Burrell, Jabez and Robbins, House and Cheese Factory
Why it's listed
Two buildings in Sheffield Township, Lorain County, Ohio, make up this farmstead: a two-story brick house in the late Federal style, built around 1828, and a frame cheese factory directly behind it. The house has a five-bay facade, a center entrance, end chimneys, sandstone lintels and sills, and a rear wing added probably in the 1880s. Inside, the central hall, stair, original rooms and Adam style carved mantelpieces survive. The property matters for several reasons. Capt. Jabez Burrell and Capt. John Day bought the whole township in 1815, and the house stayed with the Burrell family for nearly 150 years. Robbins Burrell gave his farm and house to a short-lived branch of Oberlin College's manual labor program in 1836, and his brother Jabez Jr. was one of Oberlin's original incorporators. The cheese factory, with its rubble stone foundation and plastered interior, is one of few survivors of a once-common Ohio industry building type.
Significance in brief: The house stayed in the family of Sheffield Township's original proprietor for nearly 150 years and was tied to the early days of Oberlin College, when it served as a branch in the manual labor program in 1836. It is a very early two-story brick house for its area. The cheese factory is significant because few of the many buildings put up for Ohio's cheese industry survive.
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 76001471, listed January 1, 1976. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | N of Lorain off OH 301, Sheffield Township |
|---|---|
| County | Lorain County |
| Listed | January 1, 1976 |
| Reference number | 76001471 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | ca. 1828 |
| Architectural style | Late Federal |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Education, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as excellent or good. The house is occupied by the last members of the Burrell family, and the cheese factory is fitted out as a workshop. Owned by the Lorain County Metropolitan Park District. |
| Acreage | 2 |
| Coordinates | 41.45490, -82.10555 (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 76001471.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138515111
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.