Stebbens Farm
Also known as: Hrabeck Farm; NPS Tract #103-53; NPS Bldgs. #1226-32
Why it's listed
Stebbens Farm is a farmstead on a wooded plateau east of Riverview Road in Brecksville, near the Cuyahoga River, the Ohio and Erie Canal and the Valley Railway. Contributing buildings are a one-and-one-half story house, a plank frame barn and a horse barn later used as a garage. A corn crib, chicken house and privy also contribute. The house was altered around 1930 with Craftsman features, including bands of horizontal windows, exposed rafter ends and a wraparound porch. Tax records and atlases indicate the farm was developed under Henry Stebbens between 1861 and 1874. An 1880 census comparison shows it matched typical Brecksville farms in size and output. After 1902 it passed to the Sauer family, then in 1923 to the Hraback sisters, who used it as a weekend retreat, boarded polo horses and leased fields for truck farming. This shift illustrates how valley farms adapted to western competition and park and suburban growth.
Significance in brief: The farm is nominated under Criterion A for agriculture. Its size and production were typical of Brecksville farms in 1880, and its later use as a weekend retreat, horse stable and leased truck farm shows how valley farms adapted when western competition and suburban growth pressured agriculture.
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 96000381, listed April 17, 1996. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 8255 Riverview Rd., Brecksville |
|---|---|
| County | Cuyahoga County |
| Listed | April 17, 1996 |
| Reference number | 96000381 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1861-1930 |
| Architectural style | Late 19th and Early 20th Century American Movements: Bungalow/Craftsman |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Current use is listed as vacant; the property is federally owned. |
| Acreage | 45 |
| Within district | Valley Railway Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.33860, -81.59446 (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.
Noted as vacant in the nomination. Nomination documents can be decades old; current status may differ. If you are considering buying an empty listed property, read the due-diligence checklist.
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 96000381.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q100425198
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.