John, Jehu, House
Why it's listed
Built around 1836-42 on Stone Drive near Harrison, this one-and-a-half-story house combines a hewn, coursed stone main block with a brick rear wing set at right angles, forming a T-shaped plan under a gable roof. The west facade is symmetrical, with a recessed central door and transom flanked by two windows on each side. Three gabled dormers and the end chimneys have since been removed, and the roof is now tin. Dr. Jehu John, Jr. and his wife, Emily Hewitt Looker, built the house on land her grandfather, Governor Othniel Looker, deeded to her in 1821. Dr. John developed a popular fever medicine, then opened a school in the front room in the winter of 1847-48 before leaving for California in 1850 to prospect for gold. The family stayed until 1856. The house is listed as a good example of early stone construction in this part of Ohio and for its link to a local educator and medicine developer.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as a good example of early stone construction in this part of Ohio. It is also tied to Dr. Jehu John, who developed a popular, financially successful fever medicine and then ran a local school in the front room of the house.
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 75001428, listed October 31, 1975. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | E of Harrison on Stone Dr., Harrison |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | October 31, 1975 |
| Reference number | 75001428 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (c. 1836-42) |
| Architect / builder | Built by Dr. Jehu John, Jr. and Emily Hewitt Looker |
| Architectural style | Vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Education, Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Described as deteriorated and altered; dormers and chimneys were removed and a barn door was added to the brick rear portion. The owners had no current plans for the building. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.25794, -84.79674 (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 75001428.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q6176519
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.