The Edward Smith Jr. Farm is a historic farm complex located near

Washington Court House Washington Court House (often abbreviated as Washington C.H.) is a city in Union Township, Fayette County, Ohio. It is the county seat of Fayette County and is located between Cincinnati and Columbus. The population grew almost 1.5% from 2010 to ...

in Fayette County,

Ohio Ohio () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States. Of the fifty U.S. states, it is the 34th-largest by area, and with a population of nearly 11.8 million, is the seventh-most populous and tenth-most densely populated. The sta ...

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

. Home to one of Fayette County's earliest residents, the farm has experienced remarkably few changes since the nineteenth century, and it has been named a historic site.

Edward Smith

Edward Smith Jr. was born in Pennsylvania and moved to Fayette County with his parents in 1810; they were likely the first settlers on the present site of Washington Court House. Development of the family farm was hindered by the

War of 1812 The War of 1812 (18 June 1812 – 17 February 1815) was fought by the United States of America and its indigenous allies against the United Kingdom and its allies in British North America, with limited participation by Spain in Florida. It bega ...

when Edward Smith Sr. volunteered for military service, and his death while trying to cross a flooded stream caused further hardship for the family. Nevertheless, his widow raised their ten children; Edward Jr. and all nine of his siblings lived into adulthood. Edward Jr. married Nancy Kukel, who bore him ten children.Allen, Frank M., ed. ''History of Fayette County, Ohio: Her People, Industries, and Institutions''.

Indianapolis Indianapolis (), colloquially known as Indy, is the state capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Indiana and the seat of Marion County. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the consolidated population of Indianapolis and Marion ...

: Bowen, 1914, 752.

Architecture

Built in 1855, Smith's farmhouse is an I-house with substantial

Greek Revival The Greek Revival was an architectural movement which began in the middle of the 18th century but which particularly flourished in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, predominantly in northern Europe and the United States and Canada, but ...

influence.Owen, Lorrie K., ed. ''Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places''. Vol. 1. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 413-414. Both the walls and the foundation are brick, while the

gable A gable is the generally triangular portion of a wall between the edges of intersecting roof pitches. The shape of the gable and how it is detailed depends on the structural system used, which reflects climate, material availability, and aesth ...

d roof is asphalt. Five

bays A bay is a recessed, coastal body of water that directly connects to a larger main body of water, such as an ocean, a lake, or another bay. A large bay is usually called a gulf, sea, sound, or bight. A cove is a small, circular bay with a narr ...

wide in the front, the two- story residence features a porch in the middle of its first story; the main entrance and one window on each side face the porch., Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2013-05-25. Inside, important components include walnut-wood

trim Trim or TRIM may refer to: Cutting * Cutting or trimming small pieces off something to remove them ** Book trimming, a stage of the publishing process ** Pruning, trimming as a form of pruning often used on trees Decoration * Trim (sewing), or ...

, a simple early stairway, and doorways with

stencil Stencilling produces an image or pattern on a surface, by applying pigment to a surface through an intermediate object, with designed holes in the intermediate object, to create a pattern or image on a surface, by allowing the pigment to reach ...

work. In 1875, the house was expanded with the construction of a vernacular Victorian addition, thus making the house a leading example of transitional 19th-century architecture in the area.

Preservation

The house and several outbuildings compose a farmstead unique in the area for its high degree of preservation from the middle of the 19th century. Two of them, the barn and the smokehouse, are original to the property and have experienced few changes; built of wood, they are important as surviving examples of early construction methods and

lifeway Lifeway is a term used in the disciplines of anthropology, sociology and archeology, particularly in North America. History Literature From the mid 19th century, the word was used with the meaning 'way through life' or 'way of life'. It ap ...

s for farmers in the area. The farmstead's integrity is such that it has received national recognition: in late 1987, it was listed on the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artistic v ...

because of its architecture.

References

{{National Register of Historic Places Houses completed in 1855 Buildings and structures in Fayette County, Ohio Greek Revival houses in Ohio I-houses in Ohio National Register of Historic Places in Fayette County, Ohio U.S. Route 62 Farms on the National Register of Historic Places in Ohio