{"nrhp_refnum":"92000172","name":"Pershing, Christian, Barn","other_names":["Norma Johnson Barn","Sunny Slopes Farm"],"category":"building","location":{"address":"Off OH 39 W of Dover","address_restricted":false,"city":"Dover","county":"Tuscarawas County","state":"OH","lat":40.51603791600007,"lon":-81.54590059299994,"geom_source":"nps_gis"},"listed_date":"1992-03-19","is_nhl":false,"nhl_designated_date":null,"areas_of_significance":["Architecture"],"significance_levels":["local"],"summary":{"what_it_is":"A large 2½-story Sweitzer (Pennsylvania German) bank barn on a stone foundation, about 3½ miles west of Dover in Tuscarawas County, Ohio. It was built no later than ca. 1861-65 by Christian Pershing, Jr.","why_significant":"The nomination argues the barn is an outstanding example of the Sweitzer barn type under Criterion C for architecture. It shows nearly all features of the type, including a cantilevered forebay, granaries, central wagon doors and a symmetrical roof. At six bays long it is the largest Sweitzer barn in Tuscarawas County, where the type is uncommon.","narrative":"This large bank barn stands in a rural setting about 3½ miles west of Dover, Ohio. Built no later than about 1861-65 by Christian Pershing, Jr., it measures 42 by 99 feet and rests on a stone foundation under a slate roof. It is a Sweitzer barn, a Pennsylvania German type with a cantilevered forebay, an upper-level haymow and lower-level livestock bays. Granaries sit in the corners of the forebay, and wagon doors open from a raised bank on the uphill side. Vertical plank siding and louvered vents cover the walls, and the lower framing uses hand-hewn timbers that appear to have been reused from an earlier building. Pershing, born in Pennsylvania in 1787, used the barn to fatten range cattle and became a leading beef supplier for Dover. The barn was listed for its architecture. At six bays, it is the largest example of its type in Tuscarawas County, where Sweitzer barns are uncommon. No house or other outbuilding remains, and the barn is vacant.","period_of_significance":"ca. 1861-65","architect_builder":"Builder unknown (built by Christian Pershing, Jr., per the narrative)","architectural_style":"Sweitzer barn (Pennsylvania German barn)","criteria":["C"],"status_note":"Current function is listed as vacant; no associated house or other outbuildings survive.","vacant_flag":true,"machine_generated":true,"model":"claude-sonnet-5-5","prompt_version":"v1.0-2026-10-29","generated_at":"2026-10-29 02:53:14.524035-05","source_pdf":"https://s3.amazonaws.com/NARAprodstorage/lz/electronic-records/rg-079/NPS_OH/92000172.pdf"},"photo":{"url_800":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000172/23c32439b1-800.webp","url_1600":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/media/92000172/23c32439b1-1600.webp","licence":"Public domain","author":"Roseohioresident","credit_html":"<a href=\"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christian_Pershing_Barn.JPG\" rel=\"noopener\">Roseohioresident</a>, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons","source_page":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Christian_Pershing_Barn.JPG"},"district":null,"sources":{"nps_snapshot_date":"2026-05-22","nara_catalog":"https://catalog.archives.gov/id/71991746","wikipedia":null,"wikidata":"https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q138753412"},"indexable":true,"url":"https://nationalhistoricalregister.com/ohio/tuscarawas-county/pershing-christian-barn-92000172/"}