{"nrhp_refnum":"83001965","name":"Ijams, Joseph, House","other_names":["\"The Old Tavern\""],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Broad and Main Sts.","address_restricted":false,"city":"West Rushville","county":"Fairfield County","state":"OH","lat":39.76358060700005,"lon":-82.45988114299996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1983-06-16","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A two-story brick building known locally as \"The Old Tavern,\" at the northeast corner of Broad and Main Streets in West Rushville, Fairfield County, Ohio, dating from about 1810-20.","why_significant":"The nomination argues it is an early building along Zane's Trace, an important transportation route through Ohio, and the outstanding example of early 19th century architecture in West Rushville. It is the largest and earliest brick structure in town and shows fine early craftsmanship in its stonework, mantels, architraves and panelled doors.","narrative":"Occupying the only intersection in West Rushville, Ohio, this two-story brick building on a raised sandstone foundation was built around 1810-20 and is known locally as \"The Old Tavern.\" It has a hipped slate roof, an L-shaped plan, five bays across and a one-story frame wing at the rear. The central entrance is reached by a double-sided sandstone staircase and holds an original eight-panel door with a fluted architrave. Inside, much of the woodwork is walnut, with fluted door and window surrounds, Federal-era mantels and a large cooking fireplace. The building is regarded as significant because it stands along Zane's Trace, authorized in 1797 as a route connecting Wheeling and Maysville, and because it is the largest and earliest brick structure in town. John Ijams platted the community in 1817 and probably built it. A county author called it the only known remaining early tavern in Fairfield County, though no solid evidence of tavern use was found. Judge William McClung lived there in the mid-nineteenth century.","period_of_significance":"1800-1899","architect_builder":"John Ijams, who platted the town in 1817, was probably the builder (builder listed as \"see below\" on the form)","architectural_style":null,"criteria":[],"status_note":"Vacant and deteriorating for a number of years, then recently purchased and undergoing substantial rehabilitation; no plumbing or central heating has ever been installed.","vacant_flag":null,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.367734-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/83001965.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001965/07fc313cf4-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/83001965/07fc313cf4-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Ijams_House.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Joseph_Ijams_House.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71988221","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joseph_Ijams_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q113456479"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/fairfield-county/ijams-joseph-house-83001965/"}