Highland Egg and Poultry Company Building
Also known as: Hercules Trouser Company Building
Why it's listed
Built in 1917 for James E. Roads, this three-story industrial building at 135 North West Street in Hillsboro, Ohio, housed the Highland Egg and Poultry Company, locally described as the largest produce storage building in southern Ohio. It has a concrete frame, common-bond brick walls, a monitor roof and a datestone reading 1916. Concrete mushroom columns support the interior floors. The sloping site hides part of the south side, where freight doors once opened onto a rail spur. After Roads's firm went bankrupt in 1932, the Hercules Trouser Company occupied the building, made clothing for the military during World War II, and stayed until 1985, giving it the nickname The Pants Factory. It was later used as commercial space and is now unused. The building was listed because it represents the early 20th century masonry industrial building, a type that has nearly disappeared from Hillsboro, and because it is the best preserved and least altered of the city's remaining industrial structures.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it qualifies under Criterion C as an early 20th century all-masonry industrial building, a property type that has nearly vanished from Hillsboro. It is the best-preserved of the city's surviving historic industrial buildings and keeps features such as mushroom columns, steel windows, a monitor roof and a layout that reflects product flow.
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 01001524, listed January 24, 2002. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 135 North West St., Hillsboro |
|---|---|
| County | Highland County |
| Listed | January 24, 2002 |
| Reference number | 01001524 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1917 |
| Architect / builder | Information not found; the building is named for its builder and original owner, James E. Roads |
| Architectural style | Other/Vernacular |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently unused; it served as commercial space after 1985. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 39.20368, -83.61389 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 01001524.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138359090
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.