Mill Worker House No. 4
Why it's listed
Built around 1851 on the east bank of the Olentangy River, this small limestone house at 2441 Stratford Road was one of a row of dwellings put up by paper mill owners to attract and keep workers. It is a single-pen building of uncoursed local rubblestone, one and a half stories tall, with a gabled front, three front bays, large stone lintels and double-hung windows. Its plan and materials reflect the plain, sturdy housing typical of mill villages, where ornament was limited to door and window surrounds. Local belief once held that the building was the village schoolhouse, but deed and tax records show the school stood one lot to the north. The house matters for its link to the growth of Stratford's paper industry and for its place in a company-built mill village set in a rural landscape. Its roof, materials, proportions, window pattern and setting remain largely intact.
Significance in brief: It is tied to the growth of paper milling in Stratford and to the mill village or company town model of community planning. It is also a good example of the simple, solidly built mill worker house type. The building keeps its roof profile, materials, proportions, window pattern, setback and setting.
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 91001434, listed October 3, 1991. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2441 Stratford Rd., Delaware |
|---|---|
| County | Delaware County |
| Listed | October 3, 1991 |
| Reference number | 91001434 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1851-1858 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: single pen |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Community Planning and Development, Industry |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as a single dwelling in both historic and current use; the form says it has had no major alterations and retains a high degree of integrity. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.26100, -83.06284 (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 91001434.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137762186
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.