United States Department of the Interior National Park Service

National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form See instructions in How to Complete National Register Forms Type all entries-complete applicable sections

I. Name historic The Z. D. Ramsdell House

andlor common The Ramsdell House

2. Location street & number 1108 B S t r e e t - not for publication

city, town Ceredo - vicinity of - t

state West V i r g i n i a code 54 countv Wayne code 099 -- -

3. Classification Category Ownership Status Present Use - district _X. public - occupied - agriculture - museum 2 building(s) - private unoccupied - commercial - park - structure - both w o r k in progress - educational - private residence - site P bl ic Acquisition Accessible - entertainment - religious - object & in process - yes: restricted - government - scientific

- being considered X yes: unrestricted - industrial - transportation - no - military - other:

4. Owner of Property

name Ceredo H i s t o r i c Landmark Commission

street & number P .O. Box 544

citv, town Ceredo - vicinitv of state West V i r g i n i a

5. Location of Lesal Descri~tion

street & number Wayne County Cour t House

city, town Wayne state West V i r g i n i a

6. Representation in Existing Surveys

title None has this property been determined eligible? - yes no

date -_ federal - state - county - local

depository for survey records

city, town state

' 7 . 'Description

Condition Check one Check one - excellent - deteriorated L unaltered X_- original site - good - ruins - altered m o v e d date -% fair - unexposed --

Describe the present and original (if known) physical appearance

A . The Z. D. Ramsdell House i s a n i n d i v i d u a l b u i l d i n g d e s i g n e d and b u i l t a s a r e s i d e n c e i n 1857158 and i s s t a n d i n g today i n i t s o r i g i n a l l o c a t i o n a t 1108 B S t r e e t , Ceredo, West V i r g i n i a , and i s today g e n e r a l l y a s o r i g i n a l l y b u i l t . - Pi

A l . The b u i l d i n g s e r v e d a s a r e s i d e n c e f o r 122 y e a r s , b u t i s unoccupied a t p r e s e n t

A2. The house i s d e t a c h e d from any a d j a c e n t b u i l d i n g ; l o c a t e d a t o p a mound claimed t o be a n I n d i a n b u r i a l mound, on a 46 ' x 150' l o t i n downtown, r e s i d e n t i a l Ceredo. (see accompanying copy of deed. )

- r A3. The house i s of g e n e r a l l y r e c t a n g u l a r c o n f i g u r a t i o n a p p r o x i m a t e l y 30 f e e t wide

by 48 f e e t long. (See accompanying f l o o r p l a n . ) It i s two s t o r y r e d b r i c k and frame c o n s t r u c t i o n . The b r i c k was made i n a b r i c k y a r d a b o u t one m i l e away and l a i d by M r . Denney S h i n e who came t o Ceredo abou t 1857 a s a mason w i t h Chase B r o t h e r s C o n t r a c t o r s . (He a l s o p l a s t e r e d t h e i n t e r i o r of t h e house . ) N a t i v e s t o n e forms the f o u n d a t i o n , e n t r a n c e s t o o p , and low r e t a i n i n g w a l l a t t h e f r o n t of t h e house. The f rame p o r t i o n of t h e b u i l d i n g i s narrow wea the rboard ing . The a r c h i t e c t u r e i s Greek R e v i v a l w i t h gabled r o o f . Roof e a v e s a r e s t a t e l y o r n a t e . (See accompanying e x t e r i o r pho tographs . )

A4. The f r o n t d o o r i s a c c e s s e d by way of a n a t i v e s t o n e s t o o p . The back door e x i t s

t t o a c o n c r e t e c l o o r e d back porch ( p r o b a b l y added i n t h e e a r l y 1 9 0 0 ' s ) . An over-porch i s a c c e s s e d from a n u p s t a i r s bedroom. An a t t a c h e d k i t c h e n a d d i t i o n , s t o r a g e room o r porch h a s been removed from t h e r e a r of t h e b u i l d i n g expos ing a f a i r l y s m a l l excava ted basement, r o o t o r wine c e l l a r . The house h a s 16 double-hung f o u r pane windows w i t h wavy g l a s s . E x t e r i o r d o o r s a r e s o l i d p a n e l e d . The o r i g i n a l house had two chimneys ( s e e accompanying 1880' s k e t c h ) , b u t t h e e x t e r i o r chimneys have s i n c e been removed. The house h a s been r e c e n t l y re - roofed (1981) w i t h a s p h a l t s h i n g l e s .

A5. Ev idence e x i s t s t h a t a wrought i r o n f e n c e once s t o o d i n t h e s t o n e r e t a i n i n g wa l l a t t h e f r o n t of t h e house.

