Mount Oval is listed in the U. S. National Register of Historic Places and recognized for its unique architecture among early Ohio homes.

 

Built in 1832 by William and Jane Boggs Renick, the name of the home stems from its construction on an oval-shaped knoll on the Pickaway Plains.  The house’s floor plan bears a resemblance to Thomas Jefferson’s garden house at Monticello with a large central ballroom and three corner bedrooms.  One corner room, which could only be entered through a recessed parch, was designated as the drover’s room.  It is where the drovers who came in the spring to organize the cattle drive would stay.  The Renicks were the first to herd cattle from the SciotoValley to markets on the east coast.

 

In 1860 Jacob Ludwig purchased the home and gave it to his son Daniel and his bride Julia Steeley as a wedding present.  After Julia’s death, the family moved to Circleville.  In 1915 Elizabeth Ludwig Young returned to the home.  After her marriage to Bernard Young they opened their home to school groups, 4-H clubs, scout troops and various community projects.

 

As part of the Pickaway County Historical Society, it will remain a working farm and will be used for agricultural education.