Putnam, Rufus, House
Also known as: Campus Martius; Campus Martius Museum State Memorial; See Also
Why it's listed
This house in Marietta, Ohio, began as one of the dwellings forming the walls of Campus Martius, a fortified village built in 1788 by the Ohio Company of Associates above the Muskingum River. Rufus Putnam, a Revolutionary War officer and company superintendent, lived in the unit beside the southeast blockhouse. The original part measured 18 by 36 feet, with four rooms, a basement and an attic. After Putnam bought it in 1796, a matching four-room section was added to the north, the roof was rebuilt and the facade widened from three bays to five. Several families lived there in the late 19th century. The fort was abandoned after the 1795 Treaty of Greeneville, and its lots and buildings were sold. The Putnam family stayed on. The Campus Martius Museum, completed in 1931, encloses the house. It is described as the oldest known dwelling in Ohio, and restoration to its fort-era appearance was in progress when it was listed.
Significance in brief: It is the oldest known dwelling in Ohio and a surviving part of Campus Martius, the fortified village of the Ohio Company of Associates in the first permanent settlement in the Northwest Territory. Rufus Putnam, a Revolutionary War officer and Ohio Company superintendent, lived there. The nomination ties it to military and 18th-century settlement history.
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 70000524, listed November 10, 1970. Summary generated October 2026 (model claude-sonnet-5-5, prompt v1.0-2026-10-29, confidence high).
Key facts
| Address | Campus Martius Museum, corner of 2nd and Washington Sts., Marietta |
|---|---|
| County | Washington County |
| Listed | November 10, 1970 |
| Reference number | 70000524 |
| Resource type | Building |
| Period of significance | 18th Century |
| Areas of significance | Military, Architecture |
| Level of significance | State |
| Status (as stated in the nomination) | Owned by the State of Ohio and used as a museum; a complete restoration to its Campus Martius appearance was underway at the time of nomination. |
| Acreage | 0.9 |
| Within district | Marietta Historic District (Boundary Increase) |
| Coordinates | 39.42153, -81.46129 (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 70000524.
- Nomination form (PDF, National Archives) — catalog entry
- Wikipedia article (used for cross-checking only; text not reproduced here)
- Wikidata Q7378091
- This listing as JSON
Last updated October 2026. Found an error? See the editorial policy for how to report it.