Hunt-Forman Farm
Why it's listed
Located just south of the crossroads village of Red Lion in Warren County, Ohio, this 102-acre farm is split by State Route 741. Aaron Hunt settled the land in 1798, and his son John Hunt, a boatman and state legislator, is presumed to have funded the brick farmhouse and barns built around 1840-1850. John Forman bought the farm in 1865, and the Forman family has owned it since. The three-bay, two-story brick house has a bracketed cornice, with later weatherboard additions at the rear. Two post-and-beam barns with hand-hewn maple timbers and pegged joints stand nearby, along with a smokehouse, milk house, silo and other farm structures. Fields, a hedgerow, Snake Creek and a stock tunnel under the highway remain part of the layout. The farm was listed for its link to Poland China hog breeding in the Miami Valley and for its well-preserved farmhouse, barns and rural setting, and it was named an Ohio Outstanding Century Farm in 2003.
Significance in brief: The nomination argues significance under Criterion A for the farm's long association with livestock breeding in Ohio's Miami Valley, specifically the development of the Poland China breed of swine. Under Criterion C, it is a well-preserved working farm with a brick vernacular farmhouse, period barns, outbuildings and intact rural landscape. The Preclassical I house and English barn were among the most common rural building forms in Warren County in the early nineteenth century.
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 04000607, listed June 16, 2004. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | 2945 N OH 741, Franklin |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | June 16, 2004 |
| Reference number | 04000607 |
| Resource type | District |
| Period of significance | Ca. 1840-1954 |
| Architectural style | Mid-19th Century, Federal Vernacular (Preclassical I house) |
| Criteria |
|
| Areas of significance | Agriculture, Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Still a working farm with the house in use as a dwelling and the outbuildings in agricultural use; the house and farm retain their original appearance apart from updated plumbing, mechanical systems, kitchens and bathrooms. |
| Acreage | 102.6 |
| Coordinates | 39.48285, -84.25494 (NPS GIS) |
What listing means for this property
This is a historic district. Buildings within its boundary are either contributing (they add to the district's significance) or non-contributing. Owners of contributing income-producing buildings can claim the 20% federal rehabilitation tax credit; homeowners should look at state credits. National Register districts impose no design review by themselves; a local historic district ordinance, if one exists, does (the difference explained).
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 04000607.
- 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.