Trop Farm

The Trop Farm lies approximately 4 miles west of Hillsboro in Highland County, Ohio. The terrain is rolling, and a small creek forms the western of the nominated The nominated area comprises roughly 4 acres, upon which lie the house, the The house is a simple 2-story, brick, I-house with interior end-wall chimneys and 2-story brick wing to the rear, giving the whole an L-shape. The brick is laid in common bond. There are 5 bays to the front, with a central entrance. The foundation is rough has a rectangular transom and paneled wooden door. A pair of small square attic windows are on all three end walls. The interior of the house has the classical I-house floorplan-- central hall with open stairs, 2 rooms over 2 rooms, with kitchen wing to the rear.

The house has all the original walnut woodwork, which is very plain. There are simple Federal fireplaces of average height in each of the 4 rooms to the front. By far the most interesting room of all is the dining room, which originally served as the kitchen. The cooking fireplace is approximately 5 1/2 feet high, and the rounded-arch brick hearth is approximately 24" deep. The mantel is very simple, matching the others in the house. This room also has retained its wide plank oak floor, chair railing, baseboard, and narrow enclosed corner stairway leading to the second floor. The other important feature of the Trop Farm is the barn, which wasoriginally two 1og pens and a passage. Sheds were added, a gable roof put on, and whole exterior of the larger barn.

The log pens are each roughly 18' by 18'; the corner notching is half-dovetail. It is not known when the "exterior" barn was built, although it appears to have been well before 1900.

(in one paragraph) The Trop Farm is significant for its architectural integrity and for its links to the settlement of rural Highland County. The house, barn, and surrounding outbuildings, taken as a grouping, are indicative of what the early built environment of rural Highland County must have looked like at one time. Within the county such a grouping is now the landscape is dotted with the symbols of modern agriculture--tall silos and Harvest- stores, pole sheds, brick ranch-style houses with attached garages, and mobile Henry Trop, came to Highland County from Pennsylvania in 1811 with his mother and shortly after clearing 15 acres for cultivation.

According to family tradition, the log barn and a log house (which was torn down when the brick house was built) were erected in those early years. Henry and his son Philip built the brick house in the late 1840's for Philip and his wife. Family tradition has it that Philip finished the last hearth in was accomplished in woodworking, and was a brickmason who built many houses in Hillsboro. The total farm has had slightly varying amounts of acreage associated with it, but the 4 acres being nominated have been in the Trop family from 1811 to the present 1400-1499 commerce 1600-1699 1700-1799 1500-1599 economics theater 8.

Significance industry education Period science humanitarian prehistoric law invention X1800-1899 politics/government - communityplanning 1900- -art - philosophy Specific dates House: ca.1845-49 rarely found. Because of the relatively good economic conditions of the past 30 years, homes. The full classical I-house (so prevalent in southern Ohio), log barn, and accompanying outbuildings are in sharp contrast, and as such provide a daily visual reminder of the lifestyle that made this rural area prosperous. The original settler, two sisters and settled on this land.