Pickaway Settlements Battlesite
Why it's listed
Along the Mad River bottomland near Enon, Ohio, lies the site of the Shawnee village of Pickaway, where Colonel George Rogers Clark and about 1,000 Kentucky militia fought British-supported Shawnee warriors on August 8, 1780. Clark crossed the river, deployed troops on a prairie south of the village, and sent others around the Shawnee flank, pushing them back along the ridgeline. His artillery was used against the wooden structures of the village, and the fighting ended around five o'clock. The next day the village and cornfields were burned. The Shawnees did not rebuild here. Later the land became farms, a small settlement called New Boston, and in 1929 a state memorial park around the Hertzler House, now owned by the City of Springfield. The site is recognized for its military importance as the largest frontier battle west of the Alleghenies during the Revolution, and for its role in weakening British plans in the West. Much of it is still farmland, though a highway cut through part of it in 1956.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it was the scene of the largest battle in the frontier area west of the Allegheny Mountains during the American Revolution. Colonel George Rogers Clark's Kentucky militia defeated British-supported Shawnee forces there. Clark's campaigns helped defeat Detroit-based British plans to control the frontier and show his organizational and military abilities.
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 80002953, listed May 8, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Enon, Enon |
|---|---|
| County | Clark County |
| Listed | May 8, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80002953 |
| Resource type | Site |
| Period of significance | August 8, 1780 |
| Areas of significance | Military |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Most of the battlesite remains farmland, with small subdivisions and roads at its edges. A limited-access highway built in 1956 damaged the village site and southern portion. A state memorial park created in 1929 has been owned by the City of Springfield since 1964. |
| Acreage | 700 |
| Coordinates | 39.90948, -83.92027 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
Sites (archaeological sites, battlefields, landscapes) are often listed with a restricted address to protect them from looting or disturbance. Listing is honorary for private owners; federal undertakings on or near the site go through Section 106 review, and state laws may protect burials and artefacts regardless of listing.
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 80002953.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.