{"nrhp_refnum":"85001944","name":"Acton House","other_names":[],"category":"building","location":{"address":"115 W. Main St.","address_restricted":false,"city":"Eaton","county":"Preble County","state":"OH","lat":39.743826134000074,"lon":-84.63698521699996,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1985-09-05","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Commerce","Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A brick house at 115 West Main Street in Eaton, Preble County, Ohio, begun around 1817 as a three-bay, two-story Federal structure and enlarged in several stages through the early 1900s.","why_significant":"The nomination argues significance under Criterion B for association with the Acton family, early Eaton residents, especially John P. Acton, who contributed to the city's commercial development as a hatter, grocer, lumber dealer and banker. It also cites Criterion C, saying the house shows the progression of 19th century residential architecture in Eaton from Federal to Greek Revival and later Italianate additions.","narrative":"Acton House, at 115 West Main Street in Eaton, is among the oldest buildings in the city and in Preble County. John Acton, who arrived from Virginia in 1816, built the original three-bay, two-story Federal brick house in 1817, along with a small frame hattery. His son John P. Acton enlarged it around 1840 with a matching brick addition that balanced the facade and brought a Greek Revival entrance with side lights and transom. A rear addition followed in the 1870s, an Italianate frame addition in the 1880s, and a porch and rear second-floor addition around 1910. Inside, a curved stairway and original woodwork remain. The Actons worked as hatters, millers, lumber dealers and grocers. John P. Acton ran a steam sawmill, helped found the Preble County Bank in 1872, and supported railroad expansion. The house was listed for this family association and as an example of changing 19th century building styles in Eaton.","period_of_significance":null,"architect_builder":null,"architectural_style":"Federal, with Greek Revival remodeling and Italianate frame addition","criteria":["B","C"],"status_note":"Described as in excellent condition and altered, with additions; photographs show it was renovated in 1984. Listed as occupied, with commercial use.","vacant_flag":false,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.655406-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/85001944.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001944/0028ddec21-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/85001944/0028ddec21-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Nyttend","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acton_House_in_Eaton.jpg\" rel=\"noopener\">Nyttend</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Acton_House_in_Eaton.jpg"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991041","wikipedia":"https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acton_House","wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4677674"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/preble-county/acton-house-85001944/"}