Kinney, James, Farmstead
Also known as: Country Mile Farm
Why it's listed
This farmstead in rural Belmont County, Ohio, grew around a brick farmhouse that James Kinney built in 1863 when his family outgrew an earlier log house. The four-over-four house has a center hall, a Doric portico, a slate roof and fireplaces in most rooms. Nearby stand a two-story brick summer kitchen, a smokehouse, a coal and wood house, a carriage house and a large timber-frame bank barn built in 1874. A corncrib and wagon shed from about 1835 predates Kinney's purchase and once served drovers on a nearby trail. Kinney raised horses, cattle, sheep, hogs and grain, and was listed in an 1888 atlas as a stock dealer and farmer. His 282 acres in 1870 was large for the county. The property was listed as an unusually intact example of a nineteenth-century farm in a county where coal mining has destroyed many others. The boundary also takes in a small stand of old growth forest.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion C as one of the most intact historic farm complexes in Smith Township, with a Greco-Italianate farmhouse whose Doric portico shows unusual sophistication for rural Belmont County. Under Criterion A, it reflects the peak of the county's agricultural economy; in 1870 the Kinney farm ranked sixth in production among 175 farms in the township. Its integrity is notable in a county where surface and underground coal mining has damaged many historic farms.
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 99000510, listed April 29, 1999. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 44680 Belmont-Centerville Rd., Belmont |
|---|---|
| County | Belmont County |
| Listed | April 29, 1999 |
| Reference number | 99000510 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1830-1949 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Italianate (Greco-Italianate) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Working farm; the house and outbuildings remain in use, with the carriage house in poor condition from termite damage and the barn in very good condition. |
| Acreage | 57 |
| Coordinates | 39.99802, -80.99267 (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 99000510.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6137370
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.