The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-06-28
THE OLDEST HOUSE IN OHIO.
1t Was Built by Gen. Nathan
iel Massie I'm 1907
On the High, Picturesque Pleateau
near Manchester--The Frame House
- Still Standing-Described as It Is
Today-An Interesting Con-
tributiOn to Ohio
History.

There is a spot on the Ohio river four
miles above Manchester whose natural
beauty attracted the admiration of the
untutored savages who roamed the
primitive forests before they had ever
met the white men. There they visited
and there they maintained an outlook
up and down the Ohio river and over
the adjacent country. There they buried
their distinguished dead, whose graves
are known to this day. But the Indians
were not the only ones whom this spot
impressed with its beauty. The first
white man who ever visited it was 80
charmed by the natural beauty of the
situation and surroundings that he i'm
me diately took steps to and did secure
it as his own.
I" General Nathaniel Massie visited this
place in 1871, and so delighted was he
by it that he proceeded to locate it as
his own. 1t is high, almost level
plateau of land, even with the tops of
the river hills around it, bounded on
the south-for half mile by the Ohio
river, on the east and west by the val.
leys of two small tributaries OF the Ohio
river, Donelson's creek and Eilison's
run, and connecting at the north with
Gift ridge, long and wide stretch of
table land, parallel with the Ohio river
for some miles. The southeast corner
of this plateau affords most magnificent
view up the Ohio river and valley for ten
miles and over the fertile farms in Ken
lucky opposite. The view is much finer
now than it was in the summer of 1871.
Then there was nothing but forest every
where, with the yellow waters of the
Ohio, like golden thread amid the
solid emerald, but beside the view up
and down the Ohio river and across in
to the rich valley lands in Kentucky,
there is now view OF the ridges, table
lands ana forest-covered hills to the
north that is quite enhancing as the
views to the east, to the south and to
the west.
Gen. Massie built cabin of buckeye
logs here on the southeastern corner of
the plateau and called it Buckeye sta.
ton, as everything in that day was
called station. Here he came to hunt,
to enjoy the grand views, to rest and en-
Joy himself. To secure his choice loca.
ton from the Indians he took up the
entire Gift ridge, to the north of it, for
four or five miles, with military war.
rants, and gave the land to those who
would settle on it and placed a Gordon
between him and the hostiles. Massie
was brave man, but he liked company
when the Indians were expected. So
captivated with his place was he that,
Notwithstanding the fact that he laid
out Chillicothe in 1895, and then took
up fine body of land on Paint creek,
in Ross county, in the summer of 1897
he proceeded to erect a frame house on
this place, when the erection of frame
house in 1897 was a remarkable under
taking. The house is located about ten
rods back from the cliff on the south,
overlooking the Ohio river and about
five rods from the bluffs on the east,
overlooking Donelson's creek, where on
April %, 1871. Israel Donelson was cap.
tured by band of Indians. The timbers
and boards for the inside and out, and
for the floors, were sawed out by hand
with whip saws, and every nail in it was
made by blacksmith on an anvil. The
house is but one story, but has two mar.
velously fine chimneys, one single and
one double. These chimneys were built
most substantially. They stand today
as perfect as when, ninety-seven years
ago, the mason gave them the last stroke
of his hammer.
The front of the house is to the south,
with side front to the east. Two rooms
face the east looking up the Ohio, and
between them is the great double chim-
ney. To the west is wing with hall
and one large room, with the other stone
chimney at the west end. The hall
fronts the south, and besides the door
on each side are two windows to enable
the imates to inspect guest before ad-
mission. After entering the hall there
is a door on each side entering the east
and west rooms. Entering the east room
from the hall we find window to the
south and another to the east, with very
small panes of glass. The walls of this
room and the other two were lined with
wide, primitive boards, and ceilings only
were plastered. The floors were made
of wide, old.fashioned boards, such as
are now no longer seen. The fire place
in the east room is feature. 1t is four
feet high from the hearth to the top of
the arch and eight feet wide. To the left
of this fire. place, as one stands before it,
is closet under stairway from the
north room. To the right is Q door
leading into the north room. ~
Entering that we find door and
-l., -, tha oo NJ and q viu1nw and a