National Register Form: Section 8

The Logan Historic District is a significant representative of a southeastern Ohio town that was associated with industry and mineral extraction during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. It meets Criterion A for its association with local broad patterns of history, including commerce, industry, and settlement. The district also meets Criterion C for architecture. Logan has an intact collection of mid 1800s to mid 1900s architectural styles and building types. Popular late 19^th century and early 20^th century architectural styles, as well as vernacular building types, are present within the district. Additionally, locally produced clay materials, such as glazed tile blocks, differing brick types, rusticated concrete block, and paver-bricks are present in many locations in the historic district.

The nominated district is comprised of Logan's historic commercial district and adjacent residential streets. In addition to commercial and residential properties, the district also contains significant institutional buildings such as churches, government buildings, and fraternal buildings. The Period of Significance, c.1831-1960, begins with the construction date of the George Smith House and ends with the 50-year cut-off for National Register listing. Three eras of development occurred in Logan during the Period of Significance and the historic district reflects these eras and the predominant themes associated with those time periods. Logan’s development and history can be roughly divided into the eras of early settlement and the canal, the railroad and clay industry, and the Depression and post WWII.

BACKGROUND HISTORY OF LOGAN

Early Settlement and the Canal Era (1816-1869)

Early settlers, to what would become Hocking County, included Christian Westenhaver of Maryland, John Pence, and Conrad Brian. All arrived in the spring of 1798. Brothers-in-law Pence and Brian purchased adjoining tracts within Logan’s present day boundaries. It was Brian’s land that “a few years later...so pleased the eye of Thomas Worthington that he gave Brian $1,000 for it.” (History of Hocking Valley, p. 814) Pioneers continued to trickle into the area and by 1799 twenty-two people comprised a neighborhood of settlers. After 1800, the number of pioneer families increased, and they began settling other parts of the region, particularly along the valleys of the Hocking River and Raccoon Creek. Hocking County was formed in 1818, with a recorded population of 2,080 people in 1820.

Thomas Worthington continued to purchase land adjacent to Brian’s original 80 acres. He eventually acquired 1,860 acres, valued at $15,900. (McElhoe, p. 28) In 1816, Worthington platted a new settlement, naming it Logan. The 1883 History of Hocking Valley indicates that the fledgling village was named after the Mingo Indian chief, Logan (p. 894). Worthington was an early pioneer and surveyor in the Northwest Territory and first explored the Scioto Valley in 1796. After relocating from Virginia in 1798, Worthington quickly became a prominent politician in the Ohio country. He was instrumental in the formation of Ohio's statehood and served as one of the state's first U.S. senators. Although he had been elected governor of Ohio in 1814, Worthington continued to pursue his own business prospects and acquire land holdings. It was during his tenure as governor that he platted Logan, from an earlier land purchase in the Hocking Valley.

Worthington's 1816 plat for Logan included Main, Second, and Front streets running east-west and High, Spring, Market, Mulberry and Walnut streets running north-south. The southwest corner of Main and Market was designated for a public market (now Worthington Park) and outlots were donated for a school and a cemetery (lots 8 and 9). Located at roughly Second and High streets, the first cemetery was relocated in the late 1830s due to construction of the Hocking Canal. Reestablished on N. Market Street, the village cemetery is included within the nominated boundaries and has been known as the “old cemetery” since the early 20^th century when the Oak Grove Cemetery was established farther north of town.

Once the village was platted, Worthington developed water power by damming the lower falls of the Hocking River, about a mile north of Logan. A wheat and corn mill was built and a saw mill was added by 1818. With these infrastructure improvements, Worthington stimulated settlement of the village and ensured the success of his speculative development.. (McElhoe, p. 28) The first tavern and store in the county was established in Logan. This business was soon followed by a brick-maker, gunsmith, and carpenter in 1817.

Located a little northeast of the center of the county, Logan became the county seat when Hocking County was formed in 1818. However, its designation as the county seat had less to do with geography than Worthington’s intervention. When the Ohio General Assembly was debating the location of the newly formed Hocking County’s governmental seat, Governor Worthington donated 19 lots to Logan for the purpose of fundraising. The lots were to be sold and the profits used for the construction of a county courthouse. This offer of the donated lots was contingent upon Logan being chosen as the county seat, which the legislature agreed to. The first courthouse was a frame building on Second Street.

A large general store was opened between 1825 and 1830, making it one of Logan’s earliest commercial ventures. Other early commercial endeavors in Logan included a stage coach inn, a tinware shop, and a tavern. Two carpenters (Jonas and Bowen), in Logan’s early years were noted as being especially skilled with frame construction and responsible for many of the town’s buildings. Mead Bowen was hired by Thomas Worthington to construct the mill located at the lower falls. Bowen is credited with building the first hewed-log house in Logan (no longer extant).

Logan’s population, and resulting housing stock, increased slowly but steadily in the beginning years of the 19^th century. The population was 322 residents in 1830. By 1839, Logan contained around fifty houses. ([page 1 from] Attachment A) Only five were brick, most were frame, while a dozen older log cabins were still present in the mid 19^th century. The town supported three groceries and three dry goods stores. The increase in population from the beginning of the decade enabled Logan to be incorporated as a town in 1839, resulting in the formation of a municipal government. Previously, governmental tasks were handled at the county level. As the town was slowly expanding, so was the county, and a second courthouse was constructed in 1840-41, replacing the earlier one. Visiting Logan in 1846, historian Henry Howe observed that the Hocking County courthouse was “an expensive and substantial structure.” (Howe, p. 928)

Although the nearby Hocking River provided power for various mills, the village was landlocked, and growth was slow in the early decades. Located in the middle of the Hocking Valley, Logan was well positioned to take advantage of the abundant natural resources of the region, but lacked the infrastructure to do so. Timber, iron ore, and clay were the three most important natural resources with respect to Logan’s development. Coal was also an important natural resource in the overall region. The Ohio & Erie Canal was successfully moving agricultural goods, natural resources, and manufactured products in the 1830s from Ohio’s interior towns to either the Ohio River or Lake Erie. Wishing to exploit the coal deposits in nearby Nelsonville, a movement was underway to construct a feeder canal from Lancaster to Athens. Authorization for the Hocking Canal was approved by the state legislature in 1836, and it reached Logan in 1840. The final leg of the canal to Athens was completed in 1843.

The Hocking Canal improved transportation and connected the village, and the region, to the outside world. It was the major means of north-south transportation in the county during the years of 1840-1869. Fittingly, the first boat to traverse the completed canal carried a load of coal. “In October, 1840, a boat A McCaw, brought a large number of visitors to Logan to hear a political speech in the log-cabin campaign of that year. This marked the beginning of regular canal boat transportation. By 1853 boats were making weekly trips through Hocking County. The first of these weekly boats was the luxury packet, Athens, which carried passengers, mail, and goods between Lancaster and Athens.” (Cook, p.18)

Logan’s 1820 population of 100 persons made a noticeable jump to 436 by 1840, just after the opening of the canal feeder. Hocking County experienced a significant population increase during the same time period, going from 2,080 in 1820 to 8,510 in 1840. “The Hocking Canal, which enabled the operators in coal and iron to get their output to market, and the farmer to dispose of the surplus product of his farm, was boon to them, and it brought a boom to the county.” (History of Hocking Valley, p. 829) Better shipping facilities were necessitated by the influx of agricultural goods being shipped out of the county. John Rochester, Sr. was an example of a Logan businessman taking advantage of this new commercial opportunity. In 1846, he constructed a large warehouse on Mulberry Street and began purchasing surplus produce for shipment.

While the newly completed Hocking Canal was facilitating the development of coal extraction to the southeast, Logan was poised to experience a similar boom with iron ore. Logan is adjacent to the Hanging Rock Iron Region, which contributed to its mid-19^th century industrial development. Iron ore was discovered north of Logan in 1848 and another outcrop of it was found to the south, near Haydenville. Iron furnaces were constructed in Logan in 1852 and 1853. “Production in each furnace was about seven tons daily by 1854. Industrial expansion was so rapid there was insufficient housing to take care of the increase in population. Soon the number of furnaces in the vicinity of Logan reached 13, of which six were in Hocking County. Logan became headquarters for the local iron and steel business.” (McElhoe, p. 158) Logan’s two furnaces were closed in 1876, as the local ore supply had been exhausted, and the iron industry shifted to the Pittsburgh area.

