{"nrhp_refnum":"07000579","name":"Hocking Valley Coal Company Town Historic District","other_names":[],"category":"district","location":{"address":"Jackson Dr. and Arbor Dr.","address_restricted":false,"city":"The Plaines","county":"Athens County","state":"OH","lat":39.36436168000006,"lon":-82.11811218199995,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"2007-06-22","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A company town historic district on Jackson Drive and Arbor Drive near The Plains, about two miles north of Athens, Athens County, Ohio. The Hocking Valley Coal Company built it between 1900 and 1902 for workers at Eclipse Mine #4.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the district is a well-preserved and rare survivor of a company town in the Little Cities of Black Diamonds coal region, where only three company towns survive. It keeps its houses, company store and streetscape layout, and has always been held under single ownership, which is unusual in the region. It meets the registration requirements for a company town set out in the regional multiple property documentation.","narrative":"Jackson Drive and Arbor Drive, north of Athens, Ohio, hold the last intact part of a coal company town built between 1900 and 1902 by the Hocking Valley Coal Company. It housed workers at Eclipse Mine #4, which closed in 1948. The 3.4-acre district has fifteen buildings: twelve one-story bungalows, a shotgun house, a garage and the two-story company store at the foot of the street beside the railroad. Five of the houses were moved in from other parts of the town to fill gaps. All are wood-frame buildings with narrow horizontal siding and slate gable roofs. The store once also served as the railroad depot and held a paymaster's office wing, since removed. The district was recognized as a rare survivor among only three company towns left in the Little Cities of Black Diamonds coal region of Athens, Hocking and Perry counties. Its repeated house designs, shared setbacks and single ownership since the mine era keep the character of a company-controlled mining community.","period_of_significance":"1900-1948","architect_builder":"Hocking Valley Coal Company","architectural_style":"Other/bungalow, shotgun house types","criteria":["A"],"status_note":"The houses have been rehabilitated and are used as residences. The company store has not been rehabilitated, and its foundation has recently been rebuilt and stabilized.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:52:06.846493-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/07000579.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71984456","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/athens-county/hocking-valley-coal-company-town-historic-district-07000579/"}