Dustin Cabin
Why it's listed
Built in 1815, this small one-story cabin of rubble stone stands on the Denison University campus in Granville, Ohio. Joseph Evans, who also built the nearby Bancroft House and the Historical Society building on Broadway, constructed it using stone from the Rose Quarry at the base of the hill on the north campus. It first served as a tenant house for the Dustin farm, from 1815 to 1840. The building was deserted around 1890 and fell into ruin. Denison University bought it in 1917, though decay continued until a renovation in 1934 turned it into a dwelling with a shingled frame addition for a bath, bedroom and garage; a second bedroom followed in 1937. The cabin is best known as a station on the Underground Railroad from the 1830s to 1860. A dugout nearby, used for vegetable storage, sheltered runaway slaves on their way north to Mt. Vernon.
Significance in brief: The cabin is noted as a station on the Underground Railroad from the 1830s to 1860. A nearby dugout used for vegetable storage sheltered runaway slaves heading north to Mt. Vernon. It is also an early stone tenant house built by Joseph Evans, who built other local buildings.
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 80003137, listed November 28, 1980. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 597 N. Pearl St., Granville |
|---|---|
| County | Licking County |
| Listed | November 28, 1980 |
| Reference number | 80003137 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architect / builder | Joseph Evans (builder) |
| Architectural style | Early vernacular |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Interior and exterior condition listed as good; used as a residence and owned by Denison University. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 40.07500, -82.51882 (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 80003137.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138459806
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.