1,000Some roadways were flooded due to heavy rainfall.
February 2009HailLebanon$1,000no account filed
February 2025FloodLebanon-High water was reported on several roads in the Lebanon area.
February 2022FloodLebanon-U.S. Route 42 was closed between Sycamore Street and Broadway Street due to high water.
February 2022FloodSouth Lebanon-High water was reported on Forest Avenue.
February 2019FloodLebanon-A road was closed due to high water.
April 2018FloodLebanon-Numerous roads were closed, including: Glosser Road between State Route 63 and U.S. Route 42, Stubbs Mills Road between Route 22 and Mason-Morrow-Millgrove Road, and Lower Springboro Road between 4th and Pioneer Blvd.
September 2018FloodLebanon-Several roads were closed due to high water. These included Miller Road between Broadway Street and Columbus Avenue, the intersection of Greentree Road and State Route 741, and a few roads in the 1400 block of Old State Route 122.
March 2017Flash FloodLebanon-High water was reported flowing across State Route 48.
September 2016Flash FloodLebanon-Moderate street flooding was reported in Lebanon.
December 2013FloodLebanon-A few roads across the county were covered with high water caused by heavy rainfall.
March 2006Flash FloodLebanon-Dicks Creek rose out of its bank between Middletown and Lebanon.
May 2003HailLebanon-Hail covered the ground in town.

Every storm recorded in Warren 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

1,377 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

parently because of the interior fireplace and flue, there was no room the problem of placing the fireplace in an ideal location. The are wood, and rather than lintels, flat arches of fieldstone are CONDITION DESCRIPTION XGOOD UNALTERED XALTERED CHECK ONE done with modern mortar, or perhaps cement, and may cause unnecessary XORIGINAL SITE The original layout of the interior has been retained. Original plaster be employed immediately to insure the survival of the building. Crossed Keys Tavern was constructed of coursed fieldstone in l802 _UNEXPOSED _DETERIORATED _EXCELLENT line in order to allow for the attic to be used as dormitory space. the Miami tavern was near a prime ford of the river.

The two and one-half story building measures work, applied directly to the twenty-two inch thick stone walls, remains. Fireplaces, one in each room, must be burned constantly in the winter area and tavern room. the attic is constructed as a dormitory. The first floor front has one window and a rectangular doorway. Ap- condition and with minor maintanence could be made pleasant. employed. The second floor has two sleeping rooms, and The exterior stone work is in fair condition..Some patching has been The interior is in very good approximately 33 x 20 feet.Located just one hundred yards from by Revolutionary War Captain Benjamin Rue as a stagecoach stop on the the building are double-hung sash with six lights over six.Sills LRUINS AREAS OF

Statement of significance

wel1-known Warren County landmark. MAR 1 7 1976> 1802 1700-1799 1500-1599 X1800-1899 EDUCATION 1400-1499 SIGNIFICANCE ARCHEOLOGY-HISTORIC LAW PERIOD RELIGION ART COMMUNICATIONS REGISTER BUILDER/ARCHITECT AGRICULTURE SCULPTURE NATIONAL RECEIVED Benjamin Rue Built by Captain Benjamin Rue, who was in the army during the Revolu- LITERATURE XARCHITECTURE MUSIC _EXPLORATION/SETTLEMENT _CONSERVATION _POLITICS/GOVERNMENT _PHILOSOPHY the nineteenth century when it became a residence. _ENGINEERING _TRANSPORTATION person or organization will purchase Crossed Keys and restore it.

- INVENTION _THEATER _SOCIAL/HUMANITARIAN Present day caretaker Alfred Hardy maintains the Crossed Keysas a _COMMERCE - MILITARY -SCIENCE - INDUSTRY _COMMUNITY PLANNING - constructed as a tavern, the stop after the ford was generally made Until then, Mr. Hardy does what he can with his limited budget. ARCHEOLOGY-PREHISTORIC Lebanon's Golden Lamb Inn.After Rue a variety of persons operated for emergency purposes only because of the smallness of the building. nineteenth century stone roadhouse.Built in tavern is a Benjamin Rue sold the tavern in l8l9 in order to become manager of The Cincinnati Enquirer, September 12, 1972.

The whole case file for this property - 1,377 words, 13 pages, reproduced complete.

Quoted from the National Register nomination for reference 76001542, 13 pages, held by the National Archives in Record Group 79. See the catalogue record.

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
Mohrman-Jack-Evans House5.5 miles1984
Maplewood Sanitorium5.7 miles1984
Lebanon Academy5.9 miles1984
Golden Lamb5.9 miles1978
Glendower5.9 miles1970
Smith-Davis House6.1 miles1985

Sources for this property

National Archives recordThe nomination case file for reference 76001542 in Record Group 79.
Wikipedia articleCommunity-written account of this property, licensed CC BY-SA.
Warren CountyAll 30 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.
  • 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.