Isham, John, Farmstead
Why it's listed
This 109-acre farmstead on the north side of the Maumee valley in Waterville, Ohio, centers on an upright-and-wing Greek Revival house built in 1853 by John Isham and a gable-roof basement barn built in 1908 to replace an earlier English barn. The property also includes farmland, a wood lot and several recent noncontributing buildings. Isham was a Miami and Erie Canal foreman and later Superintendent of Canal Repairs, and the canal crossed his land. The land came from a 1833 patent to his father-in-law, Smith Daggett. The farm is significant as an example of the settlement pattern of the first permanent occupants of the Maumee Valley, who chose high ground above the flood plain. Descendants of the Daggett and Isham families have owned it for more than 150 years, and the land has been continuously cultivated. The house was listed separately in 1982 for its architecture, and this district listing adds the barn and fields.
Significance in brief: The farmstead is significant under Criterion A as evidence of the early nineteenth-century settlement pattern of the Maumee Valley, and the evaluation sheet also cites Criterion C. It has had more than 150 years of single-family ownership and continuous cultivation. The 1908 barn reflects building traditions of New England settlers.
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 92001159, listed September 16, 1992. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 8460 S. River Rd., Waterville |
|---|---|
| County | Lucas County |
| Listed | September 16, 1992 |
| Reference number | 92001159 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | 1853-1942 |
| Architect / builder | Unknown |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival; Other: Raised Three-Bay or Basement Barn |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a working farm with about 60 acres in agriculture and a 38.5-acre wood lot; the barn is described as somewhat deteriorated; the house has been occupied by descendants except 1921-1950, when it was rented to tenant farmers. |
| Acreage | 109 |
| Coordinates | 41.48808, -83.74511 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 92001159.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.