{"nrhp_refnum":"76001541","name":"Old Log Post Office","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"5th and River Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Franklin","county":"Warren County","state":"OH","lat":39.559614589000034,"lon":-84.30666181599997,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1976-03-17","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story rectangular log building, built about 1802, now in a public park at Fifth and River Streets in Franklin, Warren County, Ohio. It was moved in December 1974 from its original site about a block and a half away.","why_significant":"It is the oldest known surviving building in Franklin and is believed to be the town's first post office and the J. N. C. Schenck store, which was the main trading post between Dayton and Cincinnati. No documents confirm the Schenck link, but local tradition holds it. Residents regard it as their most important structure.","narrative":"This small log building in Franklin, Ohio, dates to about 1802 and is the oldest known structure in the town. It measures roughly 18 by 23 feet, rises two stories, and has large, uniform logs joined by steeple notching, a method common in the region before 1825. A stone chimney stands outside the building, and the entrance is at the center of the front. Local tradition identifies it as the store and post office of J. N. C. Schenck, who opened the first store in Franklin in 1802 and became postmaster in 1805, although no documents confirm this. The store served as the main trading spot between Dayton and Cincinnati. Facing demolition for an apartment complex, the cabin was moved in December 1974 to a public park beside the Great Miami River, only a block or so from its first site. Later additions were removed, and restoration was planned. Residents consider it the most important building in their town.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"unknown","architectural_style":"Vernacular (log architecture)","criteria":[],"status_note":"Moved in December 1974 to save it from an apartment development; restoration was in progress and the form lists it as unoccupied.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:09.754848-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/76001541.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001541/b3ded9eeb2-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/76001541/b3ded9eeb2-1600.webp","licence":"CC BY-SA 3.0","author":"Mfields1 at en.wikipedia","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Franklin_OH_Old_PO.png\" rel=\"noopener\">Mfields1 at en.wikipedia</a>, <a href=\"http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/\" rel=\"license noopener\">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Franklin_OH_Old_PO.png"},"district":{"nrhp_refnum":"100008886","name":"Franklin Historic District","url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/districts/ohio/franklin-historic-district-100008886/"},"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991857","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Franklin_Post_Office","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5491765"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/warren-county/old-log-post-office-76001541/"}