{"nrhp_refnum":"69000149","name":"Oak Hill Cottage","other_names":["Shane's Castle"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"310 Springmill St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Mansfield","county":"Richland County","state":"OH","lat":40.76778511800006,"lon":-82.51778602699994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1969-06-11","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Literature","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"Oak Hill Cottage, also called Shane's Castle, is a Gothic revival house at 310 Springmill Street in Mansfield, Richland County, Ohio, built in 1847. It is the home of the Richland County Historical Society.","why_significant":"The nomination calls it the oldest building of substance in Mansfield and a pure example of Gothic revival, built before the style was modified after 1850. It was also a social center after Dr. Johannes A. Jones bought it in 1864, hosting politicians and educators. It is believed to be the setting of Louis Bromfield's novel The Green Bay Tree.","narrative":"Built in 1847 on a small hill overlooking central Mansfield, Oak Hill Cottage, also known as Shane's Castle, is a Gothic revival house that the nomination describes as the oldest building of substance in the city. Architectural authority Ralph Adams Cram is quoted as calling it the one perfect Gothic house in the United States. Because it was designed and built before 1850, when the style became popular in modified form, it kept a pure Gothic character. After Dr. Johannes A. Jones bought it in 1864, the house became a show place and a center of Mansfield social life, hosting politicians and educators, including a recital by Margaret Wilson during a World War I Liberty Loan drive. It is also believed to be the setting for Louis Bromfield's novel The Green Bay Tree. Only minor alterations are recorded, and the local historical society has preserved the house and many Victorian furnishings, though the grounds, gardens and orchards have been reduced.","period_of_significance":"1847-","architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Gothic revival (Gothic suburban cottage)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Listed as unoccupied and in fair condition, with preservation work in progress; a 1969 survey found the structure sound and needing only minimal rehabilitation for use as a dwelling. It is the home of the county historical society.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.753485-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/69000149.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000149/745c785a42-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/69000149/745c785a42-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"User:OHWiki","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oak_Hill_Cottage_and_Museum.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">User:OHWiki</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Oak_Hill_Cottage_and_Museum.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991092","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oak_Hill_Cottage","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7073569"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/richland-county/oak-hill-cottage-69000149/"}