{"nrhp_refnum":"00000419","name":"Benedict, Reuben, House","other_names":["Oliver, William, House"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"1463 Cty. Rd. 24","address_restricted":false,"city":"Marengo","county":"Morrow County","state":"OH","lat":40.40815930900004,"lon":-82.86333675899994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2000-05-08","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture","Social History"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick farmhouse with a one-and-a-half story frame wing, built ca. 1828 on Worthington-New Haven Road in the Alum Creek area of Peru Township, near Marengo, Morrow County, Ohio. It was built for Reuben Benedict, a Quaker settler.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the house is significant under Criterion A for its association with the Underground Railroad in northern Ohio, in the Quaker settlement of Alum Creek. It is also significant under Criterion C as a locally rare, early Ohio example of a modified Continental plan house in the Federal vernacular style. It retains a relatively high degree of architectural integrity despite later alterations.","narrative":"Built around 1828 for Reuben Benedict, this brick farmhouse sits beside Alum Creek in Peru Township, Morrow County, Ohio. Benedict came from New York in 1812 with a group of settlers who founded the Quaker community known as Alum Creek. Local histories described his brick house as the first of its kind in the township. The two-story main block has a frame wing, standing seam metal roof, end chimneys and a four-bay front. Inside, a modified Continental plan holds a Federal mantel with reeded moldings, carved tulip and sunburst motifs, plus corner fireplaces and original chair rails. The house is recognized for its link to the Underground Railroad. Alum Creek lay on one of two principal routes through north-central Ohio, and the house appears in accounts and local histories as a station. It is also valued as a rare early example of its plan and style in the county. Later changes include stucco, replacement openings and a garage, but the house keeps much of its original character.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1828-1865","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Early Republic/Federal (Federal vernacular, modified Continental plan)","criteria":["A","C"],"status_note":"Still used as a single-family dwelling. Altered after the period of significance, including stucco on the first floor, replacement windows and doors, and a post-1950 garage.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:06.751693-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/00000419.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000419/1a23bc2030-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/00000419/1a23bc2030-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reuben_Benedict_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Reuben_Benedict_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71990645","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138638785"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/morrow-county/benedict-reuben-house-00000419/"}