Rossville Historic District
Why it's listed
Rossville began as a separate town west of the Great Miami River, platted in 1804 on land from a 1795 grant to John Cleves Symmes and named for Senator James Ross. It was annexed to Hamilton, Ohio, in 1827, split away about five years later, and was annexed again in 1853. Today the district covers about ten and a half residential blocks with roughly 130 buildings. The earliest unaltered structure dates from 1832, and Federal houses built by tradesmen are common in the northern blocks. Later development along South "D" Street added Italianate, Queen Anne and Eastlake homes, followed by early twentieth century Revival styles. Tree-lined streets and surviving cast iron fences add to the older setting. Six landmarks stand out: the Miami (Adams) School, First United Church of Christ, the Children's Home, the former Sohngen Brewery, the Sohngen Malthouse, and the C & O Railroad arches and trestle. The seventeen limestone arches, still carrying trains, divide the district.
Significance in brief: The district holds good examples of 19th and early 20th century houses, from Federal through Victorian to Revival styles, and keeps a quiet residential character. It also contains large landmarks: the C & O Railroad arches and trestle, the Sohngen Malthouse and Brewery, the Miami (Adams) School, the Children's Home and the First United Church of Christ. The railroad arches and trestle are cited for engineering and transportation significance.
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 75001332, listed October 6, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Roughly bounded by B, E, Main and Amberly Dr., Hamilton |
|---|---|
| County | Butler County |
| Listed | October 6, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001332 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 19th and 20th centuries (1830-1920 given for the buildings) |
| Architectural style | Federal, Greek Revival, Italianate, Queen Anne, Eastlake, Stick, and Spanish and Georgian Revival styles |
| Areas of significance | Engineering, Transportation, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is rated good; homes are generally in excellent condition and occupied. The Town and Country Center (former Sohngen Brewery) and the Sohngen Malthouse are described as deteriorating. The railroad tracks on the arches remain in use. |
| Acreage | 56.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.40029, -84.57044 (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 75001332.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7369937
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.