Pictured is the Robert Crawford home as it appeared circa 1890.
Lores, Legends & Landmarks
People’s Defender archives, October 3, 1985
By Stephen Kelley
In last week’s column we mentioned Robert Crawford of Ireland who immigrated to the United States and settled in Adams County in 1840. He and his son, Robert Jr., at first began renting the old Andrew Ellison stone house built about three and a half miles north of West Union on the old Zane’s Trace. While still having in this historic home, Robert Sr. died and was buried at West Union.
The same year he first come to Adams County, Robert Jr. bought a hundred acres of land just south of the stone house. Within a few years he managed to clear this property and erect a substantial frame house which yet stands today. Although simple in architecture, this home exhibits a few Greek Revival features which were stylish when the structure was erected.
Robert Crawford Jr. was born in County Tyrone in the north of Ireland in 1796. He married in 1827 to Mary Kirkpatrick who eventually bore him eight children. Six of their children were born in Ireland whereas their last two were born on Lick Fork in Adam County. Both Robert and Mary made the Lick Fork farm their home for the remainder of their lives. Mary passed away in 1879 with Robert surviving until 1884. Both are interred in the old West Union cemetery.
Just two months before Mary died, she and Robert deeded their farm and home to their fourth oldest child who was also named Robert. This Robert had been born in Ireland in 1833 and had come to America with his parents and grandfather in 1840. He was raised on his parents’ Lick Fork farm and in 1868 married Elizabeth Ann Treber, granddaughter of Adams County pioneer, John Treber.
Robert and Elizabeth became the parents of eight children including Treber Coleman Crawford who became a prominent physician in Dunkinsville, West Union and Portsmouth, Ohio. Robert and Elizabeth maintained ownership of the Lick Fork property until their deaths in 1912 and 1925, respectively. The farm was then acquired by their second oldest child, Robert Oscar Crawford. He had been born in this house in February of 1871 and remained here all eighty years of his life, passing away in December of 1951. The farm then passed to his heirs who sold it in November 1953 ending one hundred thirteen years of Crawford family ownership.
