The Ohio Properties

 

Box School c. 1850

The Kemper House —1804

The Kemper House Log House (1804) is a two-story double-pen log house built by Reverend James Kemper in Walnut Hills. It is one of the oldest houses built in Cincinnati that is still standing. It is significant, not only because of the architectural style, but because of James Kemper’s prominence as an early educator and clergyman. In 1951 the Ohio Society took responsibility for Reverend James Kemper’s home that had been moved to the Cincinnati Zoo in 1912 from its original site in Walnut Hills. When you shake the cobwebs off our history, in 1975 on the eve of the nation’s Bicentennial, the June meeting of the Ohio Society was held at the Cincinnati Zoo where the Zoo director, a Mr. Maruska, spoke about future plans for the zoo, after which he encouraged those who wished to go see the white tigers — the future of the Zoo was not destined to include the Kemper Log House. In 1981 the house built in 1804 was disassembled and relocated at Heritage Village in Sharon Woods by the Ohio Society under the auspices of the Miami Purchase Association in Sharon Woods Park. The little Kemper Log House has found a permanent home and it is today a slice of virtual history busy with the tours and children who participate in its original and vibrant programs.

The Wolcott House — 1836

The Wolcott House Museum Complex contains six buildings from the 19th century.. The only structure original to the site is the Wolcott House, which evolved from a one and-a-half story log house to a magnificent two story, 14-room Federal-style "mansion" between 1827 and 1836. 
The Toledo Town Committee has had a partnership with the Wolcott House for generations. The house was built by James Wolcott, a Connecticut entrepreneur and his wife, Mary Wells, granddaughter of the great Miami Chief, Little Turtle. The house overlooks the Maumee River where the Wolcott's shipbuilding and wholesaling activity took place. Wolcott was an early mayor and community leader in Maumee. 
Additional buildings relocated to the site include the Ohio Saltbox farmhouse built by Jarvis Gilbert in 1841, which interprets 19 century farm life; an 1850 log house which once overlooked the Miami Wabash Canal; an 1880 railroad station with box car and caboose; a 1901 Gothic style country church and a circa 1840 Greek Revival townhouse which houses the museum store and historical society offices. 

The Betts House — 1804

Built in 1804, The Betts House, Ohio’s oldest brick house, is located in the Betts-Longworth Historic District in downtown Cincinnati. The Betts House promotes the study of building materials and historic preservation through special exhibits and public programs. Tours of the house showcase its history and construction.
An ongoing exhibit features a timeline of the house paired with the history of Cincinnati and the nation. The Betts House also supports the fields of construction and architecture with a summer enrichment program, Bond at the Betts, providing youth from urban neighborhoods a hands-on introduction to architecture and the building trades.
The Betts House is located two blocks west of Music Hall at 416 Clark Street. Parking is available on Clark Street, John Street, Central Avenue, and the Town Center Garage on Central Parkway behind Music Hall. The Betts House is open Tuesday through Thursday, 11 am - 2 pm and two Saturdays a month; other days and times are available by appointment. The museum is closed on federal holidays.