Sheets, Andrew, House
Why it's listed
Built about 1830-1840 on a rural lot along LaFevre Road in Elizabeth Township, this two-story farmhouse is a hall and parlor frame building of braced, pegged-beam construction on a rough-cut limestone foundation. Andrew Sheets, an early settler who arrived in Miami County in 1812, bought the land in 1837 and built the house, which may have served as a tenant dwelling. Later owners, the Mumford family, built an adjacent house and moved there in 1914, leaving the old house largely unused. It never received electricity or indoor plumbing. As a result, it keeps its original floor plan, plank ceilings, beaded plank partitions, six-panel doors, enclosed stair and early paintwork, along with Federal style features such as slender-muntin 9/6 windows and a flush facade. The nomination values it as a rare, nearly unaltered example of early vernacular farmhouse design in the area, despite the damaged rear addition and missing siding.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues it is a locally significant example of early 19th century vernacular rural architecture with Federal style details. It is remarkably unaltered because it has been largely unused since 1914. The surveyed properties mentioned include no other hall and parlor buildings, and no comparably original example of this early date is known in the township.
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 87002522, listed February 1, 1988. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 6880 LaFevre Rd., Elizabeth Township |
|---|---|
| County | Miami County |
| Listed | February 1, 1988 |
| Reference number | 87002522 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | C. 1830-1840 |
| Architect / builder | unknown |
| Architectural style | Other: vernacular, hall and parlor (with Federal style details) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as vacant/not in use; the house has been virtually unused since 1914, has never had electricity or plumbing, and has missing siding and a back addition in poor, water-damaged condition but restorable. |
| Acreage | 1.8 |
| Within district | Elizabeth Township Rural Historic District |
| Coordinates | 40.02626, -84.07666 (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 87002522.
- 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.