Augspurger Schoolhouse
Why it's listed
Built around 1868 in Woodsdale, Madison Township, this one-story brick schoolhouse on Wayne-Madison Road served the children of workers at the Augspurger Paper Co. mill. It was part of a mid-19th century mill town that the inventory describes as the earliest known example of that kind of development in Ohio. The building was originally a rectangular, three-bay structure of common-bond brick with a gable roof, a stone foundation, and stone lintels and sills at each window. Over time it was altered: the windows were partly filled in with wood, a small vestibule was added at the rear corner, and a 20th century lean-to porch now sits in the corner of the resulting L-shaped plan. It is now used as a residence, sits close to the mill worker rowhouses, and was recorded in fair exterior condition. Its significance rests on its connection to the industrial community created by the Augspurger family.
Significance in brief: The schoolhouse is significant under criterion A as part of the industrial side of the Augspurger family's activities. It served the children of mill workers at the Augspurger Paper Co. The mill town it belonged to is described as the earliest known example of this type of development in the state.
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 84000212, listed November 1, 1984. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 1816 Wayne-Madison Rd., Woodsdale |
|---|---|
| County | Butler County |
| Listed | November 1, 1984 |
| Reference number | 84000212 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a residence; exterior condition fair, interior unknown. The inventory notes it as endangered by neglect, and the lot is filled with large quantities of items in various conditions. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.43503, -84.47562 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For a publicly owned building or structure, listing mainly matters when federal funds, permits or licences are involved: projects then go through Section 106 review so effects on the property are considered. Listing also strengthens applications for preservation grants and, for leased income-producing uses, can enable the federal rehabilitation tax credit.
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 84000212.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q4820475
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.