Daniel Newport House

Daniel Newport House

An outstanding work of masonry by skilled craftsmen dating to the mid 1830's.

Address: 
89 South Main Street
Centerville, OH 45458

Date:  1836

Features:  The stone work on this building is much refined with a strong horizontal line on the façade.  Larger stones are used near the base of the façade, smaller ones at the top of the building.  Larger and smaller stones are worked into a pattern like Flemish bond brickwork.  Keystone arches with four radiating voussoirs highlight the first floor windows.  The windows, 1/1 D.H.S., also have stone lug sills and blinds.  There is a plain rectangular doorway with a flat stone arch having radiating voussoirs and a six panel federal door.  Eaves are box cornice and gable verge close with frieze inside the left chimney.  There is a compatible four-bay frame addition.  The woodwork in the interior is quite plain, finished only with a quarter round molding, 1/4 inch or 1/2 inch.  The building is a one-room design with a fireplace covered over by wallboard, centered on the south wall.  A tight winder stairway may have been originally positioned next to the fireplace in the southeast corner.  The joists in the basement are it sawn.

Owners:  The Newports may be from England.  Daniel's father came from Pennsylvania and settled near Franklin, then went to Cedarville, which he founded, and ran a grain mill there and fed the soldiers in the War of 1812.  When he died, Daniel inherited his money and moved to Springboro, then to Centerville.  He was a cooper.  He left this area for a small community near Columbus, Ohio.  Limited early research shows that Robert Scott owned the property from 1826 to 1831, the value being $18.  James Stephenson owned it from 1832 to 1834, still valued at $18.  In 1836, Daniel Newport owned it and the value rose to $100, raising again in 1837 to $150.  Henry and David Reece own it in 1841, Joseph Kindle in 1842.  The building is used as a business.