By the 1840s, just after incorporation and the arrival of the canal, the village was sizable enough that more than one newspaper was established. In that decade two hotels, the American House and the Zimmerman House, were serving travelers to the city, and the number of saloons had increased to three. The opening of the canal instigated the development of warehouses and construction along the canal, south of the business core. Howe noted in 1846 that Logan had four stores, one Presbyterian church, one Methodist church, and about 600 inhabitants.

One of Logan’s established newspapers was the Sentinel. Arriving in 1840 to take over the paper, Oliver Case chronicled Logan’s growth throughout the 1840s and 1850s. Case was not especially excited about his relocation to Logan and, upon arrival, called it, “a very small and miserable looking village,” which was “despised and ridiculed as the poorest, meanest, vilest place on God’s footstool.” (Mould, p. 75) However, Logan was on the cusp of its canal and iron ore boom, and within a few years, Case had a more positive outlook on the town. “In April 1845 he reported: The ambition for improvement in our town has increased this spring….New buildings are being erected, old ones are being moved, repaired, and additions built to them. Indeed, our town begins to present quite a business appearance.” (Mould, p. 75) To the north and west of Logan, were fertile agricultural lands. That proximity and the presence of the canal assured Logan’s continued role as the commercial center for the surrounding farms. County government brought residents into town to vote and pay taxes. The shopping and governmental activities provided further reasons to visit Logan and facilitated its growth, along with its nascent industrial and shipping activities.

The 1850s were all around prosperous years for Logan. The iron ore discovery led to the establishment of Logan’s first foundry and machine shop in 1851. The Belt and Vanatta Company produced plows, gears, stoves, grates, and wagon boxes, using local iron. Other manufacturers established by 1853 included a steam mill and several cabinet shops. The commercial center had gown to include six dry goods stores, several grocery stores, three clothing stores, three drug stores, two stove stores, and a hardware store. In tribute to its agricultural relationship, the village hosted the first county fair in October 1853. In stark contrast to his earlier assessment of Logan, editor Case wrote in March 1853, that the town was “looked upon by persons coming to the west as one of the most flourishing towns in the State, and one which bids fair to outstrip many of its sisters in population and prosperity.” (Mould, p. 76)

In fact, population figures for 1853 topped 1,000 (a considerable jump from 600 in 1846), and residential additions were being added to the city. “Walking around Logan in March 1853, Case wrote that he was ‘really astonished to find so many new buildings erected and building’ with ‘some thirty or forty commodious and substantial dwellings’ having gone up in the past year.” (Mould, p. 76) Two public schoolhouses were operating by mid-century. A large school building that centrally combined all the village’s schoolhouses under one roof was constructed 1858-1861. A high school curriculum was added within the village by the time the new building was completed. As the decade progressed, additional stores were established to keep pace with the growing population. More specialized stores such as barber shops, bakeries, butchers, a cigar store, and a tailor were also beginning to appear in Logan. A lumber mill was established along the canal in 1859.

Charles W. James, Logan’s first mayor, constructed the James Block, a large commercial building beside the county courthouse. Completed in 1860, it was considered in the 1883 History of Hocking Valley (p. 898) to be “the most important business building in the city.” This building is no longer extant, but the James House still stands on Hill Street overlooking the city (75 Hill Street, NR 1980). Despite the Civil War years, Logan continued to prosper in the 1860s with population growth to 1,827 by the 1870 census. The First National Bank of Logan was founded in 1863, joining two earlier established banks. By the 1860s, Logan also had a collection of attorneys, doctors, and dentists. Seven acres known as the Culver property were purchased and added to Logan’s eastern boundary in 1869. The lots platted in this new eastern section of the city (in the vicinity of Culver and East Main Streets) were considered “some of the most eligible building lots within its limits.” (History of Hocking Valley p. 898)

The Hocking Valley region was heavily forested. Sawmills were quickly established in the early settlements, and the larger commercial centers all had one. As the forests were cleared and the trees converted to lumber at local sawmills, the manufacture of furniture and other wood products emerged. From 1865-1890, Logan experienced a boom in furniture manufacture. Several wood-related factories were started in the city during that time period. Furniture making continued in Logan into the 20^th century, but it ceased to be one of the city’s major industries as it had been in the late 19^th century.

The Railroad and the Clay Era 1870-1930

The canal had facilitated Logan’s growth and the transportation of goods (both incoming and outgoing), but the arrival of the railroad had an even larger impact on the population, commercial, and industrial growth of the village. Outside entrepreneurs and investors, as well as local businessmen, had been campaigning for a railroad line in the Hocking Valley since the completion of the Hocking Canal. Support for a railroad into the Hocking Valley was largely spurred by the desire for inexpensive, efficient coal shipping from the region. A barbeque held in Logan in September 1852 for the purpose of gathering railroad supporters attracted an estimated 5,000 people.

The Columbus & Hocking Valley Railroad (N.R., 1988) was completed in 1869, connecting Columbus and Athens, and passing through Logan. By 1881, it merged with a second railroad line in Logan to form the important Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo Railroad. Organized in 1868, the Logan & Straitsville Railroad was a key coal branch traveling from Logan northeast to Straitsville. A large freight and passenger depot was constructed the following year. Branch lines were added, making Logan the junction of three railroad trunks. The town was linked to other communities and, more importantly, to shipping points on the Ohio River and Lake Erie.

Although Logan was situated within the western boundary of the Hocking Coal Mining District, coal mining played less of a role in its industrial development, than it did in neighboring Nelsonville and communities farther southeast. Nevertheless, transport of coal from the Hocking Valley contributed to Logan’s economy, due to its position as a regional railroad center. In 1883, an estimated average of 7,500 tons of coal was shipped through Logan every day. The Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo Railroad was also important to Logan’s economy, as the company established a repair shop operation there, complete with roundhouse.

Railroad connections enhanced Logan’s commercial and industrial development, which in turn caused additional population growth and building construction. “Since Logan occupied a central position on the main line, it became an important stopping point for passenger service, having been chosen as the only stop for dining.” (McElhoe, p. 150) Expanding on the earlier established lumber-related industry, a pair of furniture companies were founded in 1879 and 1880. Both produced finished and unfinished furniture and building materials, all of which were easily shipped out of Logan via railroad. Another factory expanded into the production of house construction supplies. “During the decade 1870-1880 the population of Logan increased 46 percent, part of which resulted from the growth of the furniture industry.” (McElhoe, p. 154) Henry Howe’s updated writings in 1888 made note of the Frank Kessler door and sash company employing six people and the Logan Manufacturing Co., furniture makers, employing 54 people.

Motherwell Iron and Steel Works relocated from Lancaster to new facilities in Logan in 1882. A bridge manufacturer, Motherwell had a small complex of buildings to the southwest of town, near the railroad yards. Howe reported in 1883 that Motherwell Iron and Steel Co., employed 83 people. Although Motherwell was one of Logan’s important industrial companies and larger employers through the mid 1890s, it ceased operations by 1900 as the complex of buildings is shown as vacant on the 1900 Sanborn Fire Insurance Map.

Logan had grown considerably since its incorporation in 1839. The 1876 atlas map shows that most of Worthington’s initial plats were built upon. ([page 2 from] Attachment A) Housing was located on all streets surrounding the commercial core, and outlots were subdivided and occupied by houses to the north of Hunter Street. Industries remained along the canal and railroad lines at the southern edge of town.

