Historic Structures

Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport Rhode Island

Rose Island Lighthouse, Newport Rhode Island

Built in 1869 and put in service in January 1870, Rose Island Lighthouse is a distinctive and well-known landmark vividly recalling for present-day Rhode Islanders and visitors the maritime heritage of Narragansett Bay. Erected during the heyday of coastal transportation, when hundreds of passenger steamers, freighters, and fishing vessels plied local waters. Rose Island Light warned navigators away from treacherous shoals north of Newport Harbor in the main channel leading from Block Island Sound and Newport up the Bay to Fall River, Providence and lesser ports. Part of a system of navigational aids that guided Bay pilots, Rose Island light is remarkable because it is so highly visible. Every day, thousands of motorists view it from the elevated lanes of Newport

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Terminal, Youngstown Ohio

Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Terminal, Youngstown Ohio

The Baltimore & Ohio Railroad Terminal in Youngstown was built in 1905. The railroads played a significant role in the city's development as a manufacturing and population center in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. The design of the building in a popular revival style of the period reflects the importance of passenger rail travel during the early years of the 20^th century and, in particular, the significance of the B & O line to passengers traveling through Youngstown from either Washington or Chicago. The terminal occupies a significant site on a curve of the tracks overlooking the Mahoning River, with a view of downtown Youngstown to the east. The importance of the railroad in the city's history is underscored

Lynchburg Covered Bridge, Lynchburg Ohio

Lynchburg Covered Bridge, Lynchburg Ohio

The Lynchburg Bridge was built in 1870 by John C. Gregg of Hillsboro in Highland County, a well-known bridge builder in the area. The cost of the bridge was $3,138.66. The bridge is on the Highland-Clinton County line and construction and maintenance costs were shared equally by the two counties. In 1969, the old bridge was bypassed by a new steel structure a few hundred yards downstream and the fight began to save the covered bridge. The Lynchburg Society for the Preservation of Historic Landmarks was formed at this time with the intention of taking over the care of the bridge. A park was planned at the bridge site. However, ownership of the bridge still rests with the two counties and

Rummell Mill, Butler Ohio

Rummell Mill, Butler Ohio

Rummell Mill is one of the oldest and best preserved grist mills in North Central Ohio. It is the only mill in Richland County to survive with its machinery intact and was the last water-powered grist mill in this part of the state to cease operations, which occurred in the later 1940's. It has widespread recognition as a major landmark and an interesting history as one of the early mills of this region that in its day was a center of commerce and social activity. Rummell Mill stands as a reminder of Richland County's former role as the location of more water-powered mills then any other county in Ohio. Jacob Armentrout first recognized the potential of this site when he constructed

Rock Mill, Lancaster Ohio

Rock Mill, Lancaster Ohio

Rock Mill was built in 1824, replacing an earlier log mill structure (1799) on the same site, which was the first mill in Fairfield County and the first mill on the Hocking River. The first mill, a combined saw/grist mill, built by Loveland & Smith, continued to be the only grist mill in the township as late as 1822 when it was washed away by a flood. A Mr. Barrett (Barnett?) built the Rock Mill in 1824. The mill was named for the rock formations in the area in the 19^th century, although it is not known if it has been called Rock Mill since its construction. Subsequent owners of Rock Mill after Barrett were Abraham Bookwalter, Christian Morehart, Joseph Knabenshue,

Martinsville Road Covered Bridge, Martinsville Ohio

Martinsville Road Covered Bridge, Martinsville Ohio

The Martinsville Road Covered Bridge takes its name from the nearby village of Martinsville. This old bridge was built in 1871 by Zimri Wall. It is unfortunate that the costs and other information on the building of this bridge are missing from county records, In 1872, Zimri Wall, his brother Jonathan and Albert Bailey formed the Champion Bridge Company of Wilmington, Ohio. The Champion Bridge Company is one of the nation's oldest bridge-building companies still in business today. The Champion Bridge Company considers the Martinsville Road Bridge to be their oldest bridge still in existence today. In addition, this covered bridge is the last such structure wholly within Clinton County. The Martinsville Road Bridge is an excellent example of the multiple

Mark Twain Elementary School, St. Louis Missouri

Mark Twain Elementary School, St. Louis Missouri

The Mark Twain School (originally Harney Heights School) is located at 5316 Ruskin Avenue, St. Louis, Missouri. The school was designed in 1910, constructed in 1911 and opened in 1912. The neighborhood surrounding the school at the time was a rapidly developing streetcar commuter suburb on St. Louis' north side. The school was originally named for the neighborhood (Harney Heights). When the school's name was changed to Mark Twain, the neighborhood began to be known for the school and eventually was recognized as the Mark Twain Neighborhood. The area surrounding Harney Heights School was primarily farmland until development commenced in earnest in the 1890s. In June of 1892, the St. Louis Post Dispatch announced the purchase of a large tract of

