Centerville Historic District
Why it's listed
Centerville's historic district covers about 21.5 acres around the crossroads of Main and Franklin Streets in Montgomery County, Ohio, and includes roughly 35 to 40 buildings. Its defining feature is early stone houses built from local limestone, known as Dayton marble, replacing the first log cabins. Later brick and frame buildings share the same simple vernacular character, giving the area visual unity. Settlers Aaron Nutt, Benjamin Archer and Benjamin Robbins arrived from Kentucky in the 1790s, and the town was first platted about 1806. Nutt's former tavern at 78 North Main Street, the Benjamin Robbins House, and the home of miller David Lamme survive among the stone buildings. The district also reflects the community's early schools, a library company, a farmers' institute and some of Ohio's oldest congregations, including the First Baptist Church, founded in 1799. Today the buildings serve as homes, businesses, a museum and churches.
Significance in brief: Centerville was one of the earliest settlements in Montgomery County and became a crossroads for the township's agricultural and industrial growth. The district is distinguished by early stone houses built of local limestone (Dayton marble), which give it visual unity and a unique architectural heritage. It also preserves associations with pioneer settlers, taverns, schools, churches and early cultural institutions.
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 74001577, listed December 17, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Irregular pattern at Franklin and Main Sts., Centerville |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | December 17, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001577 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | ca. 1806 to 1909 (19th and 20th centuries) |
| Architectural style | Nineteenth-century vernacular construction, mainly simple limestone houses, with some brick and wood frame buildings |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition is listed as good and altered, on its original site. Uses include private residences, commercial, government, religious and museum. |
| Acreage | 21.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.62835, -84.16036 (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 74001577.
- 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.