By the 1883 publication of the History of Hocking Valley, it was noted that Logan’s streets were well improved and that the east-west streets were already a mile long. Logan had grown to nearly 3,000 residents, and the variety of businesses contained in its downtown center reflected the population increases of the two previous decades. The number of groceries, shoe stores, hardware stores, and cigar stores had doubled. Additionally, specialized stores had been established that were not previously in Logan, such as jewelry stores, meat stores, musical instrument stores, and restaurants. The number of saloons had risen to ten. The number of medical and legal professionals increased, and insurance agents were added to the community’s professional ranks. New technology was reflected not only by the railroads, but also in the establishment of the Western Union Telegraph office as well.

An 1884 aerial map shows the level of density within the flourishing town. ([page 3 from] Attachment A) Col. Ferdinand Frederic Rempel, one of Logan’s early and prosperous businessmen, is credited with numerous real estate developments. In the post Civil War years he constructed business blocks, including Rempel’s Opera House in 1871 (although extant, due to fire and subsequent alterations, the building has lost historic integrity and is not included within the nominated boundaries). Rempel is also noted as having constructed 30 houses in the early 1880s. The Rempel name is still a fixture within the community.

Overall, Logan’s industry was fairly diverse in the latter decades of the 19^th century. In addition to the lumber businesses and iron works, the Logan Woolen Mill produced blankets, the Keynes & Wellman Company milled flour, and the Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo railroad employed 45 in its repair shops. Other late 19^th and early 20^th century industries in Logan included a cigar factory, a large tannery, a stair company, shoe factory, a soap factory, pork packing plants, ice plants, and garment manufacturers. Some of these smaller industries survived into the late 20^th century. Two different greenhouse complexes were started by 1900 on S. Mulberry Street, south of the canal.

Perhaps the most important natural resource in the Hocking Valley, with respect to Logan’s continued development, was clay. The surrounding soil was rich with clay deposits, and Logan, along with nearby Nelsonville, Haydenville, and Diamond, quickly became a manufacturing center for all manner of industrial and residential clay products. Collectively over the years, clay products made in Logan’s factories included glazed tile blocks, bricks and brick pavers, oven/furnace liners, jugs, pitchers, jars, flower pots, and dishware. Clay product manufacture came to prominence in Logan as the iron ore industry was winding down. Located south of the canal, the Logan Fire Brick & Earthenware Company was the first of Logan’s clay plants, established in 1876. In 1880, the plant was taken over by the Hocking Valley Fire Brick Co. This company manufactured bricks that were shipped to cities throughout the Midwest. The company operated for a decade before closing, after which the Hocking Clay Manufacturing Co. took over the property and produced fire brick and sewer pipes. Also, the Logan Fire Clay Co. and the Logan Granite Clay Co. (fire brick manufacturers) were both in operation by 1893, at facilities located a mile northeast of the courthouse on Zanesville Road.

Logan entered the 20^th century in much the same way that the previous century had ended. Manufacturing and commercial endeavors were healthy. The downtown was thriving, dozens of new houses were constructed, and new governmental buildings were being built. The first three decades of the new century continued to be prosperous years for the community.

Clay products were the last of Logan’s larger industries to be established in the late 1800s, but the industry flourished in the early 20^th century. “Since clay products remained the major industry and no additional important industries were established, the population showed little increase after 1910. Between 1900 and 1910 when the three clay products went into production, the population increased 40 percent.” (McElhoe, p.168) In 1907, Ohio was the leading producer of paver bricks and Logan was identified as having one of the sizable plants in the state producing such bricks. “The most important pressed-brick region of Ohio at the present day is in the Hocking Valley.” (Ries, p. 166)

Both the Hocking Clay Manufacturing Co. and the Logan Fire Clay Co. were still operating in 1900, but the Logan Granite Clay Co. had closed. In 1905, the Hocking Clay Manufacturing Co. changed its name, becoming the Logan Clay Product Company. Some sources indicate that the Hocking Clay Manufacturing Co. actually relocated to Haydenville in the early 1900s (Blankenbeker). If so, that likely occurred in 1905, when the Logan Clay Product Company took over the canal-side factory, making sewer pipe, various types of brick and eventually building tile. By 1907, the Logan Fire Clay Co. had also changed its name to the Logan Brick Manufacturing Co., producers of paving brick, and greatly expanded its facilities. Just to the south of this complex was the Logan Pottery Company, established in 1902, a smaller concern with a central building and two attached kilns. This company was quickly successful as noted in the 1908 Industrial Souvenir. Within the first six years of its founding, the company was shipping over 100 train-car loads of stoneware products all over the United States and Canada.

The Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo Railroad also contributed to a wave of growth after 1907, when the company expanded its car repair shops to include assembly of new railroad cars. An extensive complex with roundhouse, switching yards, and repair shops, the presence of the railroad shops continued Logan’s reputation as a regional transportation hub. It became one of the town’s largest employers, employing nearly 450 people to repair railroad cars. “This industry was reflected in a 40 percent increase in population from 1900 to 1910.” (McElhoe, p. 150)

The 1920 census counted Logan's population as 5,493, while Hocking County's population reached 23,291. In his History of Ohio, Galbreath discusses the continued diversity of Logan’s industrial base in 1923: “The city manufacturing establishments produce furniture, fire-brick, fire proofing, sewer pipe, paving and builders’ brick, shoes, flour, earthenware, oil well tools and washing machines. It has foundry and machine shops and railroad shops.” (p.366) Housing and commercial development kept pace with the brisk tempo of industrial growth, particularly that of the clay and railroad industries in the first decades of the 1900s. Scores of houses were constructed, along with new churches, banks, fraternal buildings, and commercial structures. The third, and present, courthouse was constructed in 1923-25. Designed by prominent Columbus architect, Frank Packard, it became a symbol of the growth and stature of both the city and county during the era. Auto related businesses were also seen in downtown Logan by 1920.

While the city's street patterns had remained essentially unchanged from the 1870s to 1900, new streets were added and existing streets were extended beginning in 1900.. Midland Place was platted in 1916 as a new street through the rear lots of earlier houses located on Mulberry Street to the east and Market Street to the west. The canal bed on the south side of the town was filled in between 1893 and 1900, which allowed for the extension of several streets, plus the construction of new streets, to the south of downtown. Additions were added to the southeast and north sections of town. With no room to expand at the old cemetery on Market Street, the Oak Grove Cemetery was established farther north. While the east-west streets were noted as being a mile long in 1883, by 1924 the city limits were two miles wide, extending east and west a mile from the centralized courthouse.

Depression and the post WWII Era 1930-Present

Clay product manufacture continued throughout the 20^th century, although at a smaller scale. According to the 1949 Sanborn map, the Logan Pottery Co., the Hocking Valley Brick Co., and the Logan Clay Product Co. were all still in operation. In 1950, it was estimated that 400 people were employed in the clay industry in Logan, but three times that many were unemployed from the same occupations. (McElhoe) Regionally, clay products companies were still operating in the mid 1900s in other communities such as Haydenville, Greendale, and Union Furnace. According to the Lions Club Parade of the Hills booklet, of the dozen or more clay industries operating during the peak years, only three remained in 1968. Two of them were in Logan (the Logan Clay Product Co. and the General Hocking Brick Company, the former Hocking Valley Brick Co.), and the third was in Diamond. The General Hocking Brick Company, later called General Clay Products Corporation, operated until 1999. Today, clay-related industry is still active, through the Logan Clay Products Company. The Logan Clay Products Company produces sewer pipe, having stopped production of bricks earlier in the 1900s.

The Columbus, Hocking Valley & Toledo railroad shops was one of Logan’s largest employers in the early decades of the 1900s, but by mid century those operations had been scaled back. Having been folded into the larger Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad, the C, H.V. & T line had become less of a regional hub.

Three of Logan's mid 19^th century industries still exist today: the Keynes Bros. Milling Co., the King Lumber Co., and the Logan Foundry & Machine Co. Although well past their peak, a few late 19^th century industries continued to maintain a presence in Logan well into the 20^th century. Sunglow Industries Inc., the last of the once prominent furniture companies was operating out of the former Snider furniture complex in 1949. Shoes were still being made at the H.C. Godman Company Shoe Factory in the mid 1900s. The Hocking Valley Feed Co., established in 1927, also is still in operation today.

