Hocking Valley Coal Company Town Historic District
Why it's listed
Jackson Drive and Arbor Drive, north of Athens, Ohio, hold the last intact part of a coal company town built between 1900 and 1902 by the Hocking Valley Coal Company. It housed workers at Eclipse Mine #4, which closed in 1948. The 3.4-acre district has fifteen buildings: twelve one-story bungalows, a shotgun house, a garage and the two-story company store at the foot of the street beside the railroad. Five of the houses were moved in from other parts of the town to fill gaps. All are wood-frame buildings with narrow horizontal siding and slate gable roofs. The store once also served as the railroad depot and held a paymaster's office wing, since removed. The district was recognized as a rare survivor among only three company towns left in the Little Cities of Black Diamonds coal region of Athens, Hocking and Perry counties. Its repeated house designs, shared setbacks and single ownership since the mine era keep the character of a company-controlled mining community.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the district is a well-preserved and rare survivor of a company town in the Little Cities of Black Diamonds coal region, where only three company towns survive. It keeps its houses, company store and streetscape layout, and has always been held under single ownership, which is unusual in the region. It meets the registration requirements for a company town set out in the regional multiple property documentation.
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) · National Archives catalog entry. NRHP reference 07000579, listed June 22, 2007. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Jackson Dr. and Arbor Dr., The Plaines |
|---|---|
| County | Athens County |
| Listed | June 22, 2007 |
| Reference number | 07000579 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1900-1948 |
| Architect / builder | Hocking Valley Coal Company |
| Architectural style | Other/bungalow, shotgun house types |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Industry |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The houses have been rehabilitated and are used as residences. The company store has not been rehabilitated, and its foundation has recently been rebuilt and stabilized. |
| Acreage | 3.4 |
| Coordinates | 39.36436, -82.11811 (NPS GIS) |
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.
Sources and further reading
- National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places database (snapshot May 2026), reference 07000579.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.