Butler, Charles, House
Also known as: Hayes House
Why it's listed
Perched on the brow of a small hill above Franklin and the Great Miami River valley, this two-story brick house at 13 East Jackson Street was built around 1860 on an octagonal plan. It is one of two octagon houses in Franklin and one of only three known in southwestern Ohio. Its paired four-over-four windows, label lintels, bracketed wooden cornice and flat standing-seam metal roof mark it as an octagon design. The interior, with central fireplaces and a stair on an outside wall, appears to follow a plan illustrated in Orson Fowler's 1853 book. John N. Schenck had the house built for his daughter Mary and her husband Charles Butler, a merchant, first president of the Franklin National Bank and operator of the town's largest hardware store. Later changes include a brick wing in 1880, a classical revival porch in 1910 and a kitchen, utility room and garage in 1940. The house is valued as a rare local example of a short-lived architectural fashion.
Significance in brief: The nomination presents it as a significant example of octagon-plan architecture in southwestern Ohio, built during the brief popularity of Orson Fowler's designs. Its plan appears to follow a design in Fowler's 1853 book. It was built for Charles Butler, a prominent Franklin merchant and civic leader, and reflects his prosperity.
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 82003664, listed April 29, 1982. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 13 E. Jackson St., Franklin |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | April 29, 1982 |
| Reference number | 82003664 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 (specific date c. 1860) |
| Architectural style | Octagon |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; condition listed as good and altered, with additions made in 1880, 1910 and 1940. |
| Acreage | 2.8 |
| Coordinates | 39.56468, -84.29983 (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 82003664.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q5075934
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.