Concord Hall
Why it's listed
Concord Hall is a two-story brick mansion with sandstone trim, set on about 8.5 acres along Ohio Route 22 near Lancaster. Capt. Augustus Witte, a native of Hanover, Germany who had served on General Blucher's staff at Waterloo, began it in 1829. His brother, an architect, drew the plans, and German workmen joined local labor to make bricks, quarry stone and cut lumber on the property. It was finished in 1831. The hipped roof carries a cupola and widow's walk, and the design blends Federal and Georgian Colonial features, including an elliptical fanlight and a spiral stair. The farm once had a grist mill and distillery in the barn, and whiskey was shipped by canal boat. The Brasee family owned the house from 1858 to 1897 and replaced the wooden porch columns with sandstone. The property is cited as one of the finest and best-preserved early 19th-century country houses in southern Ohio.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues that Concord Hall is architecturally one of the finest and best-preserved large early 19th-century country houses in southern Ohio. Its design combines Georgian Colonial and Federal styles. The house also has a history tied to its German-born builder and a whiskey-distilling and milling operation on the farm.
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 72001007, listed October 25, 1972. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 1445 Cincinnati-Zanesville Rd., SW. (U.S. 22), Lancaster |
|---|---|
| County | Fairfield County |
| Listed | October 25, 1972 |
| Reference number | 72001007 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date 1831 |
| Architect / builder | Plans drawn by Capt. Witte's brother, an architect employed by the royal family of Hanover; construction superintended by C. Schur for Capt. Augustus Witte |
| Architectural style | Combination of Federal and Georgian Colonial |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered; used as a private residence and occupied in 1972. Correspondence notes a proposed highway bypass as a possible threat. |
| Acreage | 8.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.69907, -82.62904 (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 72001007.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q137796271
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.