Hopkins, Benjamin F., Stone Building
Also known as: Standing Rock Cemetery House
Why it's listed
Standing in Standing Rock Cemetery in Kent, Ohio, this one-and-a-half story building is made of hand-hewn sandstone ashlar that still bears the marks of the stonecutters' tools. It rests on a high basement and has a gable roof with a flat deck in place of a ridge, a feature whose purpose is unknown. Inside, the plan is unusual: three large rooms on the main floor, fluted door and window casings, and a raised ceiling section in one corner. It was probably built in the 1840s on land owned by Benjamin F. Hopkins, a builder whose firm erected mills, a tannery and a glass factory in early Kent. A preliminary assessment suggests it served partly as a residence and partly as a workshop, though this is tentative. The property joined the cemetery in 1858. Most of Kent's early industrial buildings are gone, so this stone structure in an open setting is a valued reminder of that era and may yield more information on period construction.
Significance in brief: The building is a rare survivor of Kent's early manufacturing history, much of which has been demolished. Hewn stone construction was uncommon in the area before mid-century. Its unexplained flat-decked roof and unusual interior plan give it potential to yield further information on mid-nineteenth century building and industrial practice.
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 82003633, listed November 25, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | Standing Rock Cemetery, Kent |
|---|---|
| County | Portage County |
| Listed | November 25, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003633 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific dates 1822-1831; 1858) |
| Architect / builder | Benjamin F. Hopkins |
| Areas of significance | Industry, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Listed as unoccupied and used for storage; condition rated good and altered, on its original site. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Coordinates | 41.16540, -81.35290 (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.
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 82003633.
- 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.