Headley Inn., Smith House And Farm
Why it's listed
Two stone buildings and a group of farm structures stand along the old National Road, now US Route 40, west of Zanesville. Uzal Headley built the sandstone inn around 1833 and added a large wing in 1835 to serve travelers and road laborers. Its interior has a massive hewn-log mantel, exposed black walnut beams and stair risers painted with grapevines. Nearby, Edward Smith built a seven-room sandstone house-tavern in 1830, and his son Alexander enlarged it in 1860. Outbuildings include a summer kitchen with a slate roof spelling "A. SMITH," a smokehouse, and a large 1870 barn moved during highway widening. Traffic fell after the railroad arrived, and the Headley tavern closed in 1860. The inn later served as a storage and sheep-shearing house, then as a restaurant from 1922 to 1961. The property is recognized as an outstanding example of early stone architecture and as a surviving National Road stopover and farmstead.
Significance in brief: The complex is argued to be an outstanding example of early nineteenth-century Ohio stone architecture, with outbuildings that together form a cohesive agricultural homestead. The inn retains much original stenciling and painted stair decoration. Both inn and house were tied to commerce and transportation as stopovers on the National Road.
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 78002162, listed April 26, 1978. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 5255 West Pike, Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | April 26, 1978 |
| Reference number | 78002162 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | Uzal Headley; Edward Smith; Alexander Smith |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Transportation, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | The inn has stood vacant since the restaurant closed in 1961. The Smith House was sold in 1976 to a buyer who intended to open a restaurant. The barn was moved in the early 1940s when Route 40 was widened. |
| Acreage | 20 |
| Coordinates | 39.95381, -82.09410 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
For an income-producing building, listing (individually or as a contributing building in a district) is the gateway to the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit on qualified rehabilitation costs, often stackable with state credits. Work claiming the credit must follow the Secretary of the Interior's Standards and be approved in advance.
Listing does not restrict a private owner acting without federal money or permits; where federal funding or licensing is involved, Section 106 review applies.
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 78002162.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138645508
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.