McCracken-McFarland House
Why it's listed
This wood frame house at 216 North Eighth Street in Cambridge, Ohio, dates to the 1820s and is one of the few remaining buildings from the town's settlement period. It was probably built for William McCracken, a Pennsylvania native who arrived in 1809, worked as the village blacksmith, and helped found the town's United Presbyterian Church in 1822. In 1868 the house was bought by the Rev. Dr. William H. McFarland, who led that congregation for forty years, served as a Civil War chaplain, and took part in local civic projects. His family kept the property after his death. In 1915 his son moved the house about 200 feet to make room for a new residence and added the front porch. The building has a five-bay facade, shiplap siding, a slate gable roof, and early rear additions. His daughter held it until 1966, when it passed to the Guernsey County Historical Society for use as a museum.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as one of the few surviving examples of Cambridge's early settlement-era architecture, with secondary significance as a largely intact classically influenced vernacular house. It is also tied to McCracken, an early civic leader, and to the Rev. Dr. William H. McFarland, a long-serving local minister who lived there for more than forty years.
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 79001848, listed February 16, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 216 N. 8th St., Cambridge |
|---|---|
| County | Guernsey County |
| Listed | February 16, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001848 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1820s |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival-influenced / classically-influenced vernacular architecture |
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Religion |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the Guernsey County Historical Society and used as its museum since 1966; listed as occupied and open to the public without restriction. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.02680, -81.58980 (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 79001848.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6800664
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.