Clark County has now joined the list of Ohio counties (including Ottawa, Washington, Montgomery and Butler Counties) with properties protected by a preservation easement, also known as a “historic conservation” easement, held by Preservation Ohio.
On March 12 in the offices of the Turner Foundation, the Lagonda Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution, owners of the historic Pennsylvania House in Springfield, transferred a preservation easement to Preservation Ohio. While the local DAR remains committed to safeguarding the Pennsylvania House, as they have for the last several decades, the easement transfer was a requirement of the Save America’s Treasures grant program.
Preservation easements, also known as “historic conservation” easements, protect a property’s historic integrity into the future by providing a review process for significant alterations. The benefits of donating a preservation easement are numerous, including not only knowledge that the historic elements of a house or building will remain intact for future generations, but also available tax and/or estate planning benefits. Click here to access more information on the easement program.
The Pennsylvania House is an outstanding historic resource along Ohio’s portion of the National Road, the first true “interstate” highway, which ran from Cumberland, Maryland to Vandalia, Illinois (see this article in Wikipedia). Initially commissioned in 1806, the Ohio segment of the National Road was finished in the 1820s and 1830s. While there is some disagreement about the actual date of construction for the property, which was originally used as a hostelry and inn, it most likely dates to 1838 according to this article by the Springfield Preservation Alliance. The high amount of original interior and exterior building fabric make the property one of the very few places along the National Road where visitors can garner a true sense of period history. It is open to the public as a museum, and is a must see.
Enjoy these recently-taken photographs of the Pennsylvania House’s newly-restored exterior.