Five new manufacturers were established during the post-WWII years, 1945-1960. Producers of office supplies, the Smead Company of Minnesota established a Logan factory in 1946 for the fabrication of powdered metal parts. General Elextric built a facility in Logan in 1949 for the production of glass tubing. The Carborundum Company, fabricators of grinding wheels, opened a Logan plant in 1956. In 1959, the Selkirk Metalbestos Company opened a Logan plant, manufaturing chimney pipes and fittings. A few factories were established after 1960, in the late 20th century, such as the Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. Additionally, the Columbus Washboard Company, the last company in the United States to manufacture washboards, relocated to Logan in 1999 and began production in the former Godman Shoe Factory building on Gallagher Street.

In addition to its extant businesses and industry, the community has looked to tourism as another economic base. The largest city close to the Hocking Hills State Park, Logan is a gateway to an area that has become one of Ohio’s most popular outdoor recreational destinations. The Hocking Valley has long been considered one of Ohio’s most beautiful areas. Its recognition as a tourist destination and Logan’s contribution to regional tourism, officially began in the 1930s. In 1939, the Logan Chamber of Commerce spearheaded an effort to construct welcome gates on the east and west ends of the city on U.S. Route 33 (old alignment through town). The gates contained the message, “Logan: Gateway to Ohio’s Scenic Wonderland.” The gates are still intact, but well outside the district boundaries. U.S. 33 bypassed downtown, to the south, in the late 20^th century. In the early 1970s, renewed efforts to promote tourism in the area were studied. In recent years, Logan Town Center, Inc. was formed to promote economic development and enhancement of the city's core through adherence to the Main Street approach of the National Trust for Historic Preservation.

With a population of 6,704 in 2000, Logan remains the only sizable community in Hocking County. Although there were several crossroads settlements and township commercial centers listed in the 1876 atlas, only Logan developed beyond its late 1800s size. Despite its growth, Logan is still primarily a small city serving a surrounding rural landscape. With respect to physical size, the city is only slightly larger than it was in the mid 20^th century. Its current population is not significantly higher than it was in 1930, when it reached a population of just over 6,000 and remained at approximately that level throughout the 20^th century. The city’s last sizable burst of population occurred in the decade of 1900-1910 when the railroad shops and the clay industry both expanded.

HISTORIC DISTRICT ASSOCIATIONS

Each era of Logan’s historic development is well represented within the proposed Logan Historic District. Buildings representing broad patterns of local history such as settlement, government and commerce, as well as examples of popular architectural styles, are abundant. This collection of buildings forms a cohesive illustration of the city’s history and built environment. Consisting of the historic commercial core and adjacent residential streets, the Logan Historic District is a significant representative of a southeastern Ohio county-seat town that was associated with the mineral extraction industry during the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.

The typical pattern of a central business district with surrounding residential blocks is evident in Logan. Main Street is the backbone of the town, forming the traditional linear business district found in so many Ohio communities. Evidence of the public square still exists through the presence of the courthouse and adjacent Worthington Park at Market and Main. As shown on early maps, residents constructed houses on the original village plats contiguous to the commercial blocks. A few houses were also scattered on the designated outlots, along Market and Mulberry streets to the north of the downtown. Historically, particularly in the 19^th century, working-class houses of modest scale were intermingled with larger, more ornate houses of Logan’s well-to-do. As a result, the nominated district contains houses that were associated with both Logan’s professional and working classes. A number of prominent churches are located in the district and these are found in scattered locations as well.

While the role of transportation and industry was critical to Logan’s development and commercial growth, no transportation-related or industrial buildings were able to be included in the historic district. Significant transportation-related resources in the community such as the railroad depot, railroad repair shops and roundhouse, and the Ladies Comfort Station (NR listed, 1990) have all been demolished. Historic industrial properties do remain in Logan and some continue to manufacture their respective products. While consideration was given for their inclusion, district continuity and resource integrity was insufficient to enable larger boundaries including such properties to be drawn. However, additional evaluation should be conducted to determine the individual National Register eligibility of Logan’s industrial buildings.

In the following examples, the Logan Historic District’s associations under Criteria A and C are discussed according to the era of development that they represent.

District Associations with Criterion A

Early Settlement and the Canal Era: 1816-1869:

Logan's intact commercial core illustrates the settlement pattern of an early 19^th century village. Worthington’s 1816 street grid remains unchanged and much of the designated public market space is also intact. Now known as Worthington Park, this area continues to serve as an open public gathering space. A fountain was added in the center of the park c. 1900. It was replaced by a 1921 Civil War monument, a contributing object in the district. Also present are a gazebo (noncontributing) and a few small memorial plaques it always has. (See photos 15-16 and Attachment B [p. 2, bottom]).

Relocated approximately 20 years after its establishment, the cemetery on N. Market Street is another site from the town’s early history. Wishing to grow from a pioneer settlement to a larger village, Logan’s inhabitants welcomed the Hocking Canal in the late 1830s. Moving the 1816 cemetery from its original site allowed for the construction of the canal and associated infrastructure. Located on a hillside north of the central business district, the cemetery is simple and pre-dates the later trend toward landscaped cemetery design; as such it is still a reflection of an early19^th century settlement era village cemetery (Photos 114-115).

The district’s Period of Significance begins with the construction of the George Smith House, c.1831, at 79 W. Hunter Street. Smith purchased a lot from Thomas Worthington in 1818 and a second one from his heirs in 1833. Constructed in 1831, the house is known to have timber framing and is recognized as Logan’s oldest house. Smith owned an adjacent tannery and the house remained in the Smith family until 1941 (Attachment B [p.3, upper left]).

Two other significant houses date from Logan’s early-mid 1800s settlement era. One is the Bowen House, 196 N. Market Street (Photo 110, Attachment B [p. 3, upper right]), currently used as Logan’s Community Center for Arts and Education. Merchant John Rochester arrived in Logan c.1829, purchased the present lot in 1834, and constructed his house c.1839. Building a warehouse in 1846, Rochester was one of Logan’s early businessmen who took advantage of the Hocking Canal. Perhaps reflecting his success with the warehouse business, he constructed an addition to his house in 1854. Rochester’s daughter married a Bowen and the Bowens occupied the house until the late 20^th century. The second home is the Charles W. James House at 75 Hill Street, the original section of which was constructed c.1850 (NR listed 1980, Photo 117). James was Logan’s first mayor when the town was incorporated in 1839. He also constructed the sizable James Block on E. Main Street, which was demolished in the mid 1900s.

Railroad and Clay Era: 1870-1930:

With the railroad’s arrival, establishment of the clay products industry, and overall variety of industrial expansion, Logan’s greatest period of growth occurred during this era. The majority of the nominated district was constructed during the city’s commercial and industrial boom from 1870 to 1930. Many of the houses, institutional, and commercial buildings of the era reflect the overall economic health of the city during this period.

Several buildings within the commercial downtown were constructed before 1900. Significant commercial buildings from the late 19^th century in the historic district include:

The building at 44-48 W. Main was constructed c. 1870 (Photos 12-13, Attachment B [p. 1, upper left]). It housed a hotel, restaurant, and saloon. Local tradition states that a speakeasy operated in the basement during the Prohibition era. The building notably has a second story porch. Historic images indicate that the porch was uncovered in the early 1900s, but had a roof by the 1930s. Late 19^th century commercial buildings with this porch configuration are periodically found throughout southeast Ohio. There is at least one other commercial building with a second story porch in Logan, but it is not within the district.
The building at 53-57 W. Main was constructed c. 1875 (Photo 18). In the late 1800s, it contained the Frasch Bakery shop in the front of the building and a saloon to the rear. The actual bakery was in the neighboring building at 61-65 W. Main, also constructed c.1875, but now much altered.
Barnhart-Blosser Building (NR 1984; Photo 11, Attachment B [p. 1, lower right]): Constructed in 1880, the building housed two different drug stores, including the Louis Bort Drug Store. Bort created and patented a variety of medicines. The exclusive Crescent Club was located on the third floor of the building. A regionally well known restaurant also operated out of the building in the early decades of the 20^th century.
Located two blocks south of Main Street, the building at 160 S. Mulberry (Photo 32, Attachment B [p. 3, lower left]) is somewhat isolated from the core commercial district but is located along an important entry corridor from the south. Constructed in 1886, it housed a variety of businesses, but primarily served as a general store. In the early 1900s, it was the Thurness-Wright Co. Store.

