Brown, Jim, House
Also known as: See Also:Brown--Bender Farm (Boundary Increase)
Why it's listed
Set on a hilltop above the Cuyahoga River Valley south of Peninsula, Ohio, this large two-story Greek Revival farmhouse was built about 1845 and is tied to the legend of Jim Brown. Brown and his brother Dan were said to have directed a counterfeiting operation in the valley beginning around the opening of the Ohio Canal in 1827. Jim Brown was later convicted, imprisoned, and pardoned by President Zachary Taylor. The house is an L-shaped, five-bay frame building with clapboard siding, a stone foundation, a pedimented gable with Gothic-arch louvers, and a central entrance with sidelights. It has been little changed apart from rear additions and a 1950 division into apartments. A three-story bank barn from about 1886 and a stone obelisk grave marker also stand on the property. The house was listed for its connection to this local folklore and for its architectural integrity.
Significance in brief: The house is significant for its association with James "Jim" Brown, a legendary figure in Cuyahoga Valley folklore who led a counterfeiting ring in the nineteenth century. The nomination also notes that the house and the Victorian-period bank barn keep a high degree of historical and architectural integrity.
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 79000299, listed March 2, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | S of Peninsula at 3491 Akron Peninsula Rd., Peninsula |
|---|---|
| County | Summit County |
| Listed | March 2, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79000299 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Greek Revival |
| Areas of significance | Architecture, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence, converted to double occupancy in 1950 with separate apartments on the ground and top floors; the surrounding farm is still worked. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Within district | Valley Railway Historic District |
| Coordinates | 41.18178, -81.57810 (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 79000299.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q18378927
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.