{"nrhp_refnum":"79003168","name":"Barretts Mills (Boundary Increase)","other_names":["See Also:Barretts Mills"],"category":"district","location":{"address":"On Factory Branch Creek","address_restricted":false,"city":"Rainsboro","county":"Highland County","state":"OH","lat":39.20206697100008,"lon":-83.38711142099999,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1979-07-24","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Industry","Commerce"],"significance_levels":["state"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A 1979 boundary increase to the Barretts Mills complex near Rainsboro, Highland County, Ohio, adding the woolen mill pond and dam and the Mercer Log House to the original mill complex.","why_significant":"The amendment corrects the original boundary, which omitted the mill pond, dam and Mercer Log House because of rugged terrain. These features help explain the history and development of the Barrett mill complex. The pond and dam supplied power to the woolen mill, and the log house was home to a mill operator.","narrative":"Barretts Mills is a mill complex near Rainsboro in Highland County, Ohio, first listed in 1972 with a gristmill, covered bridge, sawmill, woolen mill and Barrett House. A 1979 amendment enlarged the boundary after rugged terrain led to the omission of two related features: the woolen mill pond and dam, and the Mercer Log House. The dam was closed at night so water could collect in the pond, then opened by day to power the mill wheel. Its face is built of large, roughly cut rectangular stones similar to the mill foundations. The log house, a one-and-a-half-story structure later covered with wood siding, was the home of Bert Mercer, who bought the gristmill in 1923 and ran it with his children until 1957. The amendment also notes that the woolen mill has since burned, leaving its stone foundation, and that the Hatfield House, an 1890s frame building, had been included by mistake.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Mill pond and dam described as utilitarian; Mercer House described as a log cabin covered with wood siding","criteria":[],"status_note":"The woolen mill has burned and only its stone foundation remains. The dam is in poor condition and less than 50% intact; the Mercer House is in fair condition and used as a residence.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:11.962657-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/79003168.pdf"},"photo":null,"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71989363","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":null},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/highland-county/barretts-mills-boundary-increase-79003168/"}