The rapid growth of the clay industry and continued expansion of the railroad facilities in Logan during the early 20^th century, created a second wave of construction in the city’s commercial center. Some of the buildings may have been constructed on empty lots, while others replaced earlier commercial buildings from the 19^th century. Significant commercial buildings constructed 1900-1930 include:

The 1909 Neo-Classical Revival style Rempel Block at 44-48 E. Main (Photo 1, Attachment B [p. 1, upper right]) has housed several business offices. The building has been most closely associated with the Benevolent & Protective Order of Elks since the local chapter purchased it in 1917.
Constructed c. 1910, the Arcade Building at 2 E. Main replaced an older Italianate building on the site. Both housed the Rempel Bank (Photo 11). Founded in 1895 by Col. F. F. Rempel, the bank was initially private before being chartered as a national bank by the 1920s. The building also housed several offices and stores, including Keith’s Men’s Shop which opened in 1956.
The Rochester Building at 97 E. Main was constructed in 1910 by John Rochester’s son (Photos 6-7, Attachment B [p. 1, lower left]). John Rochester’s 1846 canal warehouse was nearby, and he also built a commercial building on East Main in 1862. Evaluation of the Sanborn maps indicates that some portion of the 1862 building was likely incorporated into this building. Additionally, metal tie rods on the east elevation and in the upper left corner of the façade, plus change of brick color on the façade, are potential physical evidence that the 1910 building was structurally tied to the 1862 building, with a new façade uniting both sections. In 1912, Flavius Case took over part of the building, opening Case’s Drug Store which operated through the late 20^th century.
The Wasson-Rempel Building, 24-34 W. Main Street, was constructed in 1914 and designed by architect H. Chas. Jones of Columbus (Photo 12, Attachment B [p1, lower right]). Early tenants included a tailor, haberdasher and hardware store. Mid-20^th century occupants of the building included Risch Drug Store, Brandt’s Restaurant, and second floor offices for Sunglow Industries, a local furniture making company located in the old Snider Manufacturing Co. The building was constructed for nieces of Col. and Mrs. Rempel. Col. F. F. Rempel was one of Logan’s most prominent businessmen at the turn of the 20^th century.
A.E. Huls had the Neo-Classical Revival style Huls Building, 51 E. Main, constructed in 1923 (Photo 8). Publisher of the Logan Republican newspaper since 1908, Huls’ building also housed his commercial printing business. His son Fred continued to publish the paper until the 1940s and ran the printing business a number of years after that.
Elberfeld’s Department Store building was constructed in 1927 (Photo 18). Established by Earl Elberfeld, the store initially specialized in clothing and piece goods. It was Logan’s largest and most prominent department store during the mid to late 20^th century. The building underwent considerable alteration in 1953. The ground floor maintains its 1950s appearance, including curved corner wall, but the upper floor has been covered with metal sheathing.

In addition to the actual commercial properties, there are several houses in the district that were historically associated with Logan’s business owners. In some cases, both the commercial and residential buildings associated with a business owner are still standing. However, there are a few examples where the only property still extant is the proprietor’s house.

The modest 1½ story Italianate gabled cottage at 163 E. Hunter (Photo 60) was constructed in 1874 for Fred Becker, who owned a hardware store.
The transitional French Second Empire-Italianate house built in 1881 at 98 N. Culver (Photos 75,76,77) was initially constructed for R.O. Kittsmiller, a grocer.
The house at 247 N. Market (built 1881, Photo 108) was purchased in 1885 by Frank Blasius, founder of the F. Blasius & Son men’s clothing store in 1868. The store was family run until 1935 and the Blasius heirs occupied the house until the late 20^th century.
18 E. Hunter (Photos 50-51) was constructed in 1894 for Charles Frasch, part owner of the Frasch Bakery on W. Main Street.
The Elmer O. Pettit House at 336 E. Main (Photo 79) was constructed in 1900. Pettit was an attorney associated with a top Logan firm. Later in his career, he was elected as Prosecuting Attorney and Common Pleas Court judge.
The house at 212 E. Hunter was built in 1903 (Photo 58, far right) and occupied by A. E. Huls, founder of the Huls Printing Company.

Churches, schools, other social institutions and government buildings paralleled the residential growth of the city. There are no educational related properties within the nominated district. St. John the Evangelist’s Catholic Church is just outside the district boundary, but was National Register listed in 1997. Some of the congregations had their own associated schools, although a public school was available by the mid 1800s. The nominated district includes seven churches, all of which are contributing resources built during this period of Logan’s development. The proliferation of church construction from 1897-1925 in central Logan reflects the increased population of the city, as well as the prosperity of the religious community during that time period.

The First Presbyterian Church was established in Logan in 1833 after having been first located in the county. A Greek Revival style church was constructed in1841-42 at the corner of Hunter and Market, replaced by the current Late Gothic Revival church in 1897 (2 W. Hunter Street, Photos 45-46, Attachment B [p.4, upper left]).
The Methodist Episcopal congregation is considered the oldest in Logan, beginning as a stop for circuit preachers in the 1810s. A log church for the congregation was built by 1832. It was replaced by a frame building and in the 1850s a brick church was constructed on E. Hunter Street. The present Late Gothic Revival church building at 66 E. Hunter Street, now known as Immanuel United Methodist Church, was constructed c.1910 (date derived from 1907 and 1914 Sanborn maps). A parsonage located on the property to the west at 60 E. Hunter is a Prairie style house built in 1924, replacing an earlier 19^th century parsonage. In 1964, the neighboring house to the east was demolished and a sizable addition was added to the church. (Photos 52-53, 57, Attachment B [p4, upper right].)
Trinity United Methodist Church was constructed at 105 W. Hunter in 1913 (Photo 37). The congregation was established in 1892.
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church at 375 E. Main was constructed in 1913 in the Late Gothic Revival style (Photo 81). The congregation was founded in 1906.
Old Nazarene Church at 321 E. Hunter (Photo 69) is an example of a Craftsman church built in 1914. The church space was enlarged with the construction of a large corner addition after 1949.
Trinity Lutheran Church (430 N. Mulberry Street, Photo 94), originally known as the Evangelical Lutheran Trinity Church of Logan, was founded in 1881. The congregation detached from the previously established St. Matthews Lutheran Congregation over theological differences. A brick church, at 430 N. Mulberry, was completed in 1882. Despite the construction date cited in recent publications, comparison of historic photos and Sanborn maps (1914 and 1924) indicates that the present church was either new construction, c.1920, or that the 1882 building was significantly altered with a new stone facing at that time. A parsonage was also constructed in 1882, but was replaced with a new one in 1957.
St. Matthew Lutheran Church was established in Logan in 1852. In 1866, the congregation, then known as the German Evangelical Lutheran St. Matthews Church, purchased a brick Greek Revival church. The present Late Gothic Revival church (Photo 63) was constructed in 1925, according to the county auditor. This date is corroborated by evaluation of historic photos and Sanborn maps (1914, 1924 and 1949). The neighboring house at 230 E. Hunter serves as the parsonage.

For its relative small size, Logan was well represented by fraternal organizations during the city’s boom period. Fraternal groups included the Masons, who constructed a new Masonic Temple at the northwest corner of Main and Mulberry in 1925 (Photo 2, Attachment B [p. 2, top]). The first Masonic lodge in Logan was established in 1848, and two more lodges were formed in the next two decades. The new temple contained an auditorium for live performances, and beginning in the 1930s, it housed the Chakeres Theatre. The International Order of Odd Fellows had two chapters in Logan, established in 1855 and 1866. In 1893, Hocking Valley Lodge No. 262 constructed the present building, a combination lodge hall and commercial building at 54-58 East Main (Photos 1, 3-4, Attachment B [p. 1, upper right]). The IOOF building has also hosted high school basketball games and National Guard assemblies.

