Krippendorf Estate
Also known as: Krippendorf, Carl H. & Mary Rosen Greene, Estate; Cincinnati Nature Center
Why it's listed
Set on 175 acres southeast of Milford, the Krippendorf Estate began as a country retreat for Carl H. and Mary Rosan Greene Krippendorf. Its centerpiece is the Krippendorf Lodge, a two-story wood-frame house built circa 1899 with a limestone foundation, shingle siding, a wraparound porch and a low, sweeping roof. Cincinnati architects Desjardins & Hayward designed it, and the interior has oak floors, pine paneling, exposed beams and varied fireplaces. Around the driveway loop stand an ice house, a water tower, a cottage used as laundry and maids' quarters, and a three-car garage. A caretaker house, a barn dated 1907 and a stone pump house stand elsewhere on the grounds. The surrounding landscape includes woodland paths, stone steps and bridges, planting walls, cold frames, remnants of a formal garden, and thousands of daffodils. The estate is considered important for its Shingle Style architecture and for its designed landscape, which gained recognition from the Garden Club of America. Cincinnati Nature Center has owned it since 1966.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the estate as significant for its architecture, since the Lodge is a Shingle Style house designed by the Cincinnati firm Desjardins & Hayward. It is also significant in Landscape Architecture for the woodland and formal gardens created by the Krippendorfs, which were published in articles and recognized by the Garden Club of America.
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 11000364, listed June 15, 2011. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 4949 Tealtown Rd., Perintown |
|---|---|
| County | Clermont County |
| Listed | June 15, 2011 |
| Reference number | 11000364 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Desjardins & Hayward (Lodge, and probably the water tower) |
| Architectural style | Late Victorian: Shingle Style; also Prairie School and Tudor Revival listed |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Landscape Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The Lodge is used for events on the ground floor and offices on the second; the estate is part of Cincinnati Nature Center, owned by it since 1966. |
| Acreage | 175 |
| Coordinates | 39.12456, -84.24760 (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 11000364.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137608721
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.