George Barrett Cement House – Poor Man’s Home, Rich Man’s Palace

Greene County · 4 E. Main Street, Spring Valley, OH, 45370

Side A: After his home was destroyed by fire, George Barrett decided to build a home that would survive another disaster. An article Barrett read by O.S. Fowler in New York described a new building material that used gravel, sand, and lime. Cement was a less expensive and more time efficient construction material than brick. Unable to get help from a mason, Barrett gathered the material and built the house himself. Completed in 1853, the house was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. Side B: Same

David Rumsey Map Collection, Stanford Libraries

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Marker data: Ohio Historical Markers program, Ohio History Connection (Remarkable Ohio)

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