Robinson, Edmund, House
Also known as: Traveler's Rest
Why it's listed
Along State Route 48 north of Lebanon, Ohio, stands a two-story white-painted brick house built around 1829-30 for Edmund Robinson, a New Jersey native and early farmer in Clearcreek Township. He built it on his 104-acre farm to take advantage of traffic on the Dayton Road, opened in 1820. Local tradition holds that the house also served as a tavern, and a side porch has an entrance presumably used for it. The five-bay facade is plain and symmetrical, with brick lintels, stone sills and small dentil work at the cornice. Its most unusual feature is a cast iron canopy over the central door with curving, naturalistic forms. Inside, a central hall with a cherry stairway divides two rooms on each side. Three outbuildings stand to the southeast. Later 19th-century farmers continued to farm the land and operate the tavern. The house was rehabilitated in the late 1950s and is valued as an example of antebellum vernacular architecture in southwestern Ohio.
Significance in brief: The house is a significant element of the historic landscape along S.R. 48, once a major road between Lebanon and Dayton. It housed several farmers in the 19th century and, by local tradition, operated as a tavern. It is also an excellent example of pre-Victorian rural vernacular brick architecture in southwestern Ohio, with an unusual cast iron canopy over the main door.
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 79001974, listed April 16, 1979. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | N of Lebanon at 3208 OH 48, Lebanon |
|---|---|
| County | Warren County |
| Listed | April 16, 1979 |
| Reference number | 79001974 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 1800-1899 |
| Architectural style | Antebellum vernacular (pre-Victorian rural vernacular brick) |
| Areas of significance | Architecture |
| Level of significance | Local |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Occupied as a private residence; rehabilitated in the late 1950s. |
| Acreage | 3.5 |
| Coordinates | 39.48351, -84.20090 (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 79001974.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikidata Q138754632
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.