National Register of Historic Places listings in Greene County, Ohio facts for kids
Have you ever wondered about the oldest and most important buildings and places in your community? In Greene County, Ohio, there's a special list of places that are super important to history. This list is called the National Register of Historic Places. It's like a hall of fame for buildings, areas, and sites that tell amazing stories about the past.
This article will tell you about some of these cool places in Greene County. There are 44 places on this list, and two of them are even more special, called National Historic Landmarks. These landmarks are recognized as important to the entire country! We'll also mention a couple of places that used to be on the list but aren't anymore.
Historic Places You Can Explore
Greene County is full of interesting spots that have been saved because they are so important. Let's look at some of them!
Schools and Learning Centers
Many historic places in Greene County are related to education.
- Antioch Hall, North and South Halls: These buildings are on the Antioch College campus in Yellow Springs. They were added to the list in 1975.
- Bath Township Consolidated School: Located in Fairborn, this school building was recognized in 1983.
- Wilberforce Carnegie Library: Found on the Central State University campus in Wilberforce, this library was built with money from Andrew Carnegie, a famous businessman who helped build many libraries. It joined the list in 2004.
- South School (Yellow Springs, Ohio): This old school in Yellow Springs was built in the 1850s. It's a great example of Greek Revival architecture and used to be Yellow Springs High School. It became historic in 1989.
- Xenia Carnegie Library: Another library built with Carnegie's help, this one is in Xenia and was added to the list in 2015.
Homes with History
Many old houses in Greene County have stories to tell.
- George Barrett Concrete House: This unique house in Spring Valley was built with concrete and added to the list in 1986.
- Berryhill-Morris House: South of Bellbrook, this house belonged to one of the first families to live in Sugarcreek Township. It was listed in 1975.
- Alexander Conner House: In Xenia, this is actually six early buildings that were joined together to form a rowhouse. It became historic in 1987.
- Dean Family Farm: This farmstead, northwest of Jamestown, dates back to the 1820s. It was added to the list in 1975, and its historic district was expanded in 1994.
- Hollencamp House: In Xenia, this was the home of a leading immigrant brewer and was listed in 1980.
- Mercer Log House: Located in Fairborn, this is one of Ohio's best-preserved log cabins from when Ohio was still a territory. It joined the list in 1981.
- Millen-Schmidt House: This grand Italianate mansion in Xenia was built to be noticed! It was listed in 1976.
- Samuel N. Patterson House: An 1870s house in Xenia, it was one of the few buildings in its area to survive the terrible 1974 tornado. It became historic in 1976.
- Whitelaw Reid House: Northwest of Cedarville, this was the home of Whitelaw Reid, a famous journalist and politician. It was listed in 1973.
- Whitehall Farm: North of Yellow Springs, this is a beautiful Greek Revival country estate that joined the list in 1980.
- Benjamin Whiteman House: East of Clifton, this house was recognized in 1973.
- Colonel Charles Young House: East of Xenia, this house belonged to Charles Young, a very important military officer. It's a National Historic Landmark and was listed in 1974.
Important Public Buildings and Districts
Some places are important because they served the community or represent a whole area.
- Bank of Xenia: This Greek Revival bank building in Xenia was added to the list in 1973.
- C.N. & I. Department Power House: This power house is on the Central State University campus in Wilberforce and was listed in 2003.
- Cedarville Opera House: In Cedarville, this building served as a community center and performance hall. It became historic in 1984.
- Downtown Xenia Historic District: This area in downtown Xenia includes many important buildings and was recognized as a historic district in 2014.
- East Second Street Historic District (Xenia, Ohio): This neighborhood in Xenia was a fancy area during the Gilded Age. It was listed in 1973 and expanded in 1979.
- Emery Hall: Another building on the Central State University campus in Wilberforce, Emery Hall was listed in 2005.
- Fairborn Theatre: This theater in Fairborn has a cool Streamline Moderne style and was built with themes related to the nearby Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. It joined the list in 2005.
- Jamestown Opera House: In Jamestown, this building served as both a community center and a government building. It was listed in 2007.
- Main Street Historic District (Spring Valley, Ohio): This historic area in Spring Valley was recognized in 1989.
- The Old Hotel: In Spring Valley, this old hotel building was added to the list in 1988.
