Austintown Log House
Why it's listed
Near Youngstown, at the corner of Raccoon and Burgett Roads, stands a two-story log house measuring roughly 20 by 25 feet. Its squared logs are mortised at the corners, with clay and straw chinking and roof rafters of unshaped, bark-covered logs. It originally held two large rooms, one per floor. Later changes included a cellar with a concrete block foundation, a kitchen wing, a bathroom, new windows, and lath, plaster and imitation brick siding. A 1973 demolition effort removed those coverings and exposed the logs, showing that enough original fabric survived for restoration. The house was probably built before 1814 and almost certainly before 1825, on land once owned by Calvin Austin, who reached the Western Reserve in 1800 and is believed to have built cabins for sale to settlers. It was nominated as evidence of early settlement in the Mahoning Valley. In 1977 the listed area grew to one acre after 1976 excavations found historic remains around the house.
Significance in brief: The nomination calls it a relatively uncommon two-story log house and significant evidence of early settlement of the Mahoning Valley. Its alterations are mostly removable additions, so it keeps enough integrity to illustrate regional settlement patterns. A 1977 boundary increase added a one-acre site where 1976 archeological work found historic remains.
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 74001566, listed July 30, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | W of Youngstown on Raccoon Rd., Youngstown |
|---|---|
| County | Mahoning County |
| Listed | July 30, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001566 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century; specific date 1814 (?) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed condition: fair, altered, unoccupied; owned by a church. A 1973 demolition project revealed the log structure, and a restoration was projected. |
| Acreage | 1.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.06177, -80.73202 (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.
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 74001566.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q14716363
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.