John Allen House is closed for the season and will re-open on 2/15/23.
JAH is being featured in the Greene County Historical Society Tour of Homes on 12/11/23 from 1-4 PM EST. Tickets can be purchased at the Society located at 74 W Church Street in Xenia. Our Grand Ole’ Gal is all dressed up for Christmas – hope to see you there!
The 2022 season brought many updates to JAH, including new sidewalks and resetting of the large limestone front steps. Much of this year has been a “shoring up of the bones” to prepare for coming additions. Our 141-year-old original limestone foundation was renewed and the entire basement cleaned up and rehabbed for future plans. This winter more bathroom, radiator, suite and ceiling/floor rehabs are in the works. Can’t wait for you to see the changes!
About the John Allen House
John Allen House was built in 1881 by as a wedding dowry to John Allen and his wife Sarah Ann (Nunnemaker) Allen. John Allen was an Ohio State Representative and the first banker of Xenia. When first built, the John Allen House was a place for the Allens to entertain dignitaries attracted to Xenia as a potential investment. The Hivling Family (of Eden House) brought the railroads to Xenia which comprise our excellent bike paths of today. John Bryant of Ford Motor fame was a resident of John Allen House from 1918-1926. Bryant was married to the niece of Henry Ford and Ford was a regular visitor to the house.
Later, the Allens would buy Eden House next door from the Hivlings. They gave Eden House to their married daughter, Mary Catherine Kinney. In 1927, John Allen House underwent an extensive remodeling and was given to the Allen’s then-spinster daughter, Clara. This new floor plan included four separate suites (similar to the present layout). Since Clara was a lady of a certain standing, a boarding house was an acceptable means of self-support; a job would have been scandalous!
We believe Helen Hoover Santmyer used some literary license and combined the John Allen and Eden houses to make up the “house” featured in her best selling book, …”And Ladies of The Club“
John Allen House is available for small events (weddings, showers, conferences, dinners and meetings). See our “Events” page for more details and to book a consult. Our multi-room rentals are economical and very popular.
Greene County has many attractions. Our bike trails are recognized among the finest in the nation, and the “hub” of five trails is just four blocks away. Other popular attractions are the Air Force Museum and Young’s Jersey Dairy.
See our Attractions page for more vacation ideas.
More about the house
and-Features
The house is an Eastlake Victorian with elaborate porches, corbelled chimneys, imported Italian hardwoods, and painted slate fireplaces. Most features of the home have been preserved by previous owners and are present in the home today.
Unlike many homes of the age, the John Allen House had indoor plumbing, electricity and communication devices. The house features spacious suites with high ceilings, carved hardwood wood trim and 10-foot doors. The house has 5 levels (basement-8 feet high, 1st floor – 12 feet, 2nd floor – 11 feet, 3rd floor – 9 feet and a 12-foot attic). There are 25 rooms, 15 chandeliers, and 9 fireplace mantles. The original cisterns that collected rainwater at the top of the house to flush toilets below by gravity are still present. So too the grand staircase and original chimney stacks of the home.
- Original fireplace mantles, corbelled chimney stacks and cast-iron radiators.
- 19th-Century stones and hand-carved Italian hardwoods.
- Handmade bricks crafted onsite during construction of the home.
- Many original chandeliers and wavy-glassed windows, as well as stained and etched glass.
- Extensive walking gardens and 130-plus-year old maple trees
- 5 private suites with sitting areas and ensuite baths
- Music Room, Formal Parlor, Formal Dining and Guest Sitting Areas
- Four ornately-carved porches and one balcony
Mentionable
Dating back to 1881, the John Allen House has many hidden mysteries and so many more stories to tell, including that it is…
- Listed on the National Register of Historic Places as part of the East Second Street District
- The home has been a single-family home, a boarding house and a bed & breakfast.
Why We Love It
The John Allen House is a place of peace; the house lends a sense of calm and respite the minute you arrive.
Enjoy the bird song and rustling leaves as you drift through your afternoon with a glass of iced tea on the porch.
Take a nap. We won’t tell!
Remarkable
Much of the house is in original condition.
Having only a handful of owners, the house has been well-preserved.
Built eight years before Biltmore, the house is a Gilded Age mansion you can enjoy with beautiful features you can see and touch. Our public spaces are completely available for your enjoyment.
Live like you have no where to be and nothing to do for a few days!
Book With Us
The John Allen House is available for small events (weddings, showers, conferences and meetings). See our “Events” page for more details and to book a consult. Our multi-room options (3, 4, and 5-rooms) are economical and very popular.