Two imposing governmental buildings were constructed during this period. The growing population in both Logan and Hocking County resulted in the construction of a grand courthouse to replace the 1841 structure. Constructed in 1923-25, the new courthouse (Photos 8, 9, 10, Attachment B [p. 4, lower left]) was designed by Frank Packard, a prolific and well-known Columbus architect. Neo-Classical Revival in style, the courthouse maintains a high degree of historic integrity. The choice of Packard for the new courthouse was a sign of the emergent status and economic success of both the city and county during the era. Packard began practicing architecture in Columbus in 1892 and is credited with designing thousands of buildings in his 30 year career. He was known for his institutional buildings, but also designed houses and commercial buildings. W. Snyder and M. Mathews are also credited with working on the courthouse. The second governmental building constructed during this era was the U.S. Post Office. Postal service in Logan dates to 1817. Completed in 1917, the Second Renaissance Revival style building is an impressive building that maintains its historic integrity (Photos 50, 54) and still functions as the city’s Post Office.

Resources in the historic district associated with Logan industry include a number of residential buildings that were occupied by industry owners and managers. In addition, the brick-paved street sections on Orchard and Culver Streets are counted as a contributing resource because of the connection that they provide to the significant local clay industry in Logan.

Residences within the nominated district that were associated with some of Logan’s industrialists include:

The frame house at 42 W. Hunter was constructed in 1883 by the Motherwell brothers (Photos 43, 44). Operators of the Motherwell Iron and Steel Works, the Motherwell brothers also constructed an identical house at 385 W. Main (outside the district boundaries). Both houses were built the year after Motherwell Iron and Steel Works was relocated to Logan from Lancaster.
J. J. Snider, founder of the Snider Manufacturing Co., purchased the brick Queen Anne house at 109 S. Mulberry in 1901 (Photo 31). Snider had started furniture manufacture at his company the year before moving into this house, which had been built by the prominent Rochester family.
The transitional French Second Empire-Italian Villa house built in 1880 at 171 N. Mulberry was the home of John Wright Work (Photo 84). Work arrived in Logan in 1853 to oversee operations of the John W. Work & Co., a boot and shoe factory.
Two district homes are associated with Charles Keynes, a partner in the Logan Flour Mills. In 1894 he purchased the home at 98 N. Culver Street that had been built in 1881 (Photo 75, 76, 77; Attachment B (p. 4, lower right]). After residing there nine years, Keynes built a new home at 88 S. Market St in 1905 (Photo 24). Designed in the Colonial Revival style, this home is situated behind the county courthouse and one block from the Logan Flour Mills. It illustrates the continuing trend for professionals to live downtown near their businesses. Founded in 1869 by his father Robert Keynes, the company’s name was changed by Charles and his brother W.W. to Keynes Bros. Mill. Today, the mill is Logan’s oldest operating industry, with the fifth generation of Keynes, carrying on the family business.

Although there are no industrial properties within the nominated district, the influence of clay manufacture on the city’s built environment is evident. Numerous properties within the Logan Historic District reflect the city’s contribution to the regional manufacture of clay products. Clay deposits in and around Logan were plentiful and of high quality, as well. The fabrication of clay products was extremely important to Logan’s economy and growth beginning in the late 1800s, but in particular after 1900. The 1908 Industrial Souvenir concluded that “the fire clay around Logan has proven to be equal, if not superior, to any in the country for pavers, sewer pipe and stoneware, and the army of men employed in the various phases of the production of clay goods numbers in the hundreds.”

Within the district, architectural and construction materials reflecting the local clay industry include glazed tile blocks, differing brick types, rusticated concrete block, and paver bricks. The variety of clay products gives the district an indigenous character that isn’t found in every community. In addition to numerous brick and tile block buildings, a sampling of typical clay based materials includes:

Brick foundations (Photos 72, 105)
Retaining walls (Photos 72, 74, 116)
Secondary elevations (Photo 39): Paver bricks were occasionally used for side elevations, such as on the commercial building at 96 W. Hunter and the IOOF building.
Brick porches (Photos 23, 71, 80, 90, 95, 99, 101, 102): Frame houses with brick porches are very common in the community. In general, it appears that the brick porches were original, as the house was constructed during the peak time period of brick manufacture in Logan. In some cases, the porch detailing is consistent with the architectural style of the house (Photos 83, 103). There are examples of older houses receiving a brick porch upgrade, such as at 128 E. 2nd, where a porch with round brick columns was added to an Italianate house that most likely had a frame porch originally (Photo 33).
Streets (Photos 76-77, 119, Attachment B [p. 2, middle]): Logan’s streets were paved with brick in the early 1900s, which was a point of pride for the community. When discussing the beauty of Logan in the 1908 Industrial Souvenir, the paved streets are specifically mentioned in the same sentence as the hospitable people. There are few remnants of Logan’s brick streets left, however two sizable sections remain in the nominated district. They are found on Culver Street between Hunter and Main, and on Orchard Street from Hunter to south of Main. Two companies in Logan were producing paver bricks during the time when the streets were paved. Because the intact portions of brick streets reflect the importance of the clay product industry in Logan, they are collectively being counted as one contributing structure.
Alleys (Photos 26, 72, 74): There a few remaining segments of brick alleys within the historic district. Although they enhance the character of the district, they are not being included within the resource count. It was determined not to count them because they are secondary roads, and their integrity is not as good as the street sections. Some of them have been partially paved or patched with asphalt and one segment off of Hill Street is overgrown with grass.
Sidewalk segments (Photo 67): There are multiple segments of brick sidewalk remaining in the residential portions of the district. Some sidewalk segments are plain brick, while others are decorative salt-glazed sidewalk pavers. The Hocking Clay Manufacturing Co. is known to have made sidewalk pavers in Logan before relocating to Haydenville. However, salt-glazed sidewalk pavers with star, bull’s-eye, and flower patterns are most closely associated with nearby Nelsonville, since they were predominantly made there. Because there are only sidewalk fragments remaining and no comprehensive stretches, and it is not definitively known if the sidewalk pavers were made in Logan, they are not being included as a structure in the resource count. However, they are a character defining element of the historic district.
Buildings (Photos 40, 4, 45-46, 95): The Ohio Historic Inventory form (HOC-68-3) for 60 W. Hunter states that the house and the First Presbyterian Church were constructed of brick made at the Logan Clay Products Co. The IOOF building also has the same rock-face texture and salt glazed brick as the 1913 house and Presbyterian church. The same brick type is also seen on the porch at 432 N. Mulberry.

Depression and post WWII Era: 1930-1960

Like most communities during the 1930s and early 1940s, growth was halted due to the Depression and World War II. However, Logan’s commercial district remained relatively healthy through the mid 20^th century. Five new industrial enterprises were established in Logan between 1946 and 1960. Although the focus of Logan’s latest industries had shifted to different products, the continued presence of some of its older industries, plus the new influx, helped keep the commercial downtown vibrant. Despite the national trend toward suburban shopping centers, Logan’s downtown continued to serve the retail needs of its residents and surrounding communities. A shopping center, including a Kroger grocery store, was eventually constructed c.1970, 2-3 miles west of downtown. Even though there was fresh competition from an automobile oriented shopping center, stores, such as Sears, maintained a downtown presence well into the late 20^th century. Located within the commercial building at 96 W. Hunter (Photo 39), Sears remained in downtown Logan until at least 1988.

Due to the developed density of the town’s oldest residential streets, little housing was constructed within the proposed district during the post WWII years. A few modest ranch houses were constructed, which tend to be in the northern residential area, especially on N. Mulberry. A small amount of commercial construction took place in the downtown following WWII. A significant addition to the downtown during this period was the construction of a large two-story addition to Elberfeld’s Department Store in 1953. Most of the commercial buildings constructed in the post WWII years, however, modest buildings with little or no ornamentation.

