Woodsdale in Butler County, Ohio — The American Midwest (Great Lakes)

Welcome to the Chrisholm Farmstead

— Friends of Chrisholm —

Photographed by Craig Doda, June 7, 2025

1. Welcome to the Chrisholm Farmstead Marker

Inscription. In 1819, Christian Augspurger led a group of six German-speaking families from the Alsace region of France to establish an Amish settlement in Butler County, Ohio. This became one of the first Amish communities in Ohio and the westernmost in America. Growth continued through immigration into the 1860s. As the settlement expanded, it also served as a hub for further westward movement of Amish arriving from France and Germany and gave birth to settlements in Illinois and lowa.

By 1829, Christian had acquired 250 acres of fertile land overlooking the Great Miami River. He built a stone farmhouse on this site and named his farmstead Chrisholm. The brick Italianate home that now stands here was built in 1874 by youngest son, Samuel Augspurger, after the original home was partially destroyed by fire.

Chrisholm Farmstead, along with 15 other settlement structures, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places under the title "The Christian Augspurger Amish Mennonite Cultural Settlement of Butler County, Ohio."

This remnant of a once thriving Amish and agricultural community includes the historic house, as well as a bank barn, gardens and the family cemetery.

In 1995, Cincinnati Gas & Electric (now Duke Energy) donated this farmstead along with 17 acres to MetroParks of Butler County.

That

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year, MetroParks of Butler County, in partnership with Friends of Chrisholm, a nonprofit organization, embarked on a plan to restore the property for use as a heritage center, museum and public gathering place.

Erected by MetroParks of Butler County, OH.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Cemeteries & Burial Sites • Parks & Recreational Areas • Settlements & Settlers. A significant historical year for this entry is 1819.

Location. 39° 26.689′ N, 84° 27.713′ W. Marker is in Woodsdale, Ohio, in Butler County. It is on Woodsdale Road 0.4 miles east of Wayne Madison Road, on the right when traveling west. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2070 Woodsdale Rd, Trenton OH 45067, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in Greater Cincinnati

and in the Miami Valley.

It is also in the American Midwest.

Globally, it is in North America,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the Haudenosaunee (Iroquois) Confederacy,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

and the Northwest Territory.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Chrisholm Summer Kitchen (within shouting distance of this marker); Chrisholm Native Pollinator Garden (within shouting distance of this marker); Alsdorf Windmill (within shouting distance of this marker); John Augspurger Portable Fences (within shouting distance of this marker); Chrisholm Cellar (within shouting distance of this marker); The Amish Mennonite Settlement (within shouting distance

Photographed by Craig Doda, June 7, 2025

2. Welcome to the Chrisholm Farmstead Marker

of this marker); Butler County's First Green Restroom (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Sanitary Outhouse (about 300 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Woodsdale.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 10, 2025. It was originally submitted on June 18, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. This page has been viewed 127 times since then and 27 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on June 18, 2025, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio. • Bill Pfingsten was the editor who published this page.