- Waterstreet Historic District: This historic area in Xenia was listed in 1980.
- Yellow Springs Historic District: A large historic area in Yellow Springs, mostly built in the mid-1800s, was recognized in 1982.
Sites of Natural and Ancient History
Greene County also has places important for their natural features or ancient history.
- Ballard Road Covered Bridge: Northwest of Jamestown, this covered bridge from the 1880s is no longer open to cars but is a beautiful historic landmark. It was listed in 1975.
- Grinnell Mill Historic District: Southeast of Yellow Springs, this historic district includes the old Grinnell Mill and was listed in 1982.
- Harper Mausoleum and George W. Harper Memorial Entrance: In Cedarville, this is an Egyptian Revival memorial to a wealthy resident. It was listed in 1988.
- McDonald Farm (Xenia, Ohio): Southeast of Xenia, this farm was the source of stone used to build the famous Washington Monument! It was listed in 1996.
- Old Chillicothe Site: North of Xenia, this site was recognized in 1975.
- Orators Mound: Near Yellow Springs, this Indian mound in Glen Helen Nature Preserve was named because people often used it as a platform for speeches. It was listed in 1974.
- Pollock Works: West of Cedarville, this is a Hopewellian ceremonial site on a hilltop. It was listed in 1972.
- Williamson Mound State Memorial: West of Cedarville, this is a large Adena burial mound, an ancient Native American site. It was listed in 1971.
- Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Mound: West of Fairborn, this is another Adena mound located on a military base. It was listed in 1972.
Places Related to the Wright Brothers
Greene County is famous for its connection to the Wright brothers, who invented the airplane!
- Huffman Prairie: This field on Wright-Patterson Air Force Base is a National Historic Landmark. It's where the Wright brothers learned to fly and perfected their airplane! It was listed in 1971.
- Wright Brothers Hill-Memorial: This memorial in Bath Township honors the Wright brothers and was listed in 2016.
- Wright Brothers Memorial Mound Group: A short distance west of the Wright Brothers Memorial, this group of mounds was recognized in 1974.
Places No Longer on the List
Sometimes, a historic place might be removed from the list. This usually happens if the building is destroyed or changed so much that it no longer looks like it did historically.
- Homewood Cottage: This cottage in Wilberforce was the home of Hallie Quinn Brown, a famous educator and civil rights activist. Sadly, it was destroyed by a tornado during the 1974 Super Outbreak and removed from the list in 1974.
- William S. Scarborough House: Also in Wilberforce, this was the home of William Sanders Scarborough, another important educator. It was also destroyed by the 1974 tornado and removed from the list that same year.
Images for kids
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Antioch Hall at Antioch College
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The Ballard Road Covered Bridge
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The historic Bank of Xenia building
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The unique George Barrett Concrete House
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Bath Township Consolidated School
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The Berryhill-Morris House
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The C.N. & I. Department Power House
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The Carnegie Library at Wilberforce University
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The Cedarville Opera House
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The Alexander Conner House
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The driveway at the Dean Family Farm
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The Greene County Courthouse in the Downtown Xenia Historic District
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A building in the East Second Street District, Xenia
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Emery Hall at Central State University
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The Fairborn Theatre
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Grinnell Mill near Yellow Springs
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The George W. Harper Mausoleum
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The Hollencamp House in Xenia
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Huffman Prairie, where the Wright brothers learned to fly
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The Jamestown Opera House
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Buildings in the Main Street Historic District, Spring Valley
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The main barn and silo at the McDonald Farm
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The Mercer Log House in Fairborn
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The Millen-Schmidt House in Xenia
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The Old Chillicothe Site
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The Old Hotel in Spring Valley
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Orators Mound in Glen Helen Nature Preserve
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The Samuel N. Patterson House in Xenia
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The entrance to the Pollock Works
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The Whitelaw Reid House
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South School in Yellow Springs
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A building in the Waterstreet Historic District, Xenia
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The Whitehall Farmhouse
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The Benjamin Whiteman House
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The Williamson Mound
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The Wright Brothers Hill-Memorial
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The Wright Brothers Memorial Mound Group
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The Wright-Patterson Air Force Base Mound
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The Xenia Carnegie Library
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A building in the Yellow Springs Historic District
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The Colonel Charles Young House
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The William S. Scarborough House (now delisted)
