Jones, Elam, Public House
Also known as: Tru-2134-15
Why it's listed
Built in 1828 at the crossroads of State Routes 7 and 305 in Hartford Township, Trumbull County, Ohio, this two-story wood-frame building operated as a public house, or tavern, for travelers and townspeople. Its five-bay main block rests on a coursed sandstone foundation and has weatherboard siding, a standing-seam tin roof and Federal-style door surrounds. A wing dated 1822 was moved against the east side around 1865. Inside, a tavern room, parlors, a kitchen and a second-floor meeting room reflect its use as both an inn and a gathering place. Elam Jones, a former schoolteacher, township clerk and founder of the community's first library, was a prominent local figure. The township was settled by Connecticut families, and the public house became a center of travel and commerce. Later changes included a Victorian-era remodeling, apartment conversion around 1950, and restoration beginning in 1979 that returned the central chimney, floor plan and window pattern. A barn from 1829 stands nearby.
Significance in brief: The building served as a tavern, meeting hall and post office for a Connecticut-settled community in the Western Reserve, and much of the township's travel and commerce centered on it. It was restored from 1979 to its early nineteenth-century plan and appearance, including the central chimney. The form treats it as an example of Federal-era architecture and a center of local social and commercial life.
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 02001687, listed January 8, 2003. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence medium).
Key facts
| Address | 3365 OH 7, Hartford |
|---|---|
| County | Trumbull County |
| Listed | January 8, 2003 |
| Reference number | 02001687 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Architectural style | Early Republic: Federal |
| Areas of significance | Commerce, Exploration/Settlement, Politics/Government, Social History |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Currently used as a single dwelling; restored since 1979 to its early nineteenth-century floor plan and materials after mid-twentieth-century conversion to apartments. |
| Acreage | 1.3 |
| Coordinates | 41.31192, -80.56816 (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 02001687.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138749357
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.