Lewis Kemp House

Lewis Kemp House
U.S. National Register of Historic Places
View of the house from the west
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Location	4800 Burkhardt Ave., Dayton, Ohio
Coordinates	39°45′36.5″N84°7′33″W / 39.760139°N 84.12583°W / 39.760139; -84.12583
Area	Less than 1 acre (0.40 ha)
Built	1806 (1806)
Architectural style	Saltbox
NRHP reference No.	75001502 [1]
Added to NRHP	January 23, 1975

The Lewis Kemp House is a historic pioneer farmstead in the city of Dayton, Ohio, United States. Built for one of the area's earliest residents, it was a religious center in its first years, while later years saw its expansion to its present form. Now located among much newer houses, it is Dayton's oldest surviving residence, and it has been named a historic site.

Kemp family

In 1805, a large colony from Frederick County, Maryland settled within Mad River Township; among the ninety-six individuals was Lewis Kemp, who purchased land near the center of the township and in its southwestern region. Within a few years, Kemp relinquished some portions of his property, conveying a piece of land via general warranty deed to local school trustees for the construction of a schoolhouse in 1815, ^{[2] : 864} and another 1 acre (0.40 ha) he donated for cemetery purposes in 1815, ^[3] but on the residue he continue to reside on the old homestead until his death at the age of 88. ^[4] Kemp was an active member of the United Brethren Church; starting in 1810, Brethren minister Christian Newcomer would hold meetings on Kemp's farm whenever he visited the Dayton area. ^{[2] : 335} this house is the house of the descendant of kemp, Lewis kemp II of Beverley

House

Kemp's house is built of brick and limestone with a stone foundation; it is covered with an asphalt roof, and peripheral elements are made of wood and stone. ^[5] The original portion of the house was constructed in 1806, ^[1] almost as soon as Kemp and his family reached their new farm, while the brick section was constructed in approximately 1832. Although built of stone, the house is a saltbox and displays the characteristics of the style, including the long sloping rear roof. ^[6]

Preservation

Today, the Kemp House sits in a suburban neighborhood at the junction of Burkhardt Avenue with Meyers Avenue; it is within the city of Dayton, ^[1] although the city limits of Riverside include some of the adjacent properties. ^[7] As the oldest house in Dayton, ^[3] it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in early 1975, qualifying both because of its architecture and because it was the home of a leading local citizen. When it was given this designation, it was one of 11 such locations within Dayton, but the city's National Register list now embraces over 100 different places. ^[1]

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Dayton, Ohio

References

1. "National Register Information System". National Register of Historic Places . National Park Service. July 9, 2010.
2. Drury, A.W. History of the City of Dayton and Montgomery County, Ohio . Vol. 1. Chicago and Dayton: Clarke, 1900.
3. Owen, Lorrie K., ed. Dictionary of Ohio Historic Places. Vol. 2. St. Clair Shores: Somerset, 1999, 1045.
4. Conover, Frank, ed. Portrait and Biographical Record of the City of Dayton and of Montgomery County, Ohio, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative Citizens, Together with the Biographies and Portraits of the Presidents of the United States and Biographies of the Governors of Ohio . Chicago: A.W. Bowen, 1897, 1138.
5. Kemp, Lewis, House, Ohio Historical Society, 2007. Accessed 2013-11-10.
6. Lewis & Elizabeth Kemp Homestead Archived 2013-11-10 at the Wayback Machine , Ohio Historical Society, 2010. Accessed 2013-11-10.
7. City of Riverisde [sic] ^{[ permanent dead link ]}, Riverside, 2013-07. Accessed 2013-11-10.