Whiteman, Benjamin, House
Why it's listed
Built in 1805 on a small hill above the Little Miami River near Clifton, this faced fieldstone house appears two stories at the front and three at the rear, where the basement kitchen opens onto the hillside. A matching two-story stone springhouse stands just behind it. Inside, walnut is used for the floors, partitions and second-floor ceilings, the walls are beaded, and large fireplaces survive; the house never received central heat or electricity. It was built by General Benjamin Whiteman, who helped settle and organize Greene County, served as an associate judge, held militia commissions, and was a brigadier general in the War of 1812. He lived here for 47 years. At a time when most buildings were probably log, the stone house likely signaled his standing. Its age, relatively unaltered condition and rural setting, free of modern construction, are the main reasons for its listing. The form lists it as vacant.
Significance in brief: The nomination stresses the house's great age for the area and its relatively unaltered condition on a rural site free of modern intrusion. It also shows the living style of a community leader at a time when most buildings were probably log. It was built by General Benjamin Whiteman, an early Greene County settler, judge and militia officer.
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 73001449, listed April 3, 1973. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Clifton, Clifton |
|---|---|
| County | Greene County |
| Listed | April 3, 1973 |
| Reference number | 73001449 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific date 1805) |
| Architect / builder | General Benjamin Whiteman (builder of the house) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and unaltered; present use marked vacant; no central heat or electricity was ever installed. |
| Acreage | 4.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.79603, -83.81697 (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 73001449.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138340831
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.