What to See in Mount Gilead - Top Sights and Attractions

Building in Mount Gilead. The James S. Trimble House is a historic residence in the village of Mount Gilead, Ohio, United States. The most significant house in the village, it was built in the middle of the nineteenth century, and it has been designated a historic site.

Born in 1818 in Mount Vernon into one of the area's pioneer families, Trimble was a merchant in Mount Gilead, operating a shop on Main Street by 1848. Finding his wealth growing, Trimble paid less attention to his dry goods store, opening a warehouse and becoming involved in selling grain in the nearby village of Edison; as time passed, he also formed a bank.

Possessed of a large lot along Iberia Street in Mount Gilead, Trimble chose to build his house on the property in 1853. Constructed of brick, and designed by the architectural firm of Miller and Smith, it is the largest and most elaborate house in the village, due largely to its unusually high degree of preservation. Few ornate Italianate houses built before the Civil War remain in the area, and the large lot makes the house even more prominent in Mount Gilead, one of Ohio's smallest county seats. Trimble lived in the house for twenty-five years; in April 1878, his investments in other businesses proved ruinous when those businesses failed, and he was forced to sell the house in his bankruptcy. For many years after this event, it was the home of Perry Cook and his family; they sold it to another family in the 1940s, and it was purchased from that family by the local Presbyterian church in 1982.

In 1982, the James S. Trimble House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places, qualifying because of its historically significant architecture. Fully 4 acres (1.6 ha) of land were designated as historic, and five different buildings in this area qualified as contributing properties. Trimble's home is one of four Mount Gilead properties to have received this distinction, and one of fifteen countywide.^[2]

Historical landmark in Mount Gilead, Ohio. Levering Hall is a historic building in downtown Mount Gilead, Ohio, United States. A fine example of the Italianate style, it was intended to house a range of civic functions.

Architecturally, Levering Hall is distinguished by such elements as elaborate ironwork and detailed cornices. Built in the national centennial year of 1876, it was initially conceived as a village hall and fire station, but before construction began, local businessmen proposed using its front portion for commercial purposes. Ultimately, the front and rear were built separately at a combined cost of $22,500. Among the most distinctive portions of the finished two-piece building was an opera hall, used as a community theater until the end of the 1940s. The village offices and fire station also left the building in the middle of the twentieth century.

Plans for the building that became Levering Hall were laid during a period of rapid growth for the village of Mount Gilead, which had only recently been a tiny crossroads community. The hall's cornerstone was laid on June 28, 1876, and construction was finished by the end of the year. Its builders were Miller and Smith, who were known for their work on several Ohio county courthouses and the Ohio Penitentiary in Columbus. Leading Mount Gilead businessman Allen Levering was the building's namesake; a future state legislator, he helped to organize the local business association that proposed using the building for commercial purposes.

In 1980, Levering Hall was listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It qualified for listing because of its distinctive architecture, its part in overall local history, and its connection to Allen Levering.^[3]