Murphy, Daniel, Log House
Also known as: Joseph and Betty (Murphy) Mehn Log House
Why it's listed
Set on a wooded, gently rolling site beside Solomon's Run near St. Martin in Brown County, this four-room, two-story hewn log house dates to about 1806. It sits on Anderson State Road, once part of the road linking Chillicothe and Cincinnati. The house measures 27 by 18 feet, with steeplenotched logs cut eight inches thick and a later lean-to kitchen at the rear. Its most unusual feature is a slightly off-center interior log wall dividing the rooms on both floors, a construction method rarely found in Ohio and seen mostly in areas of heavy French settlement. Local tradition says two similar houses once stood near St. Martin, but this is the only survivor. The exact builder and construction date are unknown. Weatherboard siding added before 1876 was removed, and the logs, chinking, daubing and chimney have been repaired. Daniel Murphy acquired the land in 1863, and his descendants have lived there since. The 12 1/2 acres include outbuildings, a spring and old peony bushes.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house embodies a type, a period and a method of construction. It typifies the log house and the frontier period (roughly 1800-1825) of southern Ohio. It also has an interior log wall, a rarely seen feature in Ohio, and the house retains remarkable integrity and has been carefully restored.
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 82003548, listed June 17, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Anderson State Rd., St. Martin |
|---|---|
| County | Brown County |
| Listed | June 17, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003548 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in excellent condition and altered, on its original site; work in progress and used as a private residence. Recent restoration included repairing logs, chinking and daubing, restoring the chimney and adding a new wood shake roof. |
| Acreage | 12.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.20487, -83.90680 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
National Register listing is honorary for a privately owned home: it does not by itself restrict what an owner may do with their own money, and it does not require public access. Restrictions come from local landmark or historic-district ordinances, which are separate (how they differ).
Owner-occupied houses are not eligible for the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit, which applies to income-producing buildings, but many states offer credits for homeowners. Listing also opens the door to preservation easements and to buying a plaque. Start with what listing means for homeowners, renovating a listed house and selling one.
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 82003548.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137605237
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.