Eighteen Mile House
Approximate location: the National Park Service places this pin arbitrarily within the property, not at a surveyed point (stated accuracy ±12 m).
Why it's listed
Eighteen Mile House is a brick building on Harrison Pike at Patriot Drive in Harrison, Ohio, named for its distance of eighteen miles from Cincinnati. Probably built in the first decade of the 1800s, it rises two and a half stories under a gabled tin roof with interior end chimneys, and has a five-bay west facade with a center entry and porches on both levels. A one-story concrete block addition sits on the north side. The building served as an inn and layover for stagecoaches on the Brookville, Indiana-Cincinnati route. Livestock pens once held farmers' animals headed to market, and the owners ran a nearby toll gate and a post office. In 1847 it became the home of John Bennett, a politician and lobbyist. Morgan's Raiders struck it in July 1863, and local tradition says Abraham Lincoln stayed there. The form describes the two-story brick design as unusual for the rural area.
Significance in brief: It served as an inn and stagecoach stop on the Brookville, Indiana-Cincinnati route, and also operated as a post office. It was raided by Morgan's Raiders in July 1863 and was later the home of politician and lobbyist John Bennett. The form also notes an unusual style for the rural area and local tradition that Abraham Lincoln stayed there.
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 75001427, listed October 10, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 2 mi. SE of Harrison at Harrison Pike and Patriot Dr., Harrison |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | October 10, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001427 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | c. 1800-1810 |
| Architectural style | Federal |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as in fair condition; the data sheet entry lists it as currently vacant, and the nomination form marks it as unoccupied. A concrete block addition is on the north side. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.23839, -84.76838 (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 75001427.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5349055
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.