Samuel Danford Farm
Encyclopedia
The Samuel Danford Farm is a historic complex of buildings in northeastern Noble County
, Ohio
, United States
. Located near the village of Summerfield
, the complex comprises six buildings and one other site
in an area of approximately 7.5 acres (3 ha).
Samuel Danford first settled at the present farm site in 1817 and quickly built a log cabin
. Here he lived for sixteen years before building the present house; constructed of brick on a stone foundation and topped with a slate
roof, it features a simple exterior and a simple interior. The floor plan
has been modified by the construction of a frame
addition to the rear, but no obvious changes have been made to the facade
.
Mrs. Danford was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church
, and local Methodists began to meet for worship at the Danford farm as early as 1818. Known as the Glady Methodist Church, the members decided to construct a church building in 1869 on the Danford property. By this time, Samuel had been dead for more than twenty-five years, but his widow lived to see the completion of the church building; it was occupied until the church dissolved in 1905. Located near the church, and also on the original Danford farm, is the church's cemetery
: known as the "Glady Cemetery," it is the burial place of Samuel Danford, of his family, and of many other early Noble County pioneers.
In early 1980, the Danford farm property, including the former church and cemetery, was listed on the National Register of Historic Places
. The farm qualified for inclusion on the Register in two separate ways: its architecture was deemed to be historically significant, and it played an important place in the exploration, settlement, and later history of its locality. Such a designation is unusual: the National Park Service
requires that both cemeteries and religious properties pass stricter criteria for inclusion on the Register than other types of historic properties.
Noble County, Ohio
Noble County is a county located in the state of Ohio. As of the 2010 census, the population was 14,645. Its county seat is Caldwell. Noble County is named for Rep. Warren P. Noble of the Ohio House of Representatives, who was an early settler there.-History:...
, 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...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Located near the village of Summerfield
Summerfield, Ohio
Summerfield is a village in Noble County, Ohio, United States. The population was 296 at the 2000 census.-History:Pioneer Samuel Danford settled in the Summerfield vicinity in 1817; his farm is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.-Geography:...
, the complex comprises six buildings and one other site
Property type (National Register of Historic Places)
The U.S. National Register of Historic Places classifies its listings by various types of properties. Listed properties generally fall into one of five categories, though there are special considerations for other types of properties which do not fit into these five broad categories or fit into...
in an area of approximately 7.5 acres (3 ha).
Samuel Danford first settled at the present farm site in 1817 and quickly built a log cabin
Log cabin
A log cabin is a house built from logs. It is a fairly simple type of log house. A distinction should be drawn between the traditional meanings of "log cabin" and "log house." Historically most "Log cabins" were a simple one- or 1½-story structures, somewhat impermanent, and less finished or less...
. Here he lived for sixteen years before building the present house; constructed of brick on a stone foundation and topped with a slate
Slate
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism. The result is a foliated rock in which the foliation may not correspond to the original sedimentary layering...
roof, it features a simple exterior and a simple interior. The floor plan
Floor plan
In architecture and building engineering, a floor plan, or floorplan, is a diagram, usually to scale, showing a view from above of the relationships between rooms, spaces and other physical features at one level of a structure....
has been modified by the construction of a frame
Framing (construction)
Framing, in construction known as light-frame construction, is a building technique based around structural members, usually called studs, which provide a stable frame to which interior and exterior wall coverings are attached, and covered by a roof comprising horizontal ceiling joists and sloping...
addition to the rear, but no obvious changes have been made to the facade
Facade
A facade or façade is generally one exterior side of a building, usually, but not always, the front. The word comes from the French language, literally meaning "frontage" or "face"....
.
Mrs. Danford was an active member of the Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
, and local Methodists began to meet for worship at the Danford farm as early as 1818. Known as the Glady Methodist Church, the members decided to construct a church building in 1869 on the Danford property. By this time, Samuel had been dead for more than twenty-five years, but his widow lived to see the completion of the church building; it was occupied until the church dissolved in 1905. Located near the church, and also on the original Danford farm, is the church's cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
: known as the "Glady Cemetery," it is the burial place of Samuel Danford, of his family, and of many other early Noble County pioneers.
In early 1980, the Danford farm property, including the former church and cemetery, 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...
. The farm qualified for inclusion on the Register in two separate ways: its architecture was deemed to be historically significant, and it played an important place in the exploration, settlement, and later history of its locality. Such a designation is unusual: the National Park Service
National Park Service
The National Park Service is the U.S. federal agency that manages all national parks, many national monuments, and other conservation and historical properties with various title designations...
requires that both cemeteries and religious properties pass stricter criteria for inclusion on the Register than other types of historic properties.