A6. The house c o n t a i n s seven rooms d o w n s t a i r s and f o u r bedrooms w i t h s t a i r w a y and hal lway u p s t a i r s . (See accompanying f l o o r p l a n . ) The d o w n s t a i r s i s comprised of an en t rance way o r f o y e r g r a c e d w i t h a m a j e s t i c s t a i r w a y , a l i v i n g room br icked-up f i r e p l a c e and simple e l e g a n t m a n t l e ; d i n i n g room w i t h v e r y s i m i l a r f i r e p l a c e ; a bed ( o r b o r n i n g ) room; a k i t c h e n ; and a s t o r a g e room. Wal l s a r e p l a s t e r e d d i r e c t l y on b r i c k on o u t s i d e w a l l s and wooden l a t h on i n t e r i o r w a l l s . Most w a l l s a r e w a l l p a p e r e d . (Remnants of what a r e b e l i e v e d t o be o r i g i n a l o r n e a r o r i g i n a l w a l l p a p e r have been found i n t h e a t t i c . ) A l l i n t e r i o r t r i m i s f u l l and o r i g i n a l . A l l f l o o r s a r e b road p l a n k ( b u t have been covered w i t h , i n most rooms, w a l l t o w a l l c a r p e t i n g ) . G a s - l i g h t p i p e s p r o t r u d e from some c e i l i n g s . (See accompanying photographs of i n t e r i o r . )

A7. Type and e x a c t l o c a t i o n of o u t b u i l d i n g s a r e unknown a t t h i s t ime. However, some f o u n d a t i o n s t o n e s e x i s t i n p l a c e .

A8. No o t h e r manmade e l e m e n t s a r e i n t h e immediate a r e a . C

s s

I - " 8. Significance

Period -- prehistoric - 1400-1 499 - 1500-1 599 - 1600-1 699 - 1700-1799 X 1800-1 899 - 1900-

Areas of Significance--Check and justify below - archeology-prehistoric - community planning - landscape architecture- religion - archeology-historic - conservation - law - science - agriculture - economics - literature - sculpture -, architecture X education & military 2.- social1 - art - engineering - music humanitarian 2 commerce X explorationlsettlement 2- philosophy - theater - communications u industry JL politics/government u transportation

v_ invention - other (specify)

I

Specific da te r 1857186 BuilderlArchitect 2. D . RAMSDELL

Statement of Significance (in one paragraph)

The Z. D. Ramsdell p r o p e r t y i s t h e f i r s t b r i c k house b u i l t ( i n 1858) i n t h e town of Ceredo. I t i s a n i m p o r t a n t p a r t of t h e l o c a l h i s t o r y of t h i s a r e a b e i n g a v i s i b l e l i n k w i t h t h e f o r m a t i o n and p r o g r e s s of t h e Town of Ceredo and t h e Wayne County a r e a . M r . Ramsdell was a s t r o n g s u p p o r t e r of t h e town by h i s a c t i v i t i e s i n t h e f o r m a t i o n and con- t i n u a t i o n o f t h e town i t s e l f , t h e m i l i t a r y h i s t o r y , h i s advancements i n e d u c a t i o n , i n d u s t r y , governmental and r e l i g i o u s i s s u e s and t h e p r e s e r v a t i o n of freedom f o r s l a v e s th rough h i s work w i t h t h e wUnderground R a i l r o a d " u n t i l t h e Emancipat ion Act was e n a c t e d . The p r o p e r t y was occup ied by M r . Ramsdell from i t s comple t ion u n t i l h i s d e a t h i n 1335. It h a s remained i n t h e h e i r ' s ownership u n t i l 1977.

M r . Ramsdell came t o ered do i n 1858 a t t h e p e r s o n a l i n v i t a t i o n of E l i Thayer , who founded Ceredo i n t h a t same y e a r . Thayer was a Boston a b o l i t i o n i s t and Congressman who was i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e e m i g r a t i o n of f r e e peop le and t h e fo rmat ion of new communities f o r m a n u f a c t u r i n g and b u s i n e s s expans ion i n new a r e a s .

M r . Ramsdel l , a n a t i v e of Maine, t h e n l i v i n g i n M a s s a c h u s s e t t s , was a l s o a n a b o l i t i o n i s t and businessman. He j o i n e d i n t h i s c o l o n i z a t i o n e n t e r p r i s e , came t o Ceredo i n 1858, and b u i l t a shoe and boo t f a c t o r y . A t t h e o u t s e t of t h e C i v i l War i n 1861, h e was one of t h e f i r s t t o e n l i s t i n t h e Union Army a s a member of t h e Q u a r t e r Mas te r Corp i n t h e F i f t h Regiment V i r g i n i a V o l u n t e e r I n f a n t r y which was o r g a n i z e d i n Ceredo. He was l a t e r promoted t o t h e Commissary S t a f f of G e n e r a l Mi l roy and r o s e t o t h e r a n k of C a p t a i n .

