McFarland, Duncan, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1848 by Duncan McFarland on Cannon Road in what is now Bentleyville, this one-and-one-half story brick house follows the Upright and Wing plan, a gable-fronted main block joined by a lower side wing. It sits on a sandstone ashlar foundation, with walls of locally made, hand-fired soft brick laid in common bond and hand-tooled sandstone lintels and sills. The McFarland family kept the house and its farm until 1920, and Cleveland Metroparks acquired the property in 1932. The house retains its original floor plan, poplar baseboards, wide wood flooring, molded window surrounds and a hand-carved stair. Changes include replacement of the original six-over-six windows with one-over-one sash after the Civil War, an asphalt roof in place of wood shingles, a bathroom added in the 1930s, and later porches. Its significance rests on architecture: a simple Greek Revival example of a house type brought to the Western Reserve by settlers from New England and western New York.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues the house is a well-preserved example of the Upright and Wing house type, often called Western Reserve architecture, in simple Greek Revival style. Brick is unusual for this type, and the house retains its original form, common-bond brickwork, sandstone details and much interior millwork. It is listed under Criterion C for architecture.
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 01001258, listed November 21, 2001. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 35069 Cannon Rd., Bentleyville |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | November 21, 2001 |
| Reference number | 01001258 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1848 |
| Architect / builder | McFarland, Duncan |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival (Upright and Wing) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by Cleveland Metroparks within the South Chagrin Reservation; current function listed as work in progress (clubhouse, museum). Restoration architects evaluated the house in April 2001. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.40919, -81.42307 (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 01001258.
- 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.