The Fort (North Lewisburg, Ohio)
Encyclopedia
The Fort is a prominent historic house in the central portion of the U.S. state
of Ohio
. Located northeast of the village of North Lewisburg
in Union County
, this two-story
brick building is a local landmark. Built in 1877, it is a square structure, measuring five bays
wide on each of its sides. Its foundation is built of ashlar
stone, while the hip roof
is constructed of imbricated
slates of multiple colors. The house's hilltop location makes it visible from a vast distance in all directions. Many of its impressive Italianate
architectural elements, such as the ornamental cornice
and carven stone lintels
, can be distinguished from far away, especially as the house is surrounded by farmland rather than woods.
In 1982, The Fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
due to its well-preserved historic architecture, for it has been rated as one of the best Italianate buildings in rural Union County. It also qualified for its place in local history, for it was home to horse breeder Shepard Clark. The son of one of the earliest settlers in Allen Township
, Clark was regarded highly throughout Ohio for his breeding operation.
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
. Located northeast of the village of North Lewisburg
North Lewisburg, Ohio
North Lewisburg is a village in Champaign County, Ohio, United States. The population was 1,588 at the 2000 census.-Geography:North Lewisburg is located at ....
in Union County
Union County, Ohio
Union County is a county located in the US state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 52,300. Increasingly becoming more of a suburban county, the population was estimated at 47,234 in 2007 by the U.S. Census Bureau...
, this two-story
Storey
A storey or story is any level part of a building that could be used by people...
brick building is a local landmark. Built in 1877, it is a square structure, measuring five bays
Bay (architecture)
A bay is a unit of form in architecture. This unit is defined as the zone between the outer edges of an engaged column, pilaster, or post; or within a window frame, doorframe, or vertical 'bas relief' wall form.-Defining elements:...
wide on each of its sides. Its foundation is built of ashlar
Ashlar
Ashlar is prepared stone work of any type of stone. Masonry using such stones laid in parallel courses is known as ashlar masonry, whereas masonry using irregularly shaped stones is known as rubble masonry. Ashlar blocks are rectangular cuboid blocks that are masonry sculpted to have square edges...
stone, while the hip roof
Hip roof
A hip roof, or hipped roof, is a type of roof where all sides slope downwards to the walls, usually with a fairly gentle slope. Thus it is a house with no gables or other vertical sides to the roof. A square hip roof is shaped like a pyramid. Hip roofs on the houses could have two triangular side...
is constructed of imbricated
Imbricated
To imbricate means to overlap in a regular pattern.In petrology, the term "imbricated" is used in describing clastic sediments that are laid down with a preferential orientation of the composing grains. This is most often applied to conglomerates and gravels. It is generally related to paleoflow...
slates of multiple colors. The house's hilltop location makes it visible from a vast distance in all directions. Many of its impressive Italianate
Italianate architecture
The Italianate style of architecture was a distinct 19th-century phase in the history of Classical architecture. In the Italianate style, the models and architectural vocabulary of 16th-century Italian Renaissance architecture, which had served as inspiration for both Palladianism and...
architectural elements, such as the ornamental cornice
Cornice
Cornice molding is generally any horizontal decorative molding that crowns any building or furniture element: the cornice over a door or window, for instance, or the cornice around the edge of a pedestal. A simple cornice may be formed just with a crown molding.The function of the projecting...
and carven stone lintels
Post and lintel
Post and lintel, or in contemporary usage Post and beam, is a simple construction method using a lintel, header, or architrave as the horizontal member over a building void supported at its ends by two vertical columns, pillars, or posts...
, can be distinguished from far away, especially as the house is surrounded by farmland rather than woods.
In 1982, The Fort was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
due to its well-preserved historic architecture, for it has been rated as one of the best Italianate buildings in rural Union County. It also qualified for its place in local history, for it was home to horse breeder Shepard Clark. The son of one of the earliest settlers in Allen Township
Allen Township, Union County, Ohio
Allen Township is one of the fourteen townships of Union County, Ohio, United States. The 2000 census found 1,518 people in the township.-Geography:Located in the western part of the county, it borders the following townships:*Liberty Township - north...
, Clark was regarded highly throughout Ohio for his breeding operation.