McDonald Farm
Why it's listed
This 68-acre farmstead on Stone Road near Xenia, Ohio, grew from a log cabin settled around 1801 by Isaiah McDonald and his family. It now holds nine buildings and two sites, including a brick I-house built in 1839 in a blend of Federal and Greek Revival styles, a Pennsylvania German forebay barn from about 1829, a 1916 dairy barn, a spring house, a syrup barn, a family cemetery and a limestone quarry. Local limestone appears in the house foundation, lintels, porch, walkways and fence posts. The quarry supplied stone for local buildings, and in 1850 it provided the block Ohio contributed to the Washington Monument. The farm reflects the land patterns and building types of the Virginia Military District, and it moved into dairy farming and maple syrup production in the early twentieth century. The same family has kept it for generations, and its intact buildings and landscape record nearly two centuries of farm life.
Machine-generated summary. This summary was generated by a language model from the official nomination document and has not been reviewed line by line by an editor. It may contain errors. Check the source document before relying on any detail. Source: nomination document (PDF) · catalog entry. Generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29).
| Period of significance | 1829-1946 |
|---|---|
| Styles | Federal/Greek Revival; Other: I-House |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, Agriculture, Industry |
| Acreage | 68 |
| Boundary source | NPS cultural-resource GIS polygon |
| Full listing page | McDonald Farm (property record) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
General information, not legal or tax advice. Rules change; confirm with your State Historic Preservation Office or a qualified adviser.