Church Hill Road Covered Bridge, Elkton Ohio

Church Hill Road Covered Bridge, Elkton Ohio

Columbiana County, Ohio once had nearly 100 covered bridges and most of them were rather small, in the 25' to 60' length range. The Church Hill Road Bridge is the smallest at 19' 3 clear span and is undoubtedly one of the shortest covered bridges ever built for public highway use in the United States. The Church Hill Road Bridge is also quite interesting because it is one of only two simple kingpost trusses left here in Ohio. In 1962, Columbiana County bypassed this bridge, and a small rural park was established around it. An Ohio Historic Site marker was dedicated at this bridge in June 1963, sponsored by the Northern Ohio Covered Bridge Society, the Ohio Historic Markers Committee, the

Portsmouth Harbor Light, New Castle New Hampshire

Portsmouth Harbor Light, New Castle New Hampshire

Initially established in 1771, Portsmouth Harbor Light marks a point of land at the entry to the port of Portsmouth and guides vessels navigating to and from the harbor. This light stations existing structures include a lighthouse built in 1878 atop a lighthouse foundation built in 1804, an oil house built in 1903, and a keepers dwelling originally constructed in 1872. These are typical of a Federal government light station dating from the late nineteenth century to early twentieth century. Through time, the lighted aid to navigation at this location came to be known by a variety of names including Portsmouth Harbor Light, Fort Point Light, New Castle Light, and Fort Constitution Light. Portsmouth Harbor Light has been an operating aid

Howard Park Public School (P.S.) 218, Baltimore Maryland

Howard Park Public School (P.S.) 218, Baltimore Maryland

Built in 1908 in the northwestern Baltimore neighborhood of Howard Park, P.S. 218 is an excellent example of the classic American neighborhood school building in several ways. In 1908, the school was constructed to educate the founding families of what was then a suburban Baltimore County community. This simple facility mirrored the national trends in educational architecture as a two-story brick building with large, open classrooms with ample natural light. As the Howard Park community grew, the building was enlarged in 1913 to include a total of eleven classrooms to accommodate a rapidly growing school population. In 1918, the school was annexed to Baltimore City, transferring jurisdiction to the City school board. In response to the larger number of school students

Teegarden-Centennial Covered Bridge, Salem Ohio

Teegarden-Centennial Covered Bridge, Salem Ohio

Of the 3,850 identified timber truss canal, railroad and vehicular bridges known to have been built in Ohio, as of the year 2000, less than 4 percent, or 135 bridges are extant, and of these, only 61 are still in service. Columbiana County holds the distinction of once having the most covered bridges in the state, an estimated 150 spans. The Teegarden-Centennial Covered Bridge is one of five covered bridges remaining in Columbiana County, and is one of only two on its original site. Americans began building covered bridges after the Revolutionary War. Early builders were mostly farmers who were also skilled woodsmen. They built the covered bridges similar to their barns, simple, yet strong with heavy timbers. Using basic hand

Stephen A. Gerrard Mansion, Cincinnati Ohio

Stephen A. Gerrard Mansion, Cincinnati Ohio

The home was built for Stephen A. Gerrard, who began as a pushcart vendor in Cincinnati, and eventually built an empire by shipping cantaloupes in refrigerated cars from Colorado where they were grown, to markets in the Midwest and East. To celebrate his success, Gerrard built this grand Tudor Revival mansion in prestigious Avondale in 1915. Used principally for large landmark houses before 1920, limestone cladding entirely comprises the walls. Various groupings of tall narrow windows and bays punctuate the walls which are topped with a multi-gable steeply pitched slate roof. Decorative elements include delicate stone hoodmolds with dripstones, tudor arches (above doors and window groupings), crenellation, and a stone beltcourse. The roofline is accented with two stone gargoyles and several

Glamorgan Mansion, Alliance Ohio

Glamorgan Mansion, Alliance Ohio

Glamorgan is a remarkable example of the great eclectic houses of the late nineteenth-century industrialists. It was built by Colonel William H. Morgan, Sr., president of the Morgan Engineering Company, in 1903-1908, and designed by Cleveland architects Paul Searles and Willard Hirsh. Morgan Engineering was a large pioneer in Ohio industry. Founder Thomas R. Morgan invented the overhead traveling crane. In the Spanish-American War and World War I, much of the company's production was devoted to gun mounts for the U. S. Army Ordnance. W. H. Morgan, son of the founder, was known as an engineer, inventor, and a lover of the arts. According to Robert Hopkins, The great marble mansion is the product of a keen and versatile mind which

