Mitchell, Richard H., House
Also known as: New School
Why it's listed
Built in 1892 at 3 Burton Woods Lane in Cincinnati's Avondale area, this three-story random stone house was designed by Samuel Hannaford & Sons. Robert Mitchell, an Irish immigrant who founded a furniture business in Cincinnati in 1836, had it built for his son Richard. The house shows Norman influences, including a conical slate-capped corner turret, pronounced gable ends, and a stone entrance porch with arched portals, gargoyles and engaged buttresses. The doorway is wooden with large metal hinges. The original solarium has been removed. A stone carriage house stands to the northwest. The Mitchell family lived here for about forty years before the property passed to St. Thomas Aquinas Church and its parochial school. The New School began using the building in 1970. The Mitchell company employed 750 people in 1870 and by 1904 was the largest establishment of its kind in the country. The house is included among the works of Samuel Hannaford.
Significance in brief: The house is a work of Samuel Hannaford & Sons, included in a thematic group of the firm's buildings. It was built by furniture manufacturer Robert Mitchell for his son Richard. The Mitchell Furniture Company grew into the largest establishment of its kind in the United States by 1904.
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 80003065, listed March 3, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3 Burton Woods Lane, Cincinnati |
|---|---|
| County | Hamilton County |
| Listed | March 3, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003065 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1892 |
| Architect / builder | Samuel Hannaford & Sons (architects); contractor unknown |
| Architectural style | Norman influences |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Used as a school (New School) since 1970; interior and exterior condition listed as excellent. The original solarium has been removed. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.15663, -84.48728 (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 80003065.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7326167
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.