Although the mid 20^th century commercial buildings in Logan are modest in style and scale, they reflect the continued regional commercial prominence of the town. In addition to newly constructed commercial buildings, several new businesses were established in existing buildings.

District commercial buildings constructed or remodeled in the 1930s, 1940s or 1950s include:

58 W. Second Street, c.1930 (Photo 20) is an example of an auto sales and service building. The increased demand for auto-related sales and service in the 1920s resulted in the construction of showrooms or repair shops in Logan. This building is a classic example of a vernacular showroom with rear section devoted to auto repair.
The Century National Bank Building at 61 N. Market (Photo 49) is an example of an earlier building that was updated with a contemporary marble façade during this period, likely in the 1930s.
38-42 E. Main, 1942, is a vernacular one-story building without ornamentation (Photo 5). It today serves as the Hocking Community Center.
The Cook Building at 45-47 W. Main, 1942 (Photo 17). The Cook Building has housed Sharff’s Fashion, a women’s clothing store since1944, where it remains today. By the late 1980s, Sharff’s was a small regional chain, with locations in four other cities. Architecturally, the building is interesting for the use of glazed tile blocks as the window sill and side elevation material. Glazed tile blocks were another of the clay products manufactured locally. The material is unusual for the exterior of a commercial building and is more commonly seen on outbuildings and occasionally houses.
38-42 W. Main, c. 1950 (Photos 12, 13). The building originally had a row of black and white tiles on the façade at the roofline. Local conjecture is that the tiles are intact underneath current façade cover. For a number of years the building housed Luckoff’s Jewelry, a Columbus jewelry store chain. Although it fits within the context of Logan’s commercial history, the building is being counted as noncontributing due to the recent façade alterations, including application of T-111.
The addition to Elberfeld’s Department Store at 97 West Main, 1953 (Photo 18). This building has an intact aluminum-framed storefront from the period, and a rounded brick corner at the intersection of Spring Street, which gives the building a slightly streamlined appearance.
30 S. Spring, a plain brick one-story commercial building from 1955 (left building in Photo 19).
The Thomas Building at 28-32 E. Main, 1958 (Photos 3, 5). The neighboring building was also constructed in 1958 (noncontributing due to alterations) and both buildings housed J.C. Penney in the late 1900s. A 1988 image shows a corrugated metal covering on the top portion of both buildings with a J. C. Penney sign. The metal covering has been removed from the Thomas Building.
The building at 93 W. Hunter (Photo 47) was built c. 1960 as an office for Columbia Gas. Under construction at the 50-year cutoff, this building also represents the last bit of new construction in downtown Logan until about 1970. The Columbia Gas Building, now County services offices, is an intact example of the International Style within the community.

District Associations with Criterion C

The Logan Historic District retains a late 19^th – early 20^th century appearance, representing its greatest period of growth and development. Several important architectural styles of the era are represented in the district including commercial, institutional, and residential styles, as well as different building types. Several architectural styles have already been mentioned in the Criterion A documentation above. Additionally, the use of locally manufactured clay-based architectural building materials has already been discussed. Below is a representative sampling of building types and styles found in the district, discussed according to their era of construction.

Settlement and Canal Era: 1816-1869:

The Greek Revival style, popular c. 1835-1860, and the Gothic Revival style, popular c. 1835-1870, are both represented in the district by two of Logan’s oldest houses.

The c. 1831 George Smith House at 79 W. Hunter Street is recognized as Logan’s oldest house. Although the porch has been altered, the building represents a Side Hallway house type, with Greek Revival stylistic features, such as cornice returns (Attachment B [p. 3, upper left]).
The Bowen House, built c. 1839, is known to have had several additions and alterations. The façade of the house has a central gabled peak, a hallmark of the Gothic Revival on residential buildings, which reflects its 1854 alterations (Photo 110, Attachment B [p. 3, upper right]).

Railroad and Clay Era: 1870-1930:

Commercial construction during this period included predominantly Italianate style buildings from the late 19^th century and vernacular commercial or Classical Revival styles from the early 1900s. Surviving examples of the Italianate style in district commercial buildings from the 19^th century include the following:

The McCarthy-Blosser-Dillon Building at 4 W. Main (Photo 11), a distinctive three-story Italianate with quoins between bays
62-68 E. Main (Photos 3-4, Attachment B [p. 1, upper right]), a two-story brick building with ornate shaped hoodmolds.
81 E. Main (Photo 8, Attachment B [p. 1, lower left]), a two-story vernacular frame Italianate
69 E. Main (Photo 8), a two-story vernacular frame Italianate
63-65 E. Main (Photo 8), a brick Italianate with heavy ornamental hood at the cornice
53-57 W. Main (Photo 18), a two-story brick with simple bracketed cornice
160 S. Mulberry (Photo 32), a distinctive two-story Italianate with bracketed cornices at first and second floors

Some of the most distinctive commercial buildings in the district date from the early years of the 20^th century. Examples of vernacular and Neo-Classical Revival styles include:

The 1909 three-story Neo-Classical Revival style Rempel Block at 44-48 E. Main (Photo 1, Attachment B [p. 1, upper right]).
The Arcade Building at 2 E. Main, constructed c. 1910, with its significant Neo-Classical Revival stone façade at the corner bank (Photo 11).
The Rochester Building at 93-97 E. Main, built in 1910 (Photos 6-7, Attachment B [p. 1, lower left]). It is an example of early 1900s vernacular commercial design with parapet façade.
The Wasson-Rempel Building, 24-34 W. Main Street, constructed in 1914 and designed by architect H. Chas. Jones of Columbus (Photo 12, Attachment B [p. 1, lower right]).
The single-story building at 72 E. Main with its c. 1910s Neo-Classical Revival stone façade (Photo 3).
The Neo-Classical Revival style two-story Huls Building at 51 E. Main, constructed in 1923 (Photo 8).
The Masonic Temple at 84-96 East Main is an important Classical Revival-influenced building from 1925 (Photo 2). In addition to storefronts on Main Street, the temple building includes large lodge rooms on upper floors and a theater at the rear.

As Logan’s economy boomed during this era, many houses were constructed that reflected the most popular architectural styles. The two most common styles found in Logan from the late 1800s are Italianate, popular c. 1850-1880, and Queen Anne, popular c. 1880-1905. The Second Empire style, popular c. 1855-1885, was not fully employed as a style in Logan, but a few houses sport Mansard roofs, while combining elements of the Italianate style. In the late 1800s, the Kleinschmidt brothers are noted as being brick layers and house builders for many Logan houses.

As the 1800s progressed the most prominent businessmen built large houses north, south and east of downtown. Although Logan did not have a specific neighborhood where wealthier citizens lived (high style houses are scattered throughout the district), the area around N. Market, E. Main, Orchard, and Culver streets seems to have been popular for the upper class during the last three decades of the 19^th century. In the early 20^th century, a shift occurs, and the majority of new housing constructed for Logan’s professional class is along Hunter Street. In either case, the residences are a walkable distance from the commercial core.

Three houses from the early years of the Railroad/Clay Era are representative:

The Acker House, built at the cusp of Logan’s evolution as an important regional industrial center, exemplifies a transition of popular architectural styles. Built in 1870 at 85 N. Mulberry (Photo 56), the house exhibits elements of both the Gothic Revival, a style that was ebbing in popularity, and the Italianate style.
The Houston House at 359 E. Main (Photo 81) was built in 1870 with characteristic Italianate details of vertical proportions, hoodmolds and bracketed cornice. It is also an example of a half I-House configuration, a house type constructed through much of the 19^th century. The house was built by A. Houston, president of the Logan Manufacturing Co., furniture makers.
The house at 256 N. Market was built by John Rochester. He donated the house to the First Presbyterian Church for use as a parsonage. Constructed in 1871, the house is an example of the Four-over-Four house type. (Photo 111)

The Italianate style with its basic features of bracketed cornice, polygonal bay windows, tall narrow windows, and chamfered wooden porch posts is well represented in Logan, in both brick and frame examples. The peak of the style’s vogue coincided with growing numbers of affluent industrial entrepreneurs and business owners in the community. There are numerous examples of the style in the Logan Historic District, including the following properties:

The A.B. Walker House at 61 N. Orchard was constructed in 1871 (Photo 67). The house has round-arched windows in a five-bay configuration. Walker was a partner in the Logan Soap & Candle Manufactory.
The Amos Parker House at 87 N. Orchard was built in 1872 (Photos 65-66). Another classic five-bay Italianate, the house has main entrances on both front and side elevations.
The house at 247 N. Market was constructed in 1881 (Photo 108). It is an example of a frame two-story Italianate residence in a Gabled Ell form, with ornate carved hoodmolds, brackets and original porch.
The George Work House at 207 N. Mulberry was built in 1882 (Photo 85). It is an example of a brick T-plan Italianate house with bracketed cornice, bay windows and pair of original porches. A frame board-and-batten carriage house is associated with the property (Photo 86).