A f t e r t h e war, Ramsdell was c o n t a c t e d by P r e s i d e n t Gran t t o u rge him t o u n d e r t a k e t h e r e h a b i l i t a t i o n of t h e m a i l s e r v i c e which had been n e a r l y d e s t r o y e d i n t h e war. M r . Ramsdell took t h e ass ignment w i t h t h e U.S. Government and though f a c i n g many o b s t a c l e s and h a z a r d s he completed t h e job thorough ly . He was t h e n a p p o i n t e d a s s p e c i a l a g e n t of t h e p o s t o f f i c e d e p a r t m e n t , a p o s i t i o n c o r r e s p o n d i n g t o t h e p r e s e n t p o s t o f f i c e i n s p e c t o r . He remained i n t h e s e r v i c e u n t i l h i s d e a t h i n 1886.

M r . Ramsdell a l s o s e r v e d a s l e g i s l a t i v e r e p r e s e n t a t i v e i n t h e West V i r g i n i a S t a t e Sena te d u r i n g 1868 and 1869. He was a d e l e g a t e t o t h e N a t i o n a l Convent ions t h a t nominated G r a n t , Hayes, and G a r f i e l d .

I n b r i n g i n g i n d u s t r y t o t h e West V i r g i n i a r e g i o n , Ramsdell r e p r e s e n t e d West V i r s i n i a a s a t r u s t e e on t h e Board of t h e O r i g i n a l Covington and Ohio R a i l r o a d t h a t l a t e r became t h e Chesapeake and Ohio.

He was a l s o a c t i v e i n e d u c a t i o n f o r t h e c h i l d r e n of t h e new a r e a and s e r v e d i n forming one of t h e f i r s t F r e e School laws f o r t h e newly formed Ceredo E d u c a t i o n a l D i s t r i c t .

From h i s a b o l i t i o n i s t l e a n i n g s Ramsdell a l s o took a n a c t i v e p a r t i n t h e "Underground R a i l r o a d " sys tem. I t i s a t r a d i t i o n which h a s p e r s i s t e d down through t h e y e a r s t h a t Ceredo was a jumping o f f p l a c e f o r s l a v e s f l e e i n g t o f r e e s t a t e s . A s e c r e t o r c o n c e a l e d basement i n t h e Ramsdell House was c la imed t o be a s e c r e t h i d i n p l a c e f o r s l a v e s b e f o r e b e i n g smuggled a t n i g h t a c r o s s t h e Ohio R i v e r i n t o Lawrence &ounty , Ohio, which was a f r e e s t a t e . Ha l o c a l c i t i g e n s l h a v e had e r s o n a l d i s c u s s i o n s w i t h d e s c e n d a n t s of Ramsdell r e g a r d i n g h i s a c p Y v r t l e s ~ n t e s ave movemgnt.

. . NPS FMm 10.9@%* Val )

United States Department of the Interior National Park Service

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National Register of Historic Places Inventory-Nomination Form

Continuation sheet Bibliographical References Item number 9 Page 2

McClintic, Elizabeth. Ceredo: An Experiment in Colonization. N.P., 1937.

Thornson, C. W., History of Cetedo and Kenova. N.P., N.D.

Stewart, Fay Jean. Ceredo-Kenova West Virginia's Gateway to the West. Morgantown, W.V: 1942.

Stewart, Faye. ltHistory of Ceredo,It Wayne County News. Wayne, W. Va. 1948

Conley, Phil, and William Thomas Doherty. West Virginia History. Education Foundation, Inc.: Charleston, W. Va. 1974.

Hardin, Jack. "Ceredo has an Abolitionist Background." The Advertiser: Huntington, W. Va.: Feb. 16, 1976.

Hardesty, "Historical and Geographical Encyclopedia

Herald Advertiser, December 1, 1929

Herald-Advertiser, December 8, 1929

#10 Verbal boundary description:

iron pipe; thence S. 10-30' W. 150.00 ft. to the place of beginning. (Deed Book 446, Page 459 Wanye County Court).

ROAD CLASSIFICATION

Primary highway, all weather, Light-duty road, all weather, hard surface improved surface

Secondary highway, all weather, Un~rnproved road, f a ~ r or dry hard surface --- weather =========

0 Interstate Route 0 U S Route 3 State Route

CATLETTSBURG, OHIO - W. VA. - KY. NE/4 CEREDO 15' QUADRDANGLE

N3822.5-W823017.5

AMS 4460 1 NE-SERIES V852