Chestnut Ridge Farm
Why it's listed
Chestnut Ridge Farm is a two-story brick house of loosely cross-shaped plan, built around 1845 near Lancaster in Fairfield County, Ohio. Frederick Shaeffer, a tailor who had walked from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, and established a successful inn, bought 180 acres in 1843 and built the house in the Gothic revival style. It uses red brick, sandstone and extensive carved wood inside and out. Notable features include carved bargeboards and finials on the gables, brick window enframements, carved walnut doors, a suspended stairway, and lancet-shaped fireplace openings with carved mantels. A frame tower added in the 1890s by the Butler family replaced an original widow's walk that had burned. A frame kitchen was added at the rear in 1962. An earlier log house from about 1810 also remains on the property. The property was recognized as one of the few surviving Gothic revival buildings in the county and a distinctive regional variation of the style.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it one of the few remaining examples of Gothic revival architecture in Fairfield County. It is described as a fine example of a unique variation of the style in southern Ohio, with carved wood detailing, brick window enframements and Gothic "lancet" fireplace openings.
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 72001006, listed July 24, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3375 Cincinnati-Zanesville Rd., SW., Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Fairfield County |
| Listed | July 24, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001006 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date ca. 1845) |
| Architectural style | Gothic revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as in good condition, altered, on its original site, and occupied as a private residence at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 7 |
| Coordinates | 39.68319, -82.66272 (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 72001006.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137796250
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.