The Queen Anne style with its basic features of asymmetrical massing, varied exterior materials, towers, large porches with ornate detailing, and stained glass windows is well represented in Logan. As with the Italianate, the peak of this style coincided with the growing number of affluent industrial entrepreneurs and business owners. Examples of the Queen Anne style in the district include:

The Charles Wright House at 9 E. Second was constructed in 1889 (Photo 25). Wright came from a family of prominent farmers, millers, and businessmen. The house was valued at $5,000 when completed.
The Charles Frasch House at 18 E. Hunter was constructed in 1894 (Photos 50-51). Frasch was part owner of the Frasch Bakery on W. Main Street. The house was valued at $2,073 when completed. Built of brick, it features an original slate roof and three-story tower with bell-curve roof. It has an early 1900s brick porch.
The Elmer O. Pettit House at 336 E. Main was constructed in 1900 (Photos 78-79, Attachment B [p. 3, lower right]). The house maintains a high degree of historic integrity and is a fine example of the style, with its multiple porches, wall treatments and roofline projections.

After 1900, popular architectural styles changed. The Colonial Revival was a favored residential style beginning in 1895. Although this coincided with Logan’s clay product heyday and overall growth, there are only a few residential examples of the Colonial Revival style in the district. These include:

The Huls house, 212 E. Hunter, a frame example of the style (Photo 58, at right). Built in 1903, it features a Palladian window in the central dormer and corner pilasters with Ionic capitals.
The Keynes house, 88 S. Market, a brick example of the Colonial Revival style constructed in 1905 (Photo 24).

In many houses from this period, Colonial Revival elements (dormers, elaborate porticoes or porches, smooth Tuscan columns, Palladian or fanlights) are typically combined with Queen Anne features. In the district, there are a number of examples of the two-story Gabled Ell house type with Colonial Revival detailed porches:

91 N. Walnut (Photo 61)
70 E. Second (Photo 30)
202 E. Second (Photo 36)
45 S. Culver (Photo 82)

Other popular residential architectural styles in the first three decades of the 1900s include the Prairie, popular 1905-1930, and English Revival, popular c. 1919-1940, both of which are found in the Logan Historic District. Fashionable house types found in the district include the Bungalow, popular 1910-1935, and the American Foursquare, popular 1900-1925. There are no true Craftsman style houses in the district, but Craftsman stylistic detail, such as exposed rafter tails, large porch columns, and multi-light sash over a single sash windows are common features found on Bungalows and American Four Squares in the district.

Two Prairie style houses are in the district. They feature deep eaves, an overall horizontality, massive porch posts, and banded windows. They also share some elements of the Craftsman aesthetic with exposed rafter tails and multi-light sash over single sash windows.

The Dr. M. H. Cherrington House at 100 E. Hunter (Photo 57) was constructed in 1918. Cherrington founded the Cherrington Hospital, Logan’s first hospital, with his brother in 1908.
The Prairie house at 60 E. Hunter (Photo 53, Attachment B [p. 4, upper right]) was constructed in 1924-25 to serve as the parsonage for the adjacent Methodist Episcopal Church.

Platted with small lots in 1916, Midland Place attracted home builders who may have used pattern books to build English Revival style homes, Bungalows or American Four Squares. Examples of the English Revival houses, which may feature round-arch doorways, prominent chimneys, asymmetrical massing, stone trim, and steep gabled entrance projections, include:

175 Midland (Photo 100)
197 Midland (Photo 100)
321 Midland (Photo 106)

Representatives of the Bungalow house type from the period c. 1910-c. 1930, featuring exposed rafter tails, tapered or large-scale porch posts, 1½ stories, dormers, and bay windows on side elevations, are also found in the district on Midland Place and elsewhere in the district:

63 N. Walnut (Photo 62)
137 Midland (Photo 99)
186 Midland (Photo 101)
295 Midland (Photo 103)
359 E. Hunter (Photo 72)

Multiple American Foursquare house types, featuring 2 or 2½ stories, nearly square dimensions, low hipped roofs, central dormer, and full-width porches, are found in the district:

21 E. Second (Photo 23)
370 and 390 E. Main (Photo 80)
245 N. Mulberry (Photo 88)
520 N. Mulberry (Photo 97)
143 N. Mulberry (Photo 83), an American Foursquare with Craftsman details

Depression and post WWII Era: 1930-1960:

While architectural styles from this period are not common in the district, there are two notable examples of continuing downtown business investment. Each building is a good illustration of its respective mid 20^th century modern design. No other Art Deco buildings have been documented within the community. One International Style house has been observed in Logan, although it is outside the historic district boundaries.

The Century National Bank building at 61 N. Market, an example of a vernacular Art Deco marble façade from the period (Photo 49). The façade features fluted corner pilasters and stringcourse. Two stylized low-relief eagle sculptures below the parapet. The centered, recessed entrance contains a bank of green-tinted plate glass with aluminum framing. The façade originally had stylized, vertically oriented light fixtures on either side of the entrance. The lights have been replaced with contemporary fixtures.
93 W. Hunter, the Columbia Gas Company building designed c.1960 with International Style elements (Photo 47). The asymmetrical blonde-brick building has large plate glass windows, forming a partial curtain wall. A roof canopy, supported by two aluminum columns, covers the entrance and serves as a porch. The flat roof, interplay of solid and void spaces created by the canopy, and juxtaposition of masonry against glass gives the building a cubist form typically found in the International style.

Summary

The Logan Historic District contains a representative collection of residential, commercial, and institutional buildings, illustrating multiple architectural styles and building types from significant eras in the city’s history. Collectively the buildings, park, cemetery, and brick streets paint a picture of late 19^th – early 20^th century life in a small, but industrious community in the Hocking Hills region of Ohio. Nineteenth and 20^th century commercial buildings lining the main street, prominent governmental buildings from the early 20^th century, churches representing some of Logan's historic denominations, and residential streets that spread out from the core in nearly all directions combine to create a sense of the community’s history and architectural legacy. The use of materials forged from clay is physically evident in the district, giving Logan a palpable, artistic quality that is part of its history.

Two other individually-listed National Register properties are located just outside the Logan Historic District boundary and deserve mention. St. John the Evangelist Catholic Church Complex (individually listed on the National Register in 1997) is a significant institutional resource located to the north of the district on Market Street. Constructed in 1897-98, the Late Gothic Revival church building is a notable example of the use of locally-produced glazed brick. In addition to the church, the listed complex includes the parish school, rectory and convent. Constructed in 1853 as a physician’s home and office during Logan’s canal era, the Logan City Hall on East Main Street is representative of both early housing in Logan and the town’s seat of government. The building has served as Logan’s city hall since 1881, and was listed in 1980. In addition, two individually listed properties are located at the edge of the city limits: the Woodruff House, home of a prominent farmer in Hocking County, county commissioner, and promoter of Logan’s iron industry, and Inter County Highway 360, a segment of road paved with locally produced brick. The rural Queen Anne style Woodruff House was listed in 1982, and the 1922 county road segment was listed in 2002. One previous downtown listing, the Ladies Comfort Station, has been demolished.