Hertzler, Daniel, House
Why it's listed
Located within a city-owned battlefield memorial park west of Springfield, this brick house was built around 1854 for Daniel Hertzler, a mill owner and financier who came to Clark County from Pennsylvania in 1840. Its Pennsylvania bank-style design includes four connected sections, with matching ogee brick cornices and six-over-six windows on the two earliest parts. The main block has four rooms on each floor, and a large walk-in fireplace in the third section once hid an iron safe. A stone-and-timber barn built in 1854 stands northeast of the house. The nomination argues that few similar houses in the county approach its size and complexity. It also points to the site's long history, including the 1780 Battle of Piqua, an early settler's cabin, and Hertzler's unsolved murder in 1867. Later owners donated land that became the park, and the house is being restored as a period museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination cites the house as an unusually large and complex example of Pennsylvania bank-style architecture in Clark County. It also links the site to the 1780 Battle of Piqua, an early settler's cabin claim, and the 1867 unsolved murder of mill owner and financier Daniel Hertzler.
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 78002018, listed February 7, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | W of Springfield off OH 4, Springfield |
|---|---|
| County | Clark County |
| Listed | February 7, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002018 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Pennsylvania "Bank Style" |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Military, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the city park board; the second floor was remodeled for a caretaker couple, and the house was being refurbished as a period museum. The barn is used for storage by an arts council. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.90938, -83.91098 (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 78002018.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q28147969
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.