Underwood Farms Rural Historic District
Why it's listed
Along State Route 73 in northwestern Clinton County, Ohio, a row of three farmsteads, a Baptist church and a cemetery make up a 280-acre rural district. Each farm has a historic brick or frame house and a group of outbuildings set well back from the road among mature trees, with working fields in front or behind. Twenty resources contribute to the district, including sixteen buildings, three structures and the cemetery site. The farms belonged to the Underwood family across several generations. Zephaniah Underwood's orchard was the largest in Chester Township according to the 1880 agricultural census, with 70 acres and about 2,000 trees. Later family members continued apple growing and dairy work, leaving a brick fruit barn, large barns, a milk house and corncribs. The 1921 remodeling of one farmhouse and Daniel Underwood's Delco electric plant of 1919 show the family's progress. Jonah's Run Baptist Church and its cemetery add to the rural character of the setting.
Significance in brief: The district is significant for its three Underwood family farms, which show the continuity of a family-run agricultural landscape. Zephaniah Underwood operated the largest apple orchard in Chester Township in 1879, and later generations continued the orchard business and added dairy-related buildings. The church and cemetery are tied to the farms by proximity and by their effect on the rural character of the land.
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 05001519, listed January 11, 2006. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Vicinity of OH 73 and Brimstone Rd., Chester Township |
|---|---|
| County | Clinton County |
| Listed | January 11, 2006 |
| Reference number | 05001519 |
| Resource type | District |
| Architect / builder | Lewis Dakin (builder of the Amos-Elihu-Daniel Underwood farmhouse, likely 1850-1853) |
| Architectural style | Early Republic/Federal; Mid-19th Century/Greek Revival; Late Victorian/Stick |
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Farms remain in agricultural use with operating fields; the largest barn on the Zephaniah Underwood farm is dilapidated; the orchards no longer exist. |
| Acreage | 280 |
| Coordinates | 39.50154, -83.97049 (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 05001519.
- 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.