Hunting Lodge Farm
Also known as: The Gothic on Bonham Road; Glen Ellen
Why it's listed
Northeast of Oxford, Ohio, a two-story brick house on a wooded hill began in 1833 as a hunting lodge. Henry Orne, an English-born attorney practicing in Cincinnati, bought the land in 1832 and used about 106 acres as a game preserve, mainly for wild-turkey hunting. Isaac Gere, a broadcloth manufacturer from Massachusetts, bought it in 1839 and converted it to a residence around 1840, adding a frame kitchen, bedroom, laundry room, gable ends, a porch and four pointed dormers. The house combines English Gothic and Greek Revival elements, including lancet windows with diamond-shaped panes and Tuscan-columned porches. The original lodge is now surrounded by later additions. Later owners included Lazarus Noble Bonham, a farmer, educator and agricultural journalist who renamed it Glen Ellen, and his son Llewellyn, who patented a traffic recorder for railroads. The architectural character, rare for southwestern Ohio, is the main basis for its listing.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is significant for its English Gothic Revival elements, which are atypical of southwestern Ohio. It is probably the only house in Oxford Township designed as a hunting lodge. It was also owned by several figures prominent in the Oxford community, including agricultural leader Lazarus Noble Bonham and his son Llewellyn, who patented a railroad traffic recorder.
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 82001361, listed October 20, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | NE of Oxford at 5349 Bonham Rd., Oxford |
|---|---|
| County | Butler County |
| Listed | October 20, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82001361 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Built by Henry Orne; later additions probably by Isaac Gere |
| Architectural style | English Gothic Revival with Greek Revival elements |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition given as good; a collapsed and deteriorating carriage house is the only outbuilding standing. |
| Acreage | 3.7 |
| Coordinates | 39.52093, -84.72203 (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 82001361.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5944924
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.