Peairs Homestead
Why it's listed
Along State Route 146 east of Zanesville, a grey-painted, white-trimmed frame farmhouse sits on 280 acres of farmland that the Peairs family first held. David Peairs built the 2½-story house in 1850 on the foundation of an earlier brick home that deteriorated. David was a local farmer, militia colonel, magistrate and eventually a state legislator. His son George later used the house as an inn for itinerant drovers, which added a transportation role. Four generations of the family lived there until the late 1960s. The house has seven bays across the front, a deep porch, slate roof, and an interior largely unaltered apart from modern kitchen and bathroom facilities. Fireplaces remain, and the woodwork is chestnut and walnut. Older outbuildings include a large transverse crib barn and a sheep barn. The property was recognized as an early example of settlement architecture along the old Clay Pike and as a surviving piece of the township's agricultural landscape.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents the house as an early surviving example of settlement architecture along the old Clay Pike, though it shows no particular style. It also gained significance in transportation because it served as an inn for itinerant drovers. The 280 acres are the original Peairs family farm and survive as a remnant of the township's agricultural heritage.
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 79001919, listed February 27, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | E of Zanesville on OH 146, Zanesville |
|---|---|
| County | Muskingum County |
| Listed | February 27, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001919 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architect / builder | David Peairs |
| Architectural style | Vernacular frame; the form states the house exhibits no particular style |
| Areas of significance | Transportation, Exploration/Settlement, Architecture, Agriculture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as occupied, in excellent condition, used as a private residence and agriculture; the farm is still actively farmed. |
| Acreage | 244 |
| Within district | Muskingum River Navigation Historic District |
| Coordinates | 39.91219, -81.89805 (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 79001919.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138645717
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.