Dr. Peter Allen House facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Dr. Peter Allen House
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Peter Allen House in 1936.
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 Location in Ohio
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| Location | 8581 State Street Kinsman, Ohio |
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| Nearest city | Kinsman, Ohio |
| Built | 1821 |
| Architect | Will Smith |
| Architectural style | Federal and Other |
| NRHP reference No. | 71000653 |
| Added to NRHP | 1971-09-03 |
The Dr. Peter Allen House is a special old building located near Kinsman, Ohio. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places on September 3, 1971. This means it's an important historical site worth protecting. Today, it's known as the Peter Allen Inn & Event Center, a cozy place where people can stay or hold events like weddings.
Contents
The Story of the House
Building a Home for a Doctor
The Peter Allen House was built in 1821 by an architect named Willis Smith. He built it for Dr. Peter Allen, who was the first doctor in Kinsman. Dr. Allen moved to Kinsman in 1808 and helped many people in the town.
Architect Smith also built other important buildings in Kinsman, including the Kinsman Presbyterian Church. He even built a home for John Kinsman, the person the town is named after! The Peter Allen House cost about $3,000 to build, and the land it sat on cost $2 an acre.
Dr. Allen's Life and the House's Journey
Dr. Peter Allen became a very skilled surgeon during the War of 1812. He was married twice. His first wife, Charity Dudley, passed away in 1840. Later, he married Fanny Starr.
At some point, Dr. Allen and his family moved away from Kinsman. The house was then bought by Reverend James Plant. Many years later, in 1903, Dr. Dudley Allen, who was Peter Allen's grandson, bought some of the beautiful wooden decorations from the house's parlor. He moved them to Cleveland to use in two different homes he was building. After 51 years, these special wooden pieces were brought back to their original home in Kinsman!
Keeping History Alive
Saving Old Buildings
Over many years, the Peter Allen House had different owners. People realized how important it was to save old buildings like this one.
A big effort to help restore the house happened during the Great Depression. The Works Progress Administration (WPA) sent people all over the country to draw and record historic buildings, including the Allen House. This helped future generations know what the house looked like.
A Place for Gatherings
In 1938, the Peter Allen House was listed in the Library of Congress, which is a very important collection of historical documents. For a long time, only three families lived in the house during the 1900s. Mrs. Alice Blaemire bought the house at some point. She turned it into a tea room and a place for private dinners and parties.
The House Today
A New Chapter Begins
In 2008, Richard and Rhonda Thompson bought the Peter Allen House. They wanted to protect its history but also give it a new purpose. Richard Thompson had a background in manufacturing and farming. He and his wife were very interested in preserving old buildings.
Soon after buying the house, in 2010, the Thompsons started the Richard and Rhonda Thompson Foundation. This foundation focuses on restoring and preserving historic buildings, making sure they last for many more years.
The Peter Allen Inn & Event Center
In 2016, the Peter Allen House officially opened as the Peter Allen Inn & Event Center. It's now a popular place for many different events. People hold weddings, bridal showers, baby showers, family reunions, and even company meetings there. A local school also held its prom at the beautiful historic house!
