Hidley, James P., Cottage
Why it's listed
Near Indian Creek on the northeast outskirts of Reily, Ohio, stands a small board-and-batten cottage built around 1860 by James P. Hidley. The one-story house has a three-bay front, a raised porch with curvilinear wooden columns and paired brackets, and curved bargeboard trim along the gable. Four outbuildings repeat the Carpenter's Gothic style: an octagonal chicken coop with a cupola, an outhouse, a wood shed and a smokehouse. Hidley owned and ran a mill on the site. Before building, he worked in Michigan with a Swiss family to learn architectural wood carving. He designed much of the ornament himself and carved some of it by hand with a penknife, using lumber cut at his own sawmill. He also built a stone culvert and a mill-race wall nearby, which remain. The cottage is considered significant as one of the rare examples of Carpenter's Gothic in Butler County, and its front facade still resembles an 1875 atlas print.
Significance in brief: The cottage is described as one of the rare examples of Carpenter's Gothic in Butler County. It has ornate bargeboard along the gable roof and a small raised porch with decorative wooden trim, much of it designed and hand-carved by its builder. The outbuildings were built in the same style.
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 80002951, listed August 18, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1820 Oxford-Reily Rd., Reily |
|---|---|
| County | Butler County |
| Listed | August 18, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002951 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | circa 1860 |
| Architect / builder | James P. Hidley |
| Architectural style | Carpenter's Gothic |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a private residence; the form marks the property as occupied, though reviewer notes mention photographs showing deterioration and the owners' interest in preserving it. |
| Acreage | 3 |
| Coordinates | 39.43452, -84.75842 (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 80002951.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6140789
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.