Central School, Amherst Ohio

Central School, Amherst Ohio

The early growth of Amherst was due to the discovery and mining of sandstone. Amherst, at the time this school was constructed, had become one of the world's leading suppliers of structural sandstone. In 1909 Ohio ranked first in the nation in the production of sandstone, quarrying 20% of the nation's total output. The Amherst quarries were the most important locality for quarrying Berea sandstone in Ohio. The stone used in the school was quarried near Amherst and cut in the local cut-stone plant. The building is an expressive example of early 20th-century school architecture distinguished by a crenelated parapet, a four-story central projecting bell tower, segmental-arched entrances and rough-faced lintels and sills. Central School is the only sandstone school of

Helmick Covered Bridge, Helmick Ohio

Helmick Covered Bridge, Helmick Ohio

The Helmick Bridge was built in 1863 by John Shrake of Newark, Ohio. According to county records, Mr. Shrake built both superstructure and abutments for $2,107.15. However, on one of the stones of the north abutment is the name, F. A. Victor, 1863. A Frederick Victor is known to have done masonry work on bridges in the vicinity, so despite the county records, it would seem that Mr. Shrake had some help building this bridge. John Shrake was a well-known builder of covered bridges in Coshocton, Licking, and Tuscarawas Counties. The bridge takes its name from the all-but-forgotten hamlet of Helmick. There was once a sawmill, post office, and general store there. Helmick is still on the state maps, although there

Swiss Steam Laundry Building, Baltimore Maryland

Swiss Steam Laundry Building, Baltimore Maryland

As Baltimore City grew into a major metropolitan area in the late nineteenth century, the structure of its downtown area changed from a homogenous nature to a central business district with distinctive centers of finance, government, retailing, and industry. Industries that were closely related to shipping and major financial institutions were generally located near the waterfront on the eastern portion of the downtown area. A small government center grew up in the vicinity of the Battle Monument and City Hall. The major retailing and department stores located near Lexington Market the major marketplace for the city. Other industries, most notably the clothing industry located just west of the harbor, but near the major railroad terminal in the city. The greatest concentration

Chambers Road Covered Bridge, Olive Green Ohio

Chambers Road Covered Bridge, Olive Green Ohio

The Chambers Road Bridge was built in 1874 by master bridge-builder Evrett S. Sherman, who came here from New Hampshire. Mr. Sherman worked with other builders on several of the Delaware County covered bridges that we know of, but the Chambers Road Bridge seems to have been done on his own. This is the first known example of the Childs truss. We do not know why Mr. Sherman favored this truss type, but he may have known of it or its inventor in New England. Twelve years later, Mr. Sherman left Delaware County for Preble County, Ohio where he built 15 Childs truss covered bridges. The Chambers Road Covered Bridge is the last covered bridge in Delaware County and the first

Huntington High School, Huntington West Virginia

Huntington High School, Huntington West Virginia

The building was designed by Versus T. Ritter who was a local architect in Huntington, WV. He also designed the Huntington City Hall Building in 1914 and the Huntington National Bank Building in 1914. Both of these buildings are still standing. All three of these buildings are excellent examples of the Neo-Classical Revival style of architecture which was popular after the turn of the century in the period of 1910 to 1920 in Huntington. By 1887, the Cabell County School System established a three-grade high school in the prayer meeting room of the old Congregational Church, located on the southeast corner of Fifth Avenue and Ninth Street in the Downtown. The school was later moved to the Council Chambers of City

Sprague Building, Tacoma Washington

Sprague Building, Tacoma Washington

General Sprague, with his experience in the wholesale and retail grocery and commission business on the Great Lakes some 40 years earlier, understood the storage and transportation needs of the warehouse businesses growing in Tacoma. He had first-hand knowledge of sailing and steam shipping of goods as well. Finally, his 13 years with the Northern Pacific Railroad enabled him to anticipate Tacoma's opportunity to become the wholesale merchandising center of the Pacific Northwest. Conditions and timing were right; rail and water transportation were in place; and new customers of the Northern Pacific Railroad's Cascade Line were ready for Tacoma's goods. In the Sprague Building, the General and his architects built a structure that was representative of Tacoma wholesale warehouses for the

Hizey Covered Bridge, Pickerington Ohio

Hizey Covered Bridge, Pickerington Ohio

The Hizey Covered Bridge is one of a fast-vanishing breed in Fairfield County which was once the home of more covered bridges than any other county in the state. Liberty Township, where the Hizey Bridge stands, had 14 of these roofed crossings in the 1950s and today the number has dwindled to 5. There were once 5 covered bridges over Poplar Creek in this immediate area, 3 of which were on Poplar Creek Road and today only the Hizey Bridge remains. Fire took out 2 of these bridges. The Hizey Bridge has so far escaped some of this vandalism which has made covered bridge maintenance such a problem in Fairfield County. The Hizey Bridge was built in 1891 by James W.

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