Watkins House
Also known as: "Ye Old Stone"
Why it's listed
Known as "Ye Old Stone," this farmhouse on Lebanon Pike near Centerville began as a one-room limestone cabin, probably started in autumn 1804 when Jonathan and Clarissa Watkins arrived from Mason County, Kentucky. A west addition with eighteen-inch stone walls followed in 1812, and work reportedly paused briefly while the family and workers watched General William Henry Harrison's army pass nearby. The local limestone, called "Dayton marble," was widely quarried in the area, and over 100 stone houses once stood nearby. This is one of the few survivors, and it shows the typical pattern of a small cabin growing through stone and wood additions. About 1940 the interior was remodeled and a frame shed on the south side was replaced by a two-story frame addition. Many original door jambs, window frames and interior stone walls remain. The Watkins family farmed hogs, corn and grain and sold produce in Centerville and Woodbourne.
Significance in brief: The house is built of native limestone known locally as "Dayton marble" and is one of the few remaining early 19th-century stone farmhouses in an area that once had over 100. It illustrates how such homes grew from a one- or two-room cabin by stone and wood additions into an irregular form. It is also tied to the Watkins family, pioneer settlers from Kentucky.
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 74001578, listed December 24, 1974. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 9950 Lebanon Pike, Centerville |
|---|---|
| County | Montgomery County |
| Listed | December 24, 1974 |
| Reference number | 74001578 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 19th Century (specific dates 1804 and 1812) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Condition listed as good and altered, on its original site; used as a private residence and occupied. Not presently in danger, though it faces an increasingly busy main road. |
| Acreage | 1 |
| Coordinates | 39.59912, -84.16132 (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 74001578.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138590636
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.