Goll Homestead
Why it's listed
Three miles northwest of Archbold, Ohio, the Goll Homestead sits in a small clearing inside Goll Woods State Nature Preserve. It includes a two-story farmhouse from about 1862, a timber-frame barn from about 1865, a 1930 garage and a granary or machine shed. Peter Goll, Sr., a French-born tailor and wagon maker from Alsace, arrived in German Township in 1836, bought land in 1837 and eventually owned over 600 acres. He and his son Peter, Jr. built the house and barn. The house uses German half-timbered Fachwerk framing, was turned a quarter-turn and placed on a new foundation in the early 1900s, and gained a full-length porch around 1910. The barn is a rare triple jetty bank barn with hand-hewn oak posts, pegged mortise-and-tenon joints and a later gambrel roof. Census records show the Golls ran a diversified farm that grew substantially by 1880, reflecting the draining of the Great Black Swamp.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the homestead as the farm of Goll family pioneers who emigrated from Alsace, France, in 1836 and built a diversified farm in the former Black Swamp area. The barn is described as a rare triple jetty bank barn with timber framing and "pseudo" Esel Fuus joints, and the house uses German Fachwerk framing. The property is recommended as locally significant.
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 05001185, listed October 26, 2005. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 26093 Township Rd. F, Archbold |
|---|---|
| County | Fulton County |
| Listed | October 26, 2005 |
| Reference number | 05001185 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Peter Goll, Sr. and his son Peter Goll, Jr. (built the house and barn) |
| Architectural style | Mid 19th Century/Other: four over four plan farmhouse; bank barn with split forebay; wood frame farm buildings |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Exploration/Settlement, European |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Ohio Department of Natural Resources; current function is outdoor recreation/nature preserve. The barn's wooden ramps are in an advanced state of decay. |
| Acreage | 2.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.55617, -84.36414 (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 